Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs
In determining the most appropriate and effective means of motivating people within an organization, especially when its members are mostly salespersons, it is essential to turn to Abraham Maslow's discussion of an individual's hierarchy of needs. His model and theory of needs illustrates that an individual has the "innate tendency towards growth; s/he is basically trustworthy, self-protecting, and self-governing" (Griffin, 1994:125). In his hierarchy, Maslow identifies physiological needs as the most basic need, categorized as 'deficiency needs.' On the topmost part of the hierarchy is self-actualization, considered by the theorist as 'being needs.' Maslow grants both kinds of needs as essential to the individual. However, he emphasizes that people's primary goal is to achieve being needs, which necessitates going through the bottom part of the hierarchy, which is satisfying one's physiological needs. In an organization of salespeople, satisfying the basic needs of the members such as sufficient salary and benefits, as well as a healthy working environment are key factors that ultimately results to good employee morale, not to mention the increased productivity and efficiency that each employee will produce as their 'intangible outputs' for the organization. Maslow's theory and model is vital in organizations because it allows people to look beyond the material basis for staying and being productive in an organization. If salespersons are spurred to work harder for reasons that go beyond material success, which is exactly the point Maslow was trying to make, then the organization shall achieve not only increased productivity and output, but will grow into a harmonious organization that has members / employees that have excellent working and communication skills with other people. Thus, Maslow's Hierarchy of needs is the most appropriate and effective theoretical basis in motivating an organization that has salespeople as its members.
Work cited
Griffin, E. (1994). A first look at communication theory. NY: McGraw-Hill Inc.
