Abraham Maslow first introduced the concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper,

titled "A Theory of Human Motivation," and again in his subsequent book, "Motivation and
Personality." This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before
moving on to other, more advanced needs.
 According to Maslow (1943, 1954), human needs were
arranged in the form of a hierarchy, with physiological
(survival) needs at the bottom, and the more creative
and intellectually oriented ‘self-actualization’ needs at
the top.

Maslow argued that survival needs must be satisfied before the

individual can satisfy the higher needs. The higher up the
hierarchy, the more difficult it is to satisfy the needs associated
with that stage, because of the interpersonal and environmental
barriers that inevitably frustrate us.

Higher needs become increasingly psychological and long-term

rather than physiological and short-term, as in the lower
survival-related needs.
1. Physiological needs these are biological requirements for human survival, e.g.,
air, food, drink, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, and sleep.

In addition to the basic requirements of nutrition, air, and temperature regulation, physiological

needs also include shelter and clothing.

Maslow included sexual reproduction in this level of the hierarchy as well, since it is essential to the

survival and propagation of the species.

2. Safety needs – people want to experience order, predictability, and control in

their lives.

At the second level of Maslow’s hierarchy, the needs start to become a bit more complex. At this level,

the needs for security and safety become primary. People want control and order in their lives. Some of

the basic security and safety needs include: (1) Financial security, (2)Health and wellness, and (3) Safety

against accidents and injury

Finding a job, obtaining health insurance and health care, contributing money to a savings account,

and moving to a safer neighborhood are all examples of actions motivated by security and safety needs.
3. Love and belongingness needs – belongingness refers to a human emotional
need for interpersonal relationships, affiliating, connectedness, and being part of a
group.

The social needs in Maslow’s hierarchy include love, acceptance, and belonging. At this level, the need

for emotional relationships drives human behavior.

Some of the things that satisfy this need include:

 Friendships

 Romantic attachments

 Family relationships

 Social groups

 Community groups

 Churches and religious organizations

In order to avoid loneliness, depression, and anxiety, it is important for people to feel loved and

accepted by others.

Personal relationships with friends, family, and lovers play an important role, as does involvement in

groups—such as religious groups, sports teams, book clubs, and other group activities.
4. Esteem needs are the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy and include self-worth,
accomplishment, and respect.

At the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy is the need for appreciation and respect. Once the needs at

the bottom three levels have been satisfied, the esteem needs begin to play a more prominent role in

motivating behavior.

At this level, it becomes increasingly important to gain the respect and appreciation of others. People

have a need to accomplish things, then have their efforts recognized. In addition to the need for feelings

of accomplishment and prestige, esteem needs include such things as self-esteem and personal worth.

People need to sense that they are valued by others and feel that they are making a contribution to the

world. Participation in professional activities, academic accomplishments, athletic or team participation,

and personal hobbies can all play a role in fulfilling the esteem needs.

People who are able to satisfy esteem needs by achieving good self-esteem and the recognition of

others tend to feel confident in their abilities.3

Conversely, those who lack self-esteem and the respect of others can develop feelings of inferiority.

Together, the esteem and social levels make up what is known as the "psychological needs" of the

hierarchy.
5. Self-actualization needs are the highest level in Maslow’s hierarchy, and refer
to the realization of a person’s potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth, and
peak experiences.

At the very peak of Maslow’s hierarchy are the self-actualization needs.

Self-actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the

opinions of others, and interested in fulfilling their potential.

"What a man can be, he must be," Maslow explained, referring to the need people have to achieve

their full potential as human beings.

Maslow’s said of self-actualization:

"It may be loosely described as the full use and exploitation of talents,
capabilities, potentialities, etc. Such people seem to be fulfilling themselves
and to be doing the best that they are capable of doing. They are people who
have developed or are developing to the full stature of which they capable."
 Alderfer’s ERG THEORY OF MOTIVATION

Clayton Alderfer developed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs into a three factor model
of motivation know as the ERG model.
In this model the letter E, R, & G each stand for a different human need: existence,
relatedness and growth. The ERG model is a content theory of motivation.

Alderfer’s model says that all humans are motivated by these three needs. The most
concrete and motivating of Alderfer’s three needs is existence, which really relates
to physical and psychological survival. The next level is the need for relatedness, a
sense of community and a good relationship with yourself. The least concrete, but
still important, of Alderfer’s needs in the ERG model is growth, which really relates
to self-development, fulfillment and the sense of achieving your potential.

Alderfer’s ERG Theory of Motivation states that individuals can be motivated by

multiple levels of need at the same time, and that the level which is most important to
them can change over time. In other words, an individual’s priorities and motivations
may be fluid and can move between the existence, relatedness and growth levels of
need over time. They can move upwards, and they can move downwards.
McClelland’s Acquired Needs
Motivation Theory
David McClelland's Human Motivation Theory allows you to identify
people's motivating drivers. This can then help you to give praise and
feedback effectively, assign them suitable tasks, and keep them motivated.

He built on this work in his 1961 book, "The Achieving Society." He

identified three motivators that he believed we all have: a need for
achievement, a need for affiliation, and a need for power. People will have
different characteristics depending on their dominant motivator.

According to McClelland, these motivators are learned (which is why this

theory is sometimes called the Learned Needs Theory).

McClelland says that, regardless of our gender, culture, or age, we all have
three motivating drivers, and one of these will be our dominant motivating
driver. This dominant motivator is largely dependent on our culture and life
experiences.
 ACHIEVEMENT

People motivated by achievement need challenging, but not impossible, projects. They thrive
on overcoming difficult problems or situations, so make sure you keep them engaged this
way. People motivated by achievement work very effectively either alone or with other high
achievers.

When providing feedback, give achievers a fair and balanced appraisal. They want to know
what they're doing right – and wrong – so that they can improve.

AFFILIATION

People motivated by affiliation work best in a group environment, so try to integrate them
with a team (versus working alone) whenever possible. They also don't like uncertainty and
risk. Therefore, when assigning projects or tasks, save the risky ones for other people.

When providing feedback to these people, be personal. It's still important to give balanced
feedback, but if you start your appraisal by emphasizing their good working relationship and
your trust in them, they'll likely be more open to what you say. Remember that these people
often don't want to stand out, so it might be best to praise them in private rather than in
front of others.
 POWER

Those with a high need for power work best when they're in charge. Because they enjoy
competition, they do well with goal-oriented projects or tasks. They may also be very
effective in negotiations or in situations in which another party must be convinced of an idea
or goal.

When providing feedback, be direct with these team members. And keep them motivated by
helping them further their career goals

McClelland's Human Motivation Theory states that every person has one of three main driving motivators:

the needs for achievement, affiliation, or power. These motivators are not inherent; we develop them

through our culture and life experiences.

Achievers like to solve problems and achieve goals. Those with a strong need for affiliation don't like to

stand out or take risk, and they value relationships above anything else. Those with a strong power

motivator like to control others and be in charge.

You can use this information to lead, praise, and motivate your team more effectively, and to better

structure your team's roles.

 THE TWO-FACTOR MOTIVATION THEORY
otherwise known as Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory or
dual-factor theory, argues that there are separate sets of mutually
exclusive factors in the workplace that either cause job satisfaction or
dissatisfaction (Herzberg, 1966; 1982; 1991; Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman,
1959).

Generally, these factors encouraging job satisfaction relate to self-growth

and self-actualization.
The two-factor motivation theory has since become one of the most
commonly used theoretical frameworks in job satisfaction research (Dion,
2006).
To Herzberg, motivators ensured job satisfaction, while a lack of hygiene
factors spawned job dissatisfaction.
Motivation Factors

Herzberg et. al. (1959) argues that motivation factors are necessary to improve job satisfaction. These
motivators, according to Herzberg, are intrinsic to the job and lead to job satisfaction because they satisfy
needs for growth and self-actualization.

In his original paper, Herzberg examines 14 motivational and hygiene factors, of which these are notable
examples:

 Advancement
Herzberg defined advancement as the upward and positive status or position of
someone in a workplace. Meanwhile, a negative or neutral status at work represents
negative advancement.

 The work itself

The content of job tasks in itself can have positive or negative effects on employees.
The job’s difficulty and level of engagement can dramatically impact satisfaction or
dissatisfaction in the workplace.
 Possibility for growth
Possibilities for growth exist in the same vein as Maslow’s self actualization; they
are opportunities for a person to experience personal growth and promotion in the
workplace. Personal growth can result in professional growth, increased
opportunities to develop new skills and techniques, and gaining professional
knowledge.

 Responsibility
Responsibility encompasses both the responsibilities held by the individual and the
authority granted to the individual in their role. People gain satisfaction from being
given the responsibility and authority to make decisions. Conversely, a mismatch
between responsibility and level of authority negatively affects job satisfaction.

 Recognition
When employees receive praise or rewards for reaching goals at their job or for
producing high-quality work, they receive recognition. Negative recognition
involves criticisms or blame for a poorly-done job.
 Achievement
Positive achievement can involve, for example, completing a difficult task on time,
solving a job-related problem, or seeing positive results from one’s work. Negative
achievement includes failure to make progress at work or poor job-related decision
making.

Hygiene Factors

Hygiene factors are those which decrease job dissatisfaction. Herzberg, Mausner and Snyderman used the
term hygiene in reference to “medical hygiene…[which] operates to remove health hazards from the
environment” (1959; Alshmemri et al., 2017).

Herzberg also states that hygiene factors are extrinsic to the job, and function in “the need to avoid
unpleasantness”.

Hygiene factors, rather than relating to the content of the job in itself, tend to relate to contextual factors
such as interpersonal relations, salary, company policies and administration, relationship with
supervisors and working conditions:
 Interpersonal relations
Interpersonal relationships involve the personal and working relationships between
an employee and his supervisors, subordinates, and peers. This can manifest in, for
example, job-related interactions as well as social discussions in both the work
environment and during informal break times.

 Salary
Salary includes wage or salary increases, and negatively, unfulfilled expectations of
wage or salary increases.

 Company policies and administration

Company policies and administration includes factors such as the extent to which
company organization and management policies and guidelines are clear or unclear.
For example, a lack of delegation of authority, vague policies and procedures and
communication may lead to job dissatisfaction.
 Supervision
Supervision involves an employee’s judgments of the competence or incompetence
and fairness or unfairness of the supervisor or supervisions. For example, this could
include a supervisor’s willingness to delegate responsibility or to teach, as well as
their knowledge of the job at hand. Poor leadership and management can decrease
job dissatisfaction.

 Working conditions
Finally, working conditions involve the physical surroundings of the job and
whether or not they are good or poor. Factors leading to a good or poor workspace
could involve the amount of work, space, ventilation, tools, temperature, and safety.