“Hierarchy of Need”

Is known by many Different names such as “The theory of Human Motivation “

Maslow’s hierarchy of Need and self-actualization pyramid.

1st question that leaps in mind is how this theory came into being?

This theory is the work of 35 years old Jewish psychologist who since the very
beginning of his professional career looked for nothing less than the meaning of
life.

What are we really after?

What do we long for?

How do we arrange our priorities?

What separates us from animals? Unlike other creatures we truly are multifaceted
pay bill and focus destiny

Is it our language?

Or the fact that we cook our own food?

These were the kind of questions that Maslow hunkered after.

He wanted to find out what could make life purposeful for ppl?

So he saw psychology as a discipline that would enable him to answer his

yearnings and questions. He suddenly saw that human beings could be said to
have essentially 5 different kinds of needs. He introduced his concept of a
hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper and his subsequent book Motivation and
personality after studying what he called the exemplary ppl such as Albert and
Eleanor Roosevelt. Triangle

In the 1950’s, a young college student named Abraham Maslow noted that two of
his professors could not be explained by anything he’d learned in psychology.
They were not driven by the needs most people seem to have. Maslow basically
began the Human Potential Movement in order to understand these sorts of
people. He wanted to understand people who really excel rather than try to
understand abnormal, neurotic people, which was the focus of psychology at that
time.

Maslow developed what he called a Self-Actualization Pyramid

So for Maslow we all start with a set of utterly non-negotiable and basic
physiological needs placed at the very base we have physiological/Survival needs
which comprise biological requirements such as air, food, drink, shelter, clothing,
warmth and sleep. Maslow considered these needs the most important as all the
other needs become secondary until these needs are met. It is quite true that
man lives by bread alone- when there is no bread. But what happens to man’s
desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is chronically filled. At
once other needs emerge and these rather than physiological hungers, dominate
the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new needs emerge and
so on.

As we move up to the second level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the

requirements start to become a bit more complex. At this level, the needs for
security and safety become primary. People want control and order in their lives,
so this need for safety and security contributes largely to behaviors at this level.
The need for safety will predominate your life if you don’t have it as is the case in
many war torn countries around the world. Once you have it, however, you stop
thinking about it and move on up the scale.

Some of the basic security and safety needs include:

 Financial security
 Heath and wellness
 Safety against accidents and injury

The social needs in Maslow’s hierarchy include such things as love, acceptance,
and belonging, intimacy companionship. You want to feel valued by others.

At the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy is the need for appreciation and respect.
When the needs at the bottom three levels have been satisfied, the esteem needs
begin to play a more prominent role in motivating behavior. People need to sense
that they are valued and by others and feel that they are making a contribution to
the world. Participation in professional activities, academic accomplishments,
athletic or team participation, and personal hobbies can all play a role in fulfilling
the esteem needs. Together, the esteem and social levels make up what is known
as the psychological needs of the hierarchy. Frst four needs are d-needs. Once a
d-need has been satisfied, the motivation for it goes away-it might be called
purposeful. Beyond the D-need, however, Maslow discovered another type of
motivation- self-actualization. This is what Maslow wd call a “BE” need or an
expressive need where u r not trying to get anything.

Self-actualization:

Lastly and most grandly we all are driven by what Maslow called an urge of self-
actualization. Most complex referred to as growth needs. Only when we breath,
sleep enough, we feel safe, part of a group and special can we reach level 5 “self-
actualization” which is loosely described as the full use and exploitation of talents
and capabilities etc. These are ppl who have developed or are developing to the
full stature of which they are capable.

Now you can be creative, take no pressure, make inventions.

If you are a leader and believe in the theory you’ll make sure everyone has eaten
well, make them feel safe and help them belong to a group. Once they feel they
belong, they are ready to excel.

For Maslow, a person is always becoming and never remains static in these terms.
18 successful

The theory has wide applications:

Both in and out of psychology. The fields of education and business have been
particularly influenced by the theory.

In field of education students before meeting cognitive needs must fulfill their
physiological needs. A tired and hungry student will find it difficult to focus on
learning and teachers should create a supportive env by making students feel
valued and respected.
In the field of business if you are an employer and defining the job env and salary
structure you must answer questions like….

Are the basic needs of employees being fulfilled?

Are employees able to feed themselves well, pay their rent and bills with the
salary offered?

Do you offer a safe working env?

Is there job safety/ security for employees?

Do the employees feel wanted?

Do the employees feel like they are a part of the team?

Do the employees or team members feel respected?

Are the jobs you’re assigning affecting their self-respect?

Are the intellectual needs being fulfilled?

Do the employees get the feeling of meeting targets and deadlines?

Why Still Study him?

The hierarchy is used not only in the workplace but the real executive leaders in
the workplace have put it into practice. Its still used today so Maslow’s influence
is continued to hold fast and that’s one of the reason why we study him.