1.10 Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory★★★

# What Do You Want Next?

• A starving person doesn't dream about fame. They dream about food.
• Feed them, and they start wanting safety, then friends, then respect.
• Is there a final want at the very top?
• Maslow said yes, and arranged human needs in a ladder to show it.

# Maslow and the Need Hierarchy PYQ 1M

Maslow's need hierarchy theory (Abraham Maslow, 1943) says people are motivated by five levels of needs, and they satisfy lower needs before higher ones become important.

• Maslow is the founder of the theory of self-actualization.
• Motivation itself → 1.9.

# The Five Levels PYQ 10M · other

flowchart TD
    L5["<b>5 · Self-actualization</b><br>full potential"]:::green --- L4["<b>4 · Esteem</b><br>respect, achievement"]:::green
    L4 --- L3["<b>3 · Social</b><br>love, belonging"]:::blue
    L3 --- L2["<b>2 · Safety</b><br>security, stability"]:::amber
    L2 --- L1["<b>1 · Physiological</b><br>food, water, sleep (base)"]:::red
    classDef blue fill:#5b84d424,stroke:#5b84d480
    classDef amber fill:#d6a24424,stroke:#d6a24480
    classDef red fill:#d0707024,stroke:#d0707080
    classDef green fill:#52a86e24,stroke:#52a86e80

• Read from the bottom: each level becomes a motivator only after the one below is fairly satisfied.

1. Physiological needs: the most basic needs for survival: food, water, shelter, sleep, air.
   • At work: a fair basic salary, rest breaks, drinking water, canteen.
2. Safety needs: protection from physical and financial harm.
   • At work: job security, safe working conditions, health insurance, pension.
3. Social (belonging) needs: love, friendship, acceptance by a group.
   • At work: friendly colleagues, team activities, a supportive boss.
4. Esteem needs: self-confidence, independence, achievement, recognition and respect from others.
   • At work: titles, awards, promotion, praise, responsibility.
5. Self-actualization needs: the need for self-fulfilment, becoming everything one is capable of.
   • At work: challenging projects, creative freedom, chances to grow and lead.

Key ideas

• Lower needs first: a hungry person won't care about recognition.
• A satisfied need no longer motivates; the next level takes over.
• Deficiency needs motivate by their absence; the growth need keeps increasing as it is fed.
• Most people are partly satisfied at several levels at once.

# Self-Actualization PYQ 15M

Self-actualization is the need for self-fulfilment: realising one's full potential and becoming the best one can be.

• Example: a musician must make music, a teacher must teach, an engineer must build, not for money but because it is who they are.

Characteristics of self-actualizers (as Maslow described them)

1. See reality clearly and accept it.
2. Accept themselves and others as they are.
3. Spontaneous and natural.
4. Problem-centred: focused on a mission bigger than themselves.
5. Independent: value privacy and their own judgement.
6. Creative.
7. Have peak experiences: moments of deep joy and meaning.
8. Deep, close relationships with a few people.
9. Democratic and fair-minded; a kind sense of humour.

• Values, beliefs and attitude, the rest of the 15-mark question → 1.5 and 1.6.
• Maslow's stages of personality development → 3.9.

# Case: CEO of Google, a Maslow Life-Tree PYQ 15M

How to read it: picture a life as a tree. The roots are basic needs and the fruits are self-actualization. A tree cannot fruit without strong roots.

flowchart TD
    F["<b>Fruits · Self-actualization</b><br>innovation, legacy"]:::green --- L["<b>Leaves · Esteem</b><br>recognition, respect"]:::green
    L --- B["<b>Branches · Social</b><br>family, team, mentors"]:::blue
    B --- T["<b>Trunk · Safety</b><br>stable career, savings"]:::amber
    T --- R["<b>Roots · Physiological</b><br>food, health, home"]:::red
    classDef blue fill:#5b84d424,stroke:#5b84d480
    classDef amber fill:#d6a24424,stroke:#d6a24480
    classDef red fill:#d0707024,stroke:#d0707080
    classDef green fill:#52a86e24,stroke:#52a86e80

My life-tree as CEO of Google

1. Roots: physiological needs
   • In childhood and student life: food, a home and health, sometimes with struggle.
   • Today: secure, but I protect them with sleep, exercise and a healthy routine, because a tired CEO makes poor decisions.
2. Trunk: safety needs
   • Early career: a stable job, savings and family security.
   • As CEO: the company's financial stability, data and cyber security, legal compliance and a safe workplace.
3. Branches: social needs
   • Family support, mentors who guided me, friends and colleagues who trusted me.
   • As CEO: an inclusive culture where 1,80,000+ employees feel they belong.
4. Leaves: esteem needs
   • Promotions, the respect of the board, recognition in the industry.
   • As CEO: I satisfy others' esteem needs too, by recognising teams publicly.
5. Fruits: self-actualization
   • Building products used by billions, making AI helpful for everyone, mentoring future leaders, philanthropy.
   • The goal is no longer money or position but impact and legacy.

Using Maslow for my employees

Conclusion: reaching the top of the tree depends on every level below being secure. A CEO who understands this both grows personally and keeps the workforce motivated.

# Critique of Maslow's Theory PYQ 6M · other

Strengths

• Simple, easy to understand and widely used by managers.
• Shows that people want more than money.
• Puts personal growth at the top of motivation.

Limitations

1. Rigid order: people sometimes chase higher needs first (an artist starving for art).
2. Cultural bias: based on Western, individualistic values; in group-oriented cultures, belonging may rank above esteem.
3. Needs overlap: several needs work at the same time, not one by one.
4. Hard to test: needs and their "satisfaction" are difficult to measure.
5. Individual differences ignored: the same need varies in strength from person to person.
6. Self-actualization is vague and was studied in a small group of famous people.

• Alderfer's ERG theory fixes some of these: fewer levels and flexible order (→ 1.11).

# Maslow Among the Theories PYQ 15M

• Maslow's hierarchy is a content theory (what motivates); other theories are explained in 1.11.
• "Need theory of motivation" is linked with David McClelland; Maslow's hierarchy is also a need theory.
• The Expectancy part of the 10-mark flowchart question → 1.11.