Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory in employee motivation

Organizations in today’s world, need high performance and productivity to sustain in the industry among other competitors. In order to get this high performance, it is important to keep employees are highly motivated. People can be motivated either recognition they get from their job or external factors (Arapgirlioglu, et al., 2017). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory which describes five level of human needs in hierarchical manner. From bottom to the top these needs area physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization needs (McLeod, 2020). Human needs are unlimited. After one need is satisfied other needs will come up. Human needs have a hierarchical order. Satisfying of unsatisfied human needs will have a great impact of increasing the motivation of people (Marslow, 1943)

Figure 1.0: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

(Source: McLeod, 2020)

Each category of this pyramid can be described as below.

Physiological needs

Physiological needs can be described as the primitive needs of humans. These basic needs of the humans are air, ambient conditions, water, food, cloths, shelter, sex and sleep (Mark, et al., 1973).These are compulsory needs and must be fulfilled. If these needs are not satisfied to a certain extent there is no point of fulfilling of other social and cultural needs. Most of these needs should be satisfied to ensure the protection of internal balance of the human body (Arapgirlioglu, et al., 2017).

I am working for a multinational manufacturing company. The company provides free food, clean drinking water, free uniforms and free transportation. Also, most of most of our working floor is well ventilated and air conditioned. Also, there is enough basic salary for employees to fulfill their other basis needs. So, it is evident that company provide adequate physiological needs for their employees.

Safety and Security needs

These needs describe the needs of having protection from danger situations and living day today life without fear. These needs arise only after completing the physiological needs (Daft, 2013). Secure needs address the financial security. This refers the security of fulfilling physiological needs after the retirement and job security. Safety needs can be varied according to the cultural and social condition of the country (Arapgirlioglu, et al., 2017). The level of safety and security needs at a higher stage than basic physiological needs. The terms of safety and security refers to disease, war, criminal assaults, workplace safety and security refers to job security, financial security, retirement security and medical security (Taormina, 2013).

The organization I work for values the safety and well being of their employees by providing necessary personnel protective equipment to the employees, by removing unsafe conditions and hazards in the work place, providing medical and life insurance scheme to all employees, covering other health and medical bills and by following latest safety and health and environmental regulations. Also, as a private organization, company provide higher job security and after retirement benefits to the employees. In recent COVID 19 pandemic situations, company provide adequate protective measures to avoid the spreading of the disease to the employees by providing face masks, temperature monitoring facilities, hand washing and sanitizing equipment (Ansell, 2020). Hence it is evident that, there are adequate safety and security needs are provided to the employees which helps to get their motivation to a higher level.

Love and Belongingness Needs

After physiological and safety needs are satisfied, love and belongingness needs are arise (Marslow, 1943). Humans are social beings. People need the love of their spouse, children and parents, to establish friendship with others, to begin relationships, to express love to the people around them and to expect the love from others (Seeley, 1988). The need of having emotional and interpersonal relationships with others is a primitive need of human beings. Also love and belongingness needs are universal to all humans across the globe (Boumeister & Leary, 1995).

Company organize employee days, Family days, annual trips, department gatherings and Cultural festival celebrations which helps to improve love and belongingness needs of employees. This helps to motivate them more to increase their efficiency and dedication at work.

Esteem Needs

Esteem divides can be divided to two categories. First is self-esteem which includes self-confidence, self-appreciation, independence and self-reliance and second is demanding to have status, appreciation and recognition from others which helps to gain the persons’ reputation (Griffin, 2013). The esteem needs address the need to have respect for a person from himself and receiving respect from others (Taormina, 2013).

The organization I work for has eight core values which includes integrity, trustworthiness, passion, creativity, agility, teamwork, involvement, and excellence (Ansell, 2020). All employees are supposed follow these values. If any one feels that their esteem needs are violated, various help lines are provided by the organization so that individual can reach. So most of the esteem needs of employees are fulfilled within the organization which helps to improve employees’ motivation and satisfaction.

Self-actualization needs

Self-actualization needs is at the top of the hierarchy. Maslow (1987) describes this as ‘Peoples’ desire for self-fulfillment, namely, the tendency for them to become actualized in what they are potentially’. Even though people get satisfied with all other needs they still feel dissatisfied due to these needs. Ability to reach the person to his true potential, to further develop his skills, and become the ideal type of person he/she want to be can be described as the self-actualization needs (Kalish, 1973).

In the Organization I work for,  if employees want to reach the top of their job, there is a transparent and impartial performance evaluation system. If employee work hard enough they will get their promotion and rewards. However, it is hard to fulfill self-actualization needs of all people, because it can be varied according to their job status, social status and cultural status (Marslow, 1943).

Conclusion

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs discuss the needs of human from basic needs to upper level needs in five tiers. It is not necessary to fulfill hundred percent of these needs for getting peoples’ satisfaction. It is enough to fulfill 85% of physiological needs, 70% of safety needs, 50% of love and belongingness needs, 40% of self-esteem needs and 10% of self-actualization needs (Maslow, 1954). The more these needs are fulfilled the more motivation and satisfaction can be achieved.

References

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