Introduction: People are the most valuable resource for an organization. They are assets that need to be looked after and invested into. They are the source that make an organization work the way it does and make its function tick. So, in order to achieve standards of efficiency and effectiveness in the competent environment today, it is imperative that the people in the organization perform to their fullest potential. This can only be achieved if they are motivated and hence stimulated to work towards realizing organizational objectives. Motivation is a prerequisite for organizational effectiveness and productivity. If the workforce is poorly motivated or dissatisfied, there will be a large number of low performers that will drag the organizational
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By looking at the key ideas behind these theories, one can gain a better insight and understanding of motivation as whole.
Abraham Maslow’s “Need Hierarchy Theory”:
Maslow’s “Need Hierarchy Theory” is one of the most popular theories of motivation. Maslow visualizes the human needs in the form of hierarchy which ascend from the lowest to the highest need. (Maslow, 1997)
As the diagram shows Maslow considers the need for self-actualization at the top of the hierarchy. It is what drives a person to become what one is capable of becoming. This includes aspects such as growth, achieving self-satisfaction and one’s potential. On the second number are the Esteem needs. Maslow believes that people want to be held in esteem both by themselves and the other people. Thirdly, it’s the social needs. People need to belong and be accepted by others, they satisfy this need through acceptance and friendship. After this come the security and safety needs. Every person needs to feel that he/she is free from any kind of physical danger. They also want to be free of the fear of losing a job, property, food or shelter. Lastly there are the physiological needs as they are at the end of the hierarchy but form the bases of the motivational needs. These are important need to sustain the human life. Water, warmth, shelter, sleep, medicine and education are the basic psychological needs. Maslow suggests that unless these needs are fulfilled to a degree to maintain life, no other motivating factors can
By looking at the key ideas behind these theories, one can gain a better insight and understanding of motivation as whole.
Abraham Maslow’s “Need Hierarchy Theory”:
Maslow’s “Need Hierarchy Theory” is one of the most popular theories of motivation. Maslow visualizes the human needs in the form of hierarchy which ascend from the lowest to the highest need. (Maslow, 1997)
As the diagram shows Maslow considers the need for self-actualization at the top of the hierarchy. It is what drives a person to become what one is capable of becoming. This includes aspects such as growth, achieving self-satisfaction and one’s potential. On the second number are the Esteem needs. Maslow believes that people want to be held in esteem both by themselves and the other people. Thirdly, it’s the social needs. People need to belong and be accepted by others, they satisfy this need through acceptance and friendship. After this come the security and safety needs. Every person needs to feel that he/she is free from any kind of physical danger. They also want to be free of the fear of losing a job, property, food or shelter. Lastly there are the physiological needs as they are at the end of the hierarchy but form the bases of the motivational needs. These are important need to sustain the human life. Water, warmth, shelter, sleep, medicine and education are the basic psychological needs. Maslow suggests that unless these needs are fulfilled to a degree to maintain life, no other motivating factors can