Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory Quest

● One of the most widely mentioned theories of motivation is the hierarchy of needs theory put forth by psychologist Abraham Maslow. Maslow saw human needs in the form of a hierarchy, ascending from the lowest to the highest; and he concluded that, when one set of needs is satisfied, this kind of need ceases to be a motivator.
● The Needs Hierarchy
The basic human needs placed by Maslow in an ascending order of importance and in Figure 14-1 are these:
• Physiological Needs: These are the basic needs for sustaining human life itself, such as food, water, warmth, shelter, and sleep. Maslow took the position that, untill these needs are satisfied to the degree necessary to maintain life, other needs will not motivate people.
• Security, or safety, needs: People want to be free of physical danger and of the fear of losing a job, property, food, or shelter.
• Affiliation, or Acceptance, Needs: Since people are social beings, they need to belong, to be accepted by others.
• Esteem Needs: According to Maslow, once people begin to satisfy their need to belong, they tend to want to be held in esteem both by themselves and by others. This kinds of need produces such satisfactions as power, prestige, status, and self-confidence.
• Need for Self-Actualization: Maslow regards this as the highest need in his hierarchy. It is the desire to become what one capable of becoming-to maximize one's potential and to accomplish something.
^
Need for self-actualization
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Esteem needs
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Affiliation or acceptance needs
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Security or safety needs
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Physiological needs
--------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGURE 14-1 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
● Questioning the Needs Hierarchy
• Maslow's concept of a hierarchy of needs has been subjected to considerable research. Edward Lawler and J. L Ioyd Suttle collected data on 187 managers in two different organizations over a period of 6 to 12 months. They found little evidence to support Maslow's theory that human needs form a hierarchy. They did note, however, that there are two levels of needs-biological and other needs- and that the other needs would emerge only when biological needs are reasonably satisfied. They found further that at the higher level the strength of needs varies with the individual: in some individuals social needs predominate, while in others self-actualization needs are strongest.
• In another study of Maslow's needs hierarchy involving a group of managers over a period of five years. Douglas T. Hall and Khalil Nougaim did not find strong evidence of hierarchy. They found that, as managers advance in an organization, their physiological and safety needs tend to decrease in importance, while their needs for affiliation, esteem, and self-actualization tend to increase. They insisted, however, that the upward movement of need prominence results from upward career changes and not from the satisfaction of lower-order needs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
http://jimrzs.blogspot.com
http://share.ovi.com/mobile/elibrary
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fundamentals of Management : Leading / Motivation [BBA 2305]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ovi Mail: Get mail on your mobile or the web
http://mail.ovi.com