Motivation and Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is considered by scholars, psychologists and sociologists -- among others interested in human behavior -- as among the most "…fundamental theories of personal motivation" (Sadri, et al., 2011). The Hierarchy of Needs defines five basic needs all humans seek and require. Those will be reviewed in this paper along with specific applications to human situations.

Hierarchy of Needs

The most basic of the five needs that Maslow described are the physiological needs; these include of course food, water, air, and shelter. In the article "Meeting Employee Requirements" the physiological needs of worker can be achieved when the worker is paid, which is a motivational tool. Without financial resources an employee is in trouble.

The second need on the Maslow hierarchy is safety, which certainly is imperative for humans in terms of their survival. More than just being protected from gunfire or hurricanes, safety suggests an avoidance of pain and a sense of psychological security. The third need is being loved and seeking affection and a sense of belonging within a family or community. Fourth on the Maslow list is a need for approval, or "esteem," which is important for the human psyche. Without a sense of self-worth, humans drift along existing but not truly thriving. And finally, the fifth Maslow hierarchy is self-actualization, which is more than self-esteem; in fact it is about fulfilling one's potential and enjoying that sense of accomplishment when one reaches a level of achievement in life.

Is Maslow's hierarchy universal? Yes it certainly is universal, because in any culture, whether the person is in a hot and dusty refuge camp in Sudan, or huddling over a campfire in the chill of a winter morning in Tibet -- or surfing off the coast of Hawaii -- humans need food, water and shelter, they need to be safe from harm, they need love and esteem and a sense of self-fulfillment. A situation where belonging and love trumps physiological and safety needs would be in Turkey right now, as thousands of refugees flee Syria and cross over into Turkey. Those people have been pushed from their homes by violent responses of the government, and they were not safe and aren't seeking to be satisfied with a hot meal necessarily; they need the love from their family members who flee the country with them and to be accepted temporarily in Turkey. They need to belong to a secure community and they need to be loved following the terror of Syrian attacks on them.

Where esteem needs would be met before belonging and love: a young man becomes a professional baseball player and is placed by the Dodgers in a "Rookie League." He is alone, has no family near and knows very few team members; but if he is good enough to be promoted to "Class a" in Dodger baseball his sense of esteem (approval of his talent) will be greatly enhanced. Later he can worry about being loved, but now he needs to get to "AA" ball.