Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a pyramid of needs that all human beings must fulfill to be happy. People can't get the next highest level of needs met until they first meet lower levels of needs, and if they get stuck at any one level they may experience depression, stress or pain. Although Maslow's hierarchy is usually used as a personal psychology tool, small business owners can adapt it to the workplace. By adapting the hierarchy of needs for employees, employers can create a highly motivated and happy workforce, which is more likely to be productive. The lowest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is basic needs such as the need for food and rest. When it comes to the workplace, this translates into money. If a job pays employees enough that they can pay their rent and utilities and buy food and clothing, then the job satisfies the employees' basic needs. In addition, if the job is not unduly stressful, employees may have an easier time sleeping. According to the University at Buffalo, an employee whose basic needs are not met will be unable to progress to the next levels in the pyramid. This means they may worry about job security, feel like they don't fit in, or stress about their performance simply because they don't have enough money to pay the bills or eat enough food each day. The next level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs for employees (and everyone in general) is a feeling of safety and security. Employees must have safety and security if they are to reach Maslow's final level (self-esteem and self-actualization) and succeed in the workplace. Employers should help employees feel physically safe by taking sexual harassment and threats seriously and by having policies in place to deal with potential violence. Employees must also feel that their jobs are secure. If a company lays off a lot of employees or doesn't communicate with employees about layoffs, employees may feel frightened of losing their jobs – which would mean no longer being able to meet their basic needs – and be unmotivated to work. Once basic needs and security needs have been met, employees seek to meet their needs for belonging and love. Employees must feel comfortable with their coworkers and their supervisors. Even if they don't like or get along with everybody, they need to feel like they belong and are loved by at least some of the people they work with. If an employee feels alienated from the company, she may not do her best work. This is doubly important when it comes to employer/employee relationships. If employees don't feel their bosses value them or their contributions, they won't want to do their jobs. The highest levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs relate to how employees feel about themselves. Self-esteem is how much the employee likes and values himself. Employees who feel like they are productive and doing something worthwhile with their time tend to have higher self-esteem than those who don't. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, self-actualization refers to an employee's need to feel like he is living up to his potential in life and is using his creativity and passion. Employees sometimes change careers if they find their current career can't meet these needs. However, if an employee is working in the right job for him and all other needs are met, he should be able to feel like his job satisfies his highest needs. The hierarchy of needs is a theory developed by a famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow, and initially published in 1943. This theory is based on the belief that human behavior is motivated by 5 groups of needs that need to be met in order—physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. This article discusses the hierarchy of needs, including how a person progresses through the hierarchy, and criticisms of Maslow's theory. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often represented as a pyramid, with more basic needs on the bottom (physiological needs) and higher needs (self-actualization) on the top. Maslow believed that a person's basic needs must be met before higher needs can be addressed. The first four levels of needs in the pyramid are sometimes called "deficiency needs." This means that a person is deprived of something and is motivated to get it. For example, if a person goes without food, they are motivated by hunger. Once that hunger is satisfied, the motivation for food decreases. The highest level—self-actualization—is referred to as a "growth" need. As needs are met at this top-level, a person becomes even more motivated for personal growth. Physiological needs are at the base of the pyramid of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. These basic needs have to be met for a person to survive. These include:
Safety and security are the next level of human needs. Many aspects of life are included in this level:
Maslow believed that all people have a need to love and be loved. He also believed that depression, anxiety, and loneliness were caused by unmet needs in this level of the hierarchy. The third level of needs, called love and belonging, includes:
The fourth level of the hierarchy is esteem needs. These needs include how a person views themselves (self-esteem), and the way they are seen by others. Esteem needs include:
Self-actualization needs are at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid. This level represents personal growth or reaching your full potential. These needs are specific to each person and can include things like being a great parent, an accomplished athlete, a professional artist, or an excellent student. This category is personal to your particular goals in life. Additional levels of needs were added to the
hierarchy of needs by Maslow in the 1960s and 1970s. The expanded version included these levels, from most basic to more complex, which are:
Maslow initially stated that a person had to progress through the hierarchy of needs in order. However, later in his career, he stated that the hierarchy of needs could differ from person to person, based on individual circumstances. For example, a person might have a stronger need for recognition by others (level four need) than feeling loved by others (level three need). One of the biggest criticisms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is related to self-actualization needs. Maslow initially based his idea of a "self-actualized" person on the qualities demonstrated by 18 mostly Caucasian, highly-educated men from Western backgrounds. His findings were not based on the general population. In later years, Maslow included research on self-actualized women, but these individuals were also from a "higher class" and lacked ethnic diversity. Maslow has also been criticized for including sex as a basic need of all people. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory based on the idea that human behavior is motivated by levels of needs. These needs must be met in order—basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter, must be met before a person can find love, self-esteem, or reach their full potential. Maslow's theory has been criticized based on its rigidity and lack of diversity. For some people, higher-level needs might be more important than needs in the "basic" level of the hierarchy. Whether you agree with Maslow or not, the hierarchy of needs can provide insight into the needs that can influence human behavior. This information
can also help you prioritize your personal goals to help you reach your full potential. Frequently Asked Questions
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Housing, clothing, and job security would all be included in which of maslows need categories?
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