The hierarchy of needs was raised by Abraham Maslow in his book Motivation and Personality (1954, Motivation and Personality), this hierarchy largely underpins the development of the humanistic school of administration and allows one to delve into the causes that move people to work in a company and to contribute part of his life to it.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs concept, proposed within his theory of personality, shows a series of needs that concern every individual and that are structurally organized (like a pyramid), according to a biological determination caused by the genetic makeup of the individual. The highest priority needs are located in the lowest part of the structure and those with the lowest priority are located in the upper part.
Thus, within this structure, when the needs of a certain level are met, the individual does not become apathetic but rather finds his next goal of satisfaction in the needs of the next level. Herein lies the failure of the theory, since human beings always want more and this is within their nature. When a man suffers from hunger the most normal thing is that he takes very great risks to obtain food, once he has managed to feed himself and he knows that he will not starve he will worry about being safe, feeling safe he will want to find a love, etc. etc etc…
The ideal point of Maslow's theory would be the one in which man feels "self-realized" but this is very rare, it could be said that less than 1% of people reach full realization.
«It is true that man lives only for bread, when there is no bread. But what happens to man's desires when there is a lot of bread and when his belly is chronically full? »… Maslow
Maslow's needs
The identified needs, according to the pyramid proposed by Maslow, are:
Physiological needs
These needs are the first priority of the individual and are related to their survival. Among these we find, among others, needs such as homeostasis (effort of the body to maintain a normal and constant state of blood supply), food, quenching thirst, maintaining an adequate body temperature, there are also needs of another kind like sex or motherhood.
Security needs
With your satisfaction, the creation and maintenance of a state of order and security is sought. Among these we find the need for stability, for order, and for protection, among others. These needs are related to the fear of individuals to lose control of their life and are intimately linked to fear, fear of the unknown, anarchy…
Social needs
Once the physiological and safety needs are satisfied, the motivation is given by the social needs. These are related to the need for company of the human being, with his affective aspect and his social participation. Among these needs we have to communicate with other people, to establish friendship with them, to express and receive affection, to live in community, to belong to a group and to feel accepted within it, among others.
Recognition needs
Also known as the ego or self-esteem needs. This group is based on the need for everyone to feel appreciated, have prestige and stand out within their social group, in the same way, self-worth and self-respect are included.
Self-improvement needs
Also known as self-actualization or self-actualization, which become the ideal for each individual. At this level, human beings need to transcend, leave a mark, carry out their own work, develop their talent to the maximum.
Imminent blockade: The opportunity to meet the highest level of needs is practically a utopia when we refer to hardworking personnel who have to abide by certain rules that do not allow them to develop their talent to the maximum
It is incredible to see how some organizations try to manage human resources without even taking into account their most basic needs, in companies it is very common for employees to abandon all their needs and dedicate themselves to satisfying the most basic ones, «what can I do without me? job? I could not bring food to my house », a situation that is very well used by the employers, what a pity! Can you imagine what the world would be like if we could all develop our talents to the fullest?
If you want to understand the human resource in the organization, it is necessary to know the causes of their behavior because beyond being employees or workers we are human beings.
A basic concept of motivation: each human being is a world and each one seeks to satisfy their needs, from the most basic to those of a superior nature.
In the following video, Professor Pilar Vidal-Carreras, from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, presents Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and its application in the work of a manager.
