Applicability of Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory in Company practice
Many researchers have found and developed
different types of theories to explain the factors and importance of employee
motivation for job satisfaction. Multiple theories have been developed by
different theorists under four main categories of equity theories, need
theories, expectancy theories and task and goal employee motivation theories
(Al-Madi et al., 2017).
As per Maslow’s theory of motivation people
including employees are desire to become self-actualizing and the full
potential is an area that has not discovered yet (Ramlall, 2004), and extent to
which the employees are fulfill the needs, they are motivated and work towards
to achieve targets (Sandhu et al., 2017). People increase desires of life and
prioritize the needs according to the importance levels (Badubi, 2017).
Figure 01 explained the Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs. Conrad, Ghosh and Isaacson (2015) described that according to Maslow’s
need-hierarchy theory employees have five level of needs physiological, safety,
social, ego, and self-actualizing. As theory suggest initially, lower-level
need should be satisfied before the next level in order to motivate the
employees. But later Maslow clarified that one need does not required to be
100% satisfied before meet the next level of need. Five needs identified can be
divided in to two main categories of deficiency needs and growth need (McLeod,
2007). First four needs of physiological, safety, social and esteem referred as
deficiency needs and self-actualization referred as a growth need.
Physiological needs refer to biological requirement such as air, food, drink,
sleep, shelter, clothing that mandatory for human survival (Zalenski and
Raspa, 2006). Safety needs refer to
security, stability and freedom from fear. Third tier of the hierarchy refers
to love and belongingness which motivates employees through interpersonal relationships (Jerome,
2013). Fourth deficiency need of Esteem refers to self
esteem and desire of respect from others (Huitt, 2007). Once a person fulfilled the four deficiency
needs, move to growth need of self-actualization where an individual realize full
potential, seek personal growth and experience. When an individual fulfilled lower
level needs no longer they influence on employee motivational behavior
(Talukder and Saif, 2014).
Figure 01 – Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory
I am working in a leading Logistics company in
Sri Lanka which ensure the five level of needs of employees are satisfied in
order to motivate them to achieve company objectives. Employees are paying
salaries on time which monitored as statutory compliance on monthly basis. All
janitorial and maintenance works are in place and monitored by administration
department to ensure the working environment is suitable for employees to work.
Company have obtained relevant insurance policies for all employees including
life cover, medical cover, personal accident cover and workmen compensation
cover. In addition to that any unclaimed accidental damage to employee,
employee’s property and any family member of employee will evaluate through
company welfare and help them to minimize the losses. Even during COVID
pandemic no employees were affected in terms of job losses or salary cuts
instead they were reward with a ex-gratia payment at the yearend for the hard
work. Employees who perform well recognized by senior management and they
convey their appreciations through emails. All employees including drivers,
mechanics and outsourced cleaning staff are respected and all are treated as
important values for company success. Instead giving the repetitive routine
tasks, employees are motivated to take challenges with more accountability that
make more interesting of their work.
List of References
Al-Madi, F.N., Assal, H., Shrafat, F. and
Zeglat, D., 2017. The Impact of Employee Motivation on Organizational Commitment. European
Journal of Business and Management, 9(15).
Badubi, R.M., 2017.
Theories of Motivation and Their Application in Organizations: A Risk
Analysis. International
Journal of Management Science and Business Administration, 3(3), pp.44-51.
Conrad, D., Ghosh, A. and Isaacson, M., 2015.
Employee motivation factors. International Journal of Public Leadership.
Huitt, W., 2007. Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational psychology interactive, 23.
Jerome, N., 2013. Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need
theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource and
employee’s performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(3), pp.39-45.
McLeod, S., 2007. Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Simply
psychology, 1, pp.1-8.
Ramlall, S., 2004. A review of employee
motivation theories and their implications for employee retention within
organizations. Journal of American academy of business, 5(1/2),
pp.52-63.
Sandhu, M.A., Iqbal, J., Ali, W. and Tufail,
M.S., 2017. Effect of Employee Motivation on Employee Performance. Journal
of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies, 3(1).
Talukder, A. and Saif, A.M., 2014. Employee
motivation measurement-A descriptive analysis. Bangladesh Journal of
MIS, 6(2), pp.123-31.
Zalenski, R.J. and Raspa, R., 2006. Maslow's
hierarchy of needs: a framework for achieving human potential in hospice. Journal of palliative medicine, 9(5), pp.1120-1127.
Agreed with you arguments, as McLeod (2020) discussed, the most significant limitation of Maslow’s theory concerns his methodology. Maslow formulated the characteristics of Self-actualized individuals from undertaking a qualitative method called biographical analysis.
ReplyDeleteYes Treva as similar to any other theory, need hierarchy also inherent with few limitations like deprivation and gratification (Fallatah and Sayed, 2017).
DeleteYes Chanaka, A valid organizational culture is called corporate culture (Shumen, 2009).
ReplyDeleteSet of characteristics that organization have referred as organization culture and that differs one organization from other. Strong culture will have the positive impact to the job performance of employees (Ojo, 2009).
DeleteAgree with your views. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often shown in the shape of a pyramid: basic needs at the bottom and the most complex need at the top. In this theory, the lowest unsatisfied need becomes the dominant, or the most powerful and significant need. The most main need activates an individual to act to fulfil it. Satisfied needs do not motivate. Individual follows to seek a higher need when lower needs are fulfilled (Z. Sahito and P. Vaisanen, 2017).
ReplyDeleteAs you explained basic needs like Physiological and safety needs need to be satisfied prior to others and once they are satisfied they will fade away, employees are no more motivated from them. As same they will move towards the self-actualization needs in hierarchical order (Oleson, 2004).
DeleteAbsolutely Chanaka. At the end of the day, an organization should be capable of facilitating the need of self-actualization. The Study of Kaufman (2018) points out that self-actualization is associated not only with a number of indicators of well-being, but with work-related outcomes and creativity.
ReplyDeleteYes Oshadee self-actualization is reaching to full potential of an individual. If employees are desire to achieve their best they will deliver the best performance and in result productivity will be high (Einstein et al., 2016).
DeleteAgreed Chanaka, The theory explains five levels of human’s need, the need for the next level arises with the fulfillment of the earlier need, following are the needs, physiological needs, safety and security need, social need, self-worth and Self-actualization, sometime the need may not follow the hierarchy due to unpredictable attitude & behavior of the human being(Varma,2017).
ReplyDeleteExactly Sandun Maslow has described how employee motivates by using terms of physiological, safety, Love and belongingness, esteem and self-actualization in hierarchical order. Employee moves to next level of need when he satisfied the below level but 100% of satisfaction not required to move to next level (Einstein et al., 2016).
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ReplyDeleteAgreed chanaka, most of the companies, in their success, depending on the output and effort of their employees. (von Rosenstiel, 2011). Maslow's hierarchy expresses how to motivate and satisfy those employees and keep them within the organization.
Motivation referred as effort that employees put on to satisfy what influences on their behavior and actions. As per hierarchy of needs employees will motivate when they satisfied their need in priority order Stenmark and Lilja, (2014).
DeleteAgree chanaka. This theory put forward by Maslow argues that humans are motivated not by external motives such as reward and punishment but by the internal needs program. In other words, needs underlie the motivation of an individual (Adair, 2013).
ReplyDeleteAgree chanaka, according to, Osemeke (2017), Maslow's pyramid of needs should more focus on three universal psychological needs such as, autonomy, relatedness, and competence which drive employees to fulfillment of their self-actualization desire.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you Sujeendran. Employee well being and health is a key aspect of motivation. Therefore psychological needs should be more focus increase the job satisfaction and improve the performance level (Hammoud, & Osborme, 2017).
DeleteAn interesting read Chanaka. In addition to your point, logistics companies had to address various needs of front-line employees during COVID-19 in line with Maslow's hierarchy of needs such as physical health with continuous screening for COVID-19 (physiological need), providing personal protective equipment (safety need), social support program using technology to reduce anxiety (sense of belonging), adequate supervision and training to develop (self-esteem need) and receiving additional opportunities to grow (self actualization need) (Weiss & Li, 2020).
ReplyDeleteVery effective theory Chanaka, Accordingly to Uysal et al (2017) Abraham Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs comes at the forefront of the most important studies on motivation. Almost no motivation theory in the history of management has been as effective as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
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