Theory Of Needs By Abraham Maslow

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

In brief, all people deserve to meet their needs. Few are primary needs, like food, water and sleep. Physical side of behavior determines these needs and these are unlearned needs by nature. Being biological nature wise and they have an influence on behavior in general and are easily identified.

Secondary needs, on the contrary are more psychological, which signifies that those are generally acquired through experience. Diversity of these needs can occur by individual and by culture. Internal state is the integral part of secondary needs, such as achievement, desire of power and love. As these needs are expressed in various manners it is tough to figure those out or to interpret.

Peter Ebong Ajang rightly defined motivation as "Motivation by definition refers to what activates, directs human behaviour and how this behaviour is sustained to achieve a particular goal."(Assessing the role of work Motivation on Employee Performance, pp.8)

Several theories have been provided by number of theorists like, Robert Owen, Abraham Maslow, McGregor, Clayton Alderfer, Frederick Herzberg and David McClelland which provides explanation on needs being a motivational source.

Motivational Theory of Robert Owen

Though Robert Own possessed a paternalistic view, his contributions gained a notable significance in the theories of Motivation in the initial years of the nineteenth century. As per him, people are alike machines. A properly cared and maintained machine renders efficient performance and is lasting and reliable. Similar way, to enhance efficiency in people they need to be taken care of properly. His views on this and other aspects were taken as too revolutionary considering the time.

Theory of needs by Abraham Maslow

As per Abraham Maslow’s definition, need is a psychological or physiological deficiency which a person feels an urge to satisfy. A person’s behaviors or attitudes can get hampered due to the tension created because of this need. As per Maslow’s theory based on definition of need, multiple needs may motivate humans and these needs exist in a hierarchical order.

According to Maslow’s "…..gratification of one basic need opens consciousness to domination by another, higher need." (as cited by Casey P. Hayden, March 2009)

As per him, human behavior may get influenced by a need that is not satisfied, whereas a satisfied need does not motivate.

Following two principles are the basis of Maslow’s theory.

Deficit principle: People do not get motivated with a satisfied need as people tend to satisfy the needs which they are deprived of.

Progression principle: Five needs which he identified are existing in hierarchy, a need irrespective of the level arises only after the needs of lower level gets satisfied.

Hierarchy of Human Needs:

Higher level needs:

Self actualization needs

Participation in decision making

Esteem Needs

Lower Level needs:

Social needs

Safety needs

Physiological needs

"Theory X and Theory Y" of Douglas McGregor:

As per McGregor, people in an organization can be categorized in two manners. Firstly, the X category which is basically negative and the basically positive category is falling under the Y category. He felt that certain assumptions dictate the manager’s view and his or her behavior towards the subordinates get molded as per that assumption.

Assumptions as per theory X:

Employees have lesser interest to work and will tend to avoid it as and when possible. Because of this disliking towards their work, they are literally coerced, threatened or forced with punishments to achieve missions. Employees stay away from responsibilities and avoid working till the issuance of formal directions.

Majority of workers tend to give stress on security over other relevant factors and display less ambition.

According to Anna Salanova & Sanni Kirmanen , as per the assumption of Theory X, people prefers to be directed and controlled rather than shouldering responsibility, and these people are devoid of ambition (March,2010)

Assumptions as per theory Y:

Mental or physical effort comes as naturally to them as play or rest. These people try to meet their commitment towards their goals by exercising self direction and self control. They are eager to take responsibility and exercise ingenuity, imagination and creativity while problem solving in the organization.

As per the things are organized, only part of average human being’s brainpower is used.

Dr. David Potter Specified in his article that, crucially theory "Y" is an anti thesis to theory "X" which signifies that huge potential is possessed by human adult for personal growth and development.( Dec.2, 2011)

An organization operating on Theory X method is generally authoritarian in nature. Whereas, Theory Y organizations can be categorized as "participative" organization.

However, this theory has faced a wide criticism due to human behavior and generalization of work.

Herzberg's two-factor theory

Another framework has been offered by Frederick Herzberg which indicates the implication of motivation in work sphere.

Charl Van Vyk mentioned that according to Hertzberg the sources of work satisfaction were being termed as "motivator factors". (Jan2011)

Herzberg identified two sets of factors that effect the motivation in workplace:

Hygiene factors: this includes job security, salary, work conditions, technical supervising quality and organizational policies. These may not cause motivation in employees, but may result in dissatisfaction if one of these is absent.

Motivators or satisfiers involve such aspects like achievement, responsibility, feelings of recognition, growth opportunities, which are crucial for motivation and job satisfaction.

Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed cited that "A main point to be noted from Herzberg research was that he perceived motivational and hygiene factors to be separated into two different dimensions affecting separate aspects of job satisfaction."( HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION-HYGIENE AND JOB SATISFACTION IN THE MALAYSIAN RETAIL SECTOR: MEDIATING EFFECT OF LOVE OF MONEY, Jan 2011)

McClelland's acquired needs theory

As per David McClelland's acquired needs theory, everyone has different modes to prioritizing needs. He believes that those needs are not from birth of an individual, but through life experiences those are actually learned.

Need for achievement is the urge to excel.

Need for power is the desire which causes others to go for a behavior which they would not have done in normal circumstance.

Need for affiliation is the desire for close, friendly interpersonal relationships and to avoid conflicts.

Different set of work preferences are associated with each need as per Mc Clelland, and tailoring of the ambience can be done by managers to satisfy these needs.

With their desire to do better things, higher achievers differ themselves from others. Job situations strongly motivate these individuals with feedback, personal responsibility and a certain degree of risk. Moreover, great achievers frequently express following behaviors:

For figuring out solutions to problems they seek personal responsibility

Seek instant feedback on their performance to evaluate whether they are showing improvement or not

Set goals which are more or less challenging and give their best performance when their probability of success is perceived as 50-50.

Michal Kirstein believed that "Organizations design motivation systems to encourage employees to perform in the most effective way but also to attract potential candidates." (The role of motivation in Human Resource Management: Importance of motivation factors among future business persons. pp-2) (Aug.2010)

A continuous path of promotion is being followed by an individual who has huge need of power. Certain behaviors are observed in individuals who possess tremendous need of power, which are specified below.

Enjoy authority

Urge to influence others

Want to get placed in status oriented and competitive situations

To gain influence and prestige over others matter more than performing effectively.

These need for affiliation in people lead them to seek social approval, companionship and interpersonal relationships to satisfy. Generally following behaviors is being displayed by those who need affiliation.

Special interest is taken in work which provides social approval and companionship

Cooperative situations are preferred by them compared to competitive ones.

Striving friendship

Tend to complicate managerial decision making because of their want for friendship and social approval. Thus they may not become the best managers.

A high degree of mutual understanding in a relation is what they seek for.

A need to achieve something very badly does not always lead to being an ideal manager, mainly in big organizations. People with a high urge to achieve tend to show they own skill rather than being a source of influence to others to perform well. Whereas, those are considered as best managers who have high need for power and their need for affiliation is low.

Equity Theory of Motivation

The basis of the equity theory is the principle of equity or balance. This motivation theory mentions that there is a correlation between an individual’s level of motivation and his perception of fairness, justice and equity practiced by the management. Increase of motivational level depends on the increase of individual’s perception of fairness and vice versa. When fairness is evaluated, the employee goes for a comparison of job input (as in contribution) and outcome (as in compensation) and this comparison is also made with another peer of his of equal category/cadre. Such comparison is made by D/I ratio (output-input ratio)

"Equity theory deals with human motives and it should have wide applications in understanding organizational behavior." (The Utility of Equity Theory in Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness)

Negative Tension state: When there is an equality of the ratio, equity is perceived. "Equity tension arises due to inequality of the ratio. This was being referred by J.Stacy Adams as a negative tension state which created a motivation in him to do some right thing to get rid of tension.

Generally an employee goes for a comparison with his peer within his recent job in present organization or with his peer/friend in some different organization or with his previous job he was doing with others. The employee’s knowledge of the referent and the appeal of the referent influence the choice of the referent by the employee.

Moderating Variables: The salary, gender, education and the level of experience are moderating variables. Individuals possessing higher and greater education are considered as more informed. Therefore, they tend to compare themselves with the outsiders. Same sex comparison is preferred by males and females. In general, in comparable jobs males are paid higher than the females and females expect much lesser salary than a male for similar work profile. Thus a lower comparative standard is rendered to a women employee who has been hired by another woman employee. Employees with greater exposure has in depth knowledge about their organization and thus goes for a comparison with themselves and their own colleagues, while knowledge and personal experience is what the new employees relies on while going for such comparisons.

Choices: Following choices are made by the employees who are under negative tension and perceive inequity:

Input is changed (eg. extra stress is avoided)

Outcome is changed

Different referent is chosen

Leave the job

Self perception get changed (Like, My performance is much superior than others)

Tend to change other’s perception

Assumptions of the Equity Theory

As per the demonstration of this theory, individual’s are both concerned what reward they receive and with what achieved by others comparatively.

An equitable and fair return is expected by the employees for the jobs they contributed.

Equitable returns is decided by the employees based on the comparison of their inputs and other colleague’s outcomes.

Employees who consider themselves in an inequitable circumstance will tend to decrease the inequity either by going through input distorting and / or outcomes mentally, by going through a direct alteration of inputs and / or outputs, or by leaving the organization.

Expectancy Theory

As per Expectancy Theory, the urge to act in a particular way depends on the strong expectation associated with the act that will give and attractive outcome inconsequently. More practically, the theory says that it is possible to motivate an employee for exerting high quality effort.

This theory can be considered as one of the most popular explanation of motivation from Victor Vroom. In spite of being criticized as well, the theory gets supported by most of the evidence.

When high level of effort is given by an employee, he or she starts expecting a good performance appraisal as an outcome of that effort. This theory gives stress to three modes of relationships.

1. Effort – performance relationship:

The possibility perceived by the individual that if a particular amount of effort is exerted it will be leading to performance.

2. Performance – reward relationship:

The rate at which individual believes that a given amount of performance level will result in attaining the expectations or outcomes desired by the employer.

3. Rewards – personal goals relationship:

Organizational rewards renders satisfaction to individual personal needs and goals and the potential reward is considered to be the attraction for the individual.

A motivational force is created by these three factors which enable an employee to work towards attaining satisfaction.

According to Petty et al, "However, later research concluded that employee motivation and job performance are indeed positively correlated (as cited by Brent Keijzers, 2010).

I

Attempting to validate the theory may seem to be complicated by criterion, methodological and measurement issues. The explanation of the theory has been given various levels of effort from the similar person in diverse circumstances. Rectification of this flaw has improved greatly support for validation of the theory.

The theory will be ideal if individuals get rewarded for performance rather than as per such criteria like effort, seniority, job difficulty and skill level. Instead of considering expectancy theory as invalid, the criticism of this theory can support it, as it elaborates on the reason why a particular strata of workforce puts lesser effort while carrying out their job responsibilities.