Finally, there is also evidence of physiological processes, such as some of the characteristic hormonal changes in both genders that are functions of aging. Males approaching retirement age or becoming grandfathers gain perspective by virtue of their age and experiences, but they also produce much less testosterone which also contributes to their psychological evolution into the self-actualized level of psychological development (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008).
Relevance to Employment Motivation, Performance, and Vocational Satisfaction
Generally, most people work in contemporary society because they need to earn a monetary living to support their needs. On Maslow's hierarchical scale, anything that threatens the ability of the individual to maintain gainful employment and a safe place to sleep and live automatically reverts his or her psychological focus back to the second level of his Hierarchy of Needs (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). Therefore, there is a fundamental transactional nature to the relationship between vocational employment and the benefits to the individual (George & Jones, 2008).
However, a very large number of contemporary employees enjoy steady, secure, and sufficiently compensated employment benefits that their primary psychological orientation outside of the family is their need for esteem in the community. Some individuals seek to satisfy those needs mainly away from work and do not necessarily seek companionship or the esteem of others in the workplace; others may do the exact opposite, establishing primary relationships in the workplace instead of close relationships in the community outside of work. In terms of psychological evolution along Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs scale, it makes little difference whether one seeks to fulfill the need for the esteem of others at work or outside of work. Nevertheless, certain occupations and fields...
Throughout military and paramilitary law enforcement organization training, camaraderie, loyalty, and complete confidence in fellow soldiers and peace officers is one of the principal motivational forces (Schmalleger, 2008).
Relationships among law enforcement coworkers typically emphasize elements of both the third and fourth levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Soldiers and police officers form bonds, particularly among unit squads that often take on elements of family-type relations (Schmalleger, 2008). Not coincidentally, police officers universally refer to a law enforcement "brotherhood." At the same time, police personnel frequently develop a degree of personal identification with the law enforcement persona that they may exclude outsiders from their lives and primarily seek only the esteem of other members of service (MOS) throughout the fourth stage of Maslow's scale of psychological development. In modern law enforcement, police psychologists are trained to help MOS avoid unnecessarily narrowing their range of positive social relations to law enforcement coworkers.
References
George J. And Jones G. (2008). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Gerrig R. And Zimbardo P. (2008). Psychology and Life. New York: Allyn & Bacon.
Schmalleger F. (2008). Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st
Century. Hoboken, NJ: Prentice Hall.
