Maslow Theory - Assignment PDF

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Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs: An Outlook

Simon Kariuki The University of The People BUS 5113: Organizational Theory and Behavior Dr. Summer 7th July 2021

2 Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs: An Outlook Maslow’s motivational theory of needs explores human needs in a five-tier model. It is often depicted in a pyramid with needs ascending from the bottom to the top, from physiological needs such as warmth, water, and rest to self-actualization like achieving full potential. The other needs include safety needs, belongingness and love needs (intimacy), and esteem needs. Maslow’s law faces various critic but remains valid because the wants explored in the pyramid impact everyone’s life. More often than ever, consciously or unconsciously, I find myself satisfying needs in a similar order to Maslow’s hierarchy, beginning with physiological needs such as food and clothing as I rise towards other needs such as safety and self-actualization. Ostensibly, physiological needs are vital because they motivate people to work and earn money for basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. According to Maslow, an individual must satisfy the needs with the lowest hierarchy before considering the higher end needs in the pyramid (McLeod). Maslow’s five stages can be divided into two significant levels, deficiency needs and being or growth needs. The first four levels fall under the former, while the top-level needs fall under the latter. McLeod (2020) denotes that initially, Maslow averred that the satisfaction of needs must follow a specific order – from top to bottom – but he later changed his premise and admitted that satisfaction of needs is not an “all-or-none” phenomenon. Still, when people satisfy a specific need, whether partially or entirely, their form a new habit dedicated to satisfying the next need or set of wants. Maslow’s motivational theory of human needs helps people understand the theory of personal and organizational needs and the essence of satisfying all these wants. For instance, comprehension of Maslow’s law of needs helps individuals plan organizational structures relevant to the work environment. Managers

3 place the most basic needs first to give the firm organizational flexibility allowing employees to take breaks for meals and snacks during working hours. Despite its proven validity, Maslow’s theory is not without criticism since he first stated that an individual cannot satisfy a higher-level need until a low-level need is satisfied before he later clarified that while his hierarchy of needs is valid, the satisfaction of these wants does not always follow a specific order since the level of motivation in people is different (McLeod, 2020). For example, a person enduring massive unemployment may remain satisfied as long as he is eating right. The base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is that unmet needs motivate people, and they must satisfy these needs to act unselfishly (Hopper, 2020). Notably, the gratification of needs helps people to move towards growth and self-actualization. More often than ever, my current needs motivate me to satisfy the needs in Maslow’s hierarchy. For instance, I am undertaking my MBA to better my chances of getting a better job or a promotion with better pay, automatically satisfying the basic needs, including drinks, sex, food, shelter, and clothing. Once I satisfy the basic or physiological needs, I start working saliently on security and safety needs because I am more comfortable experiencing predictability, control, and order in my life. I satisfy these needs by associating with family, friends, and society. Maslow’s last comments dictate that these needs do not always follow a specific order. No matter how behind I am on physiological needs, I seek safety wants such as emotional security. Most of my needs fall into two categories the growth and deficiency needs. Notably, growth needs are different from deficiency needs because they do not develop due to lacking something since they stem from the need to grow as a human being. While I agree with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I believe that the satisfaction of needs need not follow any specific order.

4 Reference Hopper, E. (2020). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Explained. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4582571 Mcleod, S. (2020). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html...