Hierarchy of Needs
(Maslow)

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Abraham Maslow biography

Abraham Maslow is born April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the first of seven children born to his parents, who themselves are poorly educated Jewish immigrants from Russia. His parents hope for the best for their children in the new world and push him hard for academic success. Not surprisingly, he becomes very lonely as a boy, and finds his refuge in books.

To satisfy his parents, he first studies law at the City College of New York (CCNY). He marries Bertha Goodman, his first grand niece, against his parents wishes. Abe and Bertha go on to have two daughters.

Abraham Maslow and Bertha move to Wisconsin so that he can attend the University of Wisconsin. Here, he becomes interested in psychology, and his school work begins to improve dramatically. There he is working with Harry Harlow. Harlow is famous for his experiments with baby rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior.

Abraham Maslow receives his BA in 1930, his MA in 1931, and his PhD in 1934, all in psychology, all from the University of Wisconsin. A year after graduation, he moves back to New York to work with E. L. Thorndike at Columbia, where Maslow becomes interested in research on human sexuality.

He begins teaching full time at Brooklyn College. During this period of his life, he comes into contact with the many European intellectuals that are immigrating towards the US and towards Brooklyn in particular. People such as Adler, Fromm, Horney, as well as several Gestalt psychologists and Freudian psychologists.

In 1951, Abraham Maslow serves as the chairman of the psychology department at Brandeis for 10 years, where he meets Kurt Goldstein. Goldstein introduces him to the idea of self-actualization and Maslow begins his own theoretical work. It is also here that he begins his crusade for a humanistic psychology, which was ultimately much more important to him than his own theorizing. He spends the last years of his life in semi-retirement in California. On June 8 1970, he dies of a heart attack after years of ill health.

The Hierarchy of Needs model of Abraham Maslow

Hierarchy of Needs - Physiological needs

These are the very basic needs such as air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. When these are not satisfied we may feel sickness, irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. These feelings motivate us to alleviate them as soon as possible to establish homeostasis. Once they are alleviated, we may think about other things.

Hierarchy of Needs - Safety needs

These are dealing with achieving of stability and of consistency in a chaotic world. These needs are mostly psychological in nature. We need the safety of a home and family. However, if a family is dysfunctional caused by for example an abusive husband, the wife cannot move to the next level. Because she is constantly concerned for her safety. Love and belongingness have to wait until she is no longer in fear. Many in our society cry out for law and order because they do not feel safe enough to go for a walk in their neighborhood.

Hierarchy of Needs - Love and belongingness needs

These are next on the ladder. Humans have a desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious groups, family, gangs, etc. We want to feel loved (non-sexual) by others, to be accepted by others. Performing artists are appreciating applause. We need to be needed. Compare: Hawthorne Effect

Hierarchy of Needs - Self-Esteem needs

There are two types of esteem needs. The first is the self-esteem which is the result from competence or mastery of a task. Second, there's the attention and recognition that comes from others. This is similar to the belongingness level, however, wanting admiration is related to the need for power.

Hierarchy of Needs - The need for self-actualization

This is "the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming." People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, esthetic experiences, self-fulfillment, oneness with God, etc.
 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs model was developed between 1943-1954, and first widely published in Motivation and Personality in 1954. At this time the Hierarchy of Needs model comprised five needs. Maslow's most popular book is Toward a Psychology of Being (1968), in which more layers were added.

Limitations of the Hierarchy of Needs model. Disadvantages

Care should be taken not to stick too rigidly to this hierarchy:

• In reality, people don't work necessarily one by one through these levels. They are much less structured in the way they satisfy their needs. (Graves)
• Different people with different cultural backgrounds and in different situations may have different hierarchies of need. (Hofstede, Early)
• Other researchers claim that other needs are also significant or even more significant. See McClelland, who identified needs for achievement, affiliation and power.
• In 1968, Maslow has himself added additional layers in his book: "Toward a Psychology of Being".

Despite of the above, the original five-layer-version still remains for most people the original Hierarchy of Needs.

Book: Abraham Maslow - Toward a Psychology of Being

Forum Forum discussions about the Hierarchy of Needs. What is a Successful Manager? When can a person reasonably be considered a successful manager? From the company's point of view, it is a matter of performance management and KPIs. And there are countless articles on skills / trai... 16   18 comments What is the PRACTICAL Value of Maslow's Need Hierarchy for an ORGANIZATION? What is the practical value of Maslow's Need Hierarchy in getting things done in the work place? Can you give a practical example of how Maslow'sPyramid may be applied in an organisation?... 14   4 comments Maslow and Interests Outside of Work I would assume that managers want (prefer) people to be motivated at the self esteem and self actualization levels. If so, it could be said that individuals that have interests outside of work are hav... 14   Maslow and Buyer Behaviour How does Maslows Theory influences Buyer Behaviour?... 14   1 comments Fundamental Flaw In Maslow's Pyramid As convincing as Maslow looks at first sight, there is a fundamental error in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. His pyramid is driven by self-actualization, i.e. egocentrism. But MEANING matters more. "Th... 12   3 comments Does Anyone Know That Maslow Reviewed Self-Actualization? While Maslow originally meant self-actualization as a peak of personal needs, in fact before he died Maslow stated that actually paramount for such a person is the fact he can devote his life for the ... 10   List of Criticisms on Maslow's Pyramid of Needs Besides the criticisms already mentioned in the summary: 1. In reality, people don't necessarily go through these levels in that order. 2. Different people with different cultural backgrounds and in... 8   Limitations to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs One of the limitations to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is that it does not take into account the unsatisfied needs. In addition, what about the must-haves; that, in my opinion, are prior to needs?... 6   2 comments Maslow's Theory of Eupsychian Management At the top of the list of my recent discoveries about management is Abraham Maslow's theory of Eupsychian Management, and how it correlates with Douglas McGregor's "human side of enterprise." One migh... 5   4 comments Hierarchy of Needs during Recession During a recession, does the hierarchy of needs or preferences change?... 4   🔥 Responsibility and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Is there a relation between the needs of esteem and the development of the value of responsibility? I'd really appreciate all the answers and advices you can give me on the topic.... 0   4 comments Start a new topic about the Hierarchy of Needs Sign up for free

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Best Practices The best, top-rated topics about the Hierarchy of Needs. Here you will find the most valuable ideas and practical suggestions. 🥇 How to Apply the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs to a Business Clearly, an individual at the self-esteem and self-actualization levels would be a preferred employee. The problem stems from the fact that most organizations do not create the culturally conducive e... 50   2 comments 🥈 Which Level of Need? Let's call him Harry, he is very assertive. He will work for money and can change jobs for more money. Harry is hardworking and he expects the company also to work for him. He feels no qualms about wo... 49   2 comments 🥉 Self-fulfilment Prophecy In my organization, I have found that the perception of people is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Most of them are around the physiological needs. When I confronted them with various programs and initiat... 48   Marketing Interpretation of Hierarchy of Needs Maslow's needs hierarchy can be re-interpreted in consumer needs / value terms to read from bottom to top: Functional, Experiential, Relational, Social and Psychological.... 41   1 comments Maslow's Model Related with Marketing Maslow has really provided a basic model for which every individual is striving hard to achieve. The bottom ladder of the model is the prime requirement of every consumer or customer this ladder only ... 18   Is Self Actualization Equal to Nirvana? Sometimes ago I attended a talk on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the speaker stressed that the level of self-actualization equates to to 'nirvana' in Buddhist teaching - and thus very few people wil... 14   3 comments Is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Still Valid Today? Yes, Maslow's need hierarchy is still valid today and even handy and practicable. Most humans have the same basic concept of needs. One can amend or improve it with knowledge or exposure to experienc... 8   6 comments

Expert Tips Advanced insights about the Hierarchy of Needs. Here you will find professional advices by experts. Consultancy Tips Teaching Tips Practical Implementation Tips Drivers and Levers of Employees Improving Employee Motivation In their 2002 book "Driven: How Human Nature Shapes our Choices", Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria mention 4 drives und... Differences Between Maslow's Hierarchy and Alderfer's ERG Theory Understanding Human Needs, Teaching The 4 main differences between the theories by Maslow and Alderfer are that ERG Theory: 1. Recognizes that multiple nee... Promotion-focused versus Prevention-focused Employees Employee Needs and Motivation An interesting way to look at the needs of employees or coachees for motivation purposes is described by Heidi Grant Hal... Alternate Classifications of Human Needs (Employees, Consumers) Motivation, Marketing, Human Needs One of possible ways to classify human (employee, consumer) needs is to break them down into: - Biogenic Needs (essenti... Family-Work Conflicts (FWC) and Daily Job Performance Family-work conflicts, Coaching, Mentoring, Job Performance FAMILY ROLES and WORK are two factors influencing each other: - Work can interfere with family roles; this is called a W... Differences in Organizational Commitment Between Paid Workers and Volunteers Organizational Commitment, Employee Motivation, Non-profit Organizations Paid and unpaid workers in hybrid organizations Although financial considerations are an important reason to work for a... Internal and External Motivators 2 Types of Motivators.... Just a quick tip: Thinking on ways to motivate an employee / your workforce? You should understand that Maslow's Pyramid...

Information Sources Various sources of information regarding the Hierarchy of Needs. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. Human Motivation Employee Motivation Comprehesive presentation on Human / Employee Motivation. Topics: 1. What is motivation? 2. How do needs motivate peo... Hierarchy of Needs Presentation Studying Human Needs Short but good presentation 'Behavioral Dynamics in Organizations' by PEARL K. PANTHAKI. Deficiency Needs, Being Needs ... Motivation Motivation in Organizations Short presentation with some slides about Maslow and Herzberg.... Hierarchy of Needs Diagram Original 5-stage Model Editable Ms-Word diagram of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.... Overview of Content and Process Motivation Theories Motivation, Needs, Incentives, Goal Setting, Behavior Overview presentation of the major content motivation theories (Hierarchy of Needs; Acquired Needs theory; Two-Factor Th... NLP: The 6 Neurological Levels 6 layers to view at the reality of a person or issue Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is used increasingly by businesses and individuals in HR, marketing, sales and organi... External and Internal Motivation Motivation Presentation about motivation, from a psychological perspective. The presentation includes the following sections: 1. P... The Employee Commitment Pyramid Employee Commitment, Employee Motivation Stum (2013) developed the so-called Performance Pyramid. His model is clearly based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. But ... Abraham Maslow Picture of Abraham Maslow Good picture of Abraham Maslow....

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