Needs Hierarchy Theory
The content of this theory includes the hierarchy of needs from Abraham H. Maslow and the two-factor theory from Frederick Irving Herzberg. Maslow's theory is one of the most widely discussed theories of motivation .
History of Motivation
Maslow's theory is one of the most widely discussed theories of motivation.
The American motivation psychologist Abraham H. Maslow developed the Hierarchy of Needs consistent of five hierarchical classes. It shows the complexity of human requirements. According to him, people are motivated by unsatisfied needs. The lower level needs such as physiological and safety needs will have to be satisfied before higher level needs are to be addressed. We can relate Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory with employee motivation. For example, if a manager is trying to motivate his employees by satisfying their needs, according to Maslow, he should try to satisfy the lower-level needs before he tries to satisfy the upper-level needs or the employees will not be motivated. Also the manager has to remember that not everyone will be satisfied by the same needs.
A good manager will try to figure out which levels of needs are active for a certain individual or employee. The basic requirements build the first step in his pyramid. If there is any deficit on this level, the whole behavior of an individual will be oriented to satisfy this deficit. Subsequently we do have the second level, which awakens a need for security. Basically it is oriented on a future need for security. After securing those two levels, the motives shift in the social sphere, which form the third stage. Psychological requirements comprise the fourth level, while the top of the hierarchy is self-realization. So the theory can be summarized as follows: Human beings have wants and desires which influence their behavior.
Only unsatisfied needs influence behavior; satisfied needs do not. Since needs are many, they are arranged in order of importance, from the basic to the complex. The person advances to the next level of needs only after the lower-level need is at least minimally satisfied. The further the progress up the hierarchy, the more individuality, humanness and psychological health a person will show. The needs, listed from basic (lowest or earliest) to most complex (highest or latest) are as follows:
- Physiology (hunger, thirst, sleep, etc. )
- Safety/Security/Shelter/Health
- Belongingness/Love/Friendship
- Self-esteem/Recognition/Achievement
- Self actualization
Herzberg's Two-factor Theory
Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory, a.k.a. intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, concludes that certain factors in the workplace result in job satisfaction, but if absent, they don't lead to dissatisfaction but rather to no satisfaction at all. The factors that motivate people can change over their lifetime, but "respect for me as a person" is one of the top motivating factors at any stage of life. He distinguished between: Motivators (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) which give positive satisfaction, and Hygiene factors (e.g. status, job security, salary and fringe benefits) that do not motivate when present but, if absent, result in demotivation. The name Hygiene factors is used because, like hygiene, the presence will not make you healthier, but absence can cause health deterioration. The theory is sometimes called the "Motivator-Hygiene Theory" or "The Dual Structure Theory. " Herzberg's theory has found application in such occupational fields as information systems and in studies of user satisfaction.