THEORY 23

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS THEORY

Use as a general overarching theory that explains people’s whole life motivations, many of which will not be satisfied in the world of work.

Abraham Maslow’s pyramid represents a hierarchy of needs that must be satisfied in a sequential order from bottom to top. He suggests that failing to satisfy a need at any level will prevent progression to the next level.

Illustration

The needs can be divided into two categories. Basic needs include biological and safety. Growth needs include affiliation, esteem and self-fulfilment. Maslow argues that people die if their basic needs aren’t satisfied and feel inferior and dissatisfied if their affiliation and esteem needs go unfulfilled and if they cannot achieve self-actualisation.

Managers have a responsibility to ensure that an employee’s basic needs are met and to create a climate in which employees can develop.

HOW TO USE IT

  • Ensure that your team’s basic needs are met. These include food, water, warmth, rest and shelter. These equate to a safe working environment free from physical and psychological harm. Heating, lighting and ventilation must meet required standards and you should regularly compare pay and conditions with what your competitors are offering.
  • Once basic needs are met start to work on satisfying some of the higher level needs. Encourage social interaction and team spirit. Some organisations have dress-down Fridays as a means of encouraging less formality and greater interaction.
  • People now feel happy and content with life in your organisation. They are well-paid members of a family with a good sense of security and belonging. Build on this by developing opportunities for teamwork (see Section 5).
  • Build and enhance your team’s self-esteem by designing challenging jobs. Give positive feedback and praise regularly. Delegate responsibility and offer developmental training opportunities. Contentment now becomes excitement as people start to feel valued.
  • By now the pyramid is nearly complete but putting the final touch to it may be beyond even the best manager. Most people don’t seek to achieve self-actualisation at work. They find that elsewhere. However, you can create the conditions for self-fulfilment by providing challenges for all staff, encouraging creativity and removing any obstacles that might block a person’s progress.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

  • What are my lifetime ambitions?
  • What would count as self-actualisation for me?
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