Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In 1943 Abraham Maslow developed
a theory about human motivation called the hierarchy of needs.
This theory has been popular in the United States and describes human
needs in five general categories. According to Maslow, once an individual
has met his needs in one category, he is motivated to seek
needs in the next higher level. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs consists of
the following general categories:
Physiological needs. These are the first and lowest level of needs.
They relate to the most basic needs for survival and include the
need for food and shelter.
Safety needs. The second level of needs involves an individual’s
need for security, protection, and safety in the physical and interpersonal
events of daily life.
Social needs. The third level of needs is associated with social behavior.
It is based on an individual’s desire to be accepted as part
of a group and includes a desire for love and affection.
Esteem needs. The fourth level of needs relates to an individual’s
need for respect, recognition, and prestige and involves a personal
sense of competence.
Self-actualization. This is the fifth and highest level of needs.
Needs of this level are associated with an individual’s desire to
reach his full potential by growing and using his abilities to the
fullest and most creative extent.
Organizational Behavior 21
TLFeBOOK
As individuals move higher in the corporate hierarchy, they may
see higher-order needs as being more important than those of lower orders.
Needs may also vary based on career stage, organizational structure,
and geographic location. The hierarchy of needs could also lack
effective application in different cultural contexts. Certain cultures
may value social needs over psychological and safety needs. In addition,
the theory necessitates that a manager be able to identify and understand
an employee’s needs. This is not always easy and can lead to
inaccurate assumptions. Taken in the proper context, however, recognizing
the importance of needs is a useful method for conceptualizing
factors of employee motivation and thus being able to direct an organization’s
behavior.