Читать книгу Motivating Today's Employees - Lin Grensing-Pophal - Страница 9

Another early theorist, psychologist Abraham Maslow, developed what he called a need hierarchy, which classifies five levels of needs ranging from the concrete to the intangible. These needs are—

1) physiological comfort,

2) safety,

3) social fulfillment,

4) satisfaction of the ego, and

5) self-actualization.

Maslow believed that until an individual’s basic needs (i.e., food and security) are satisfied, that individual will not be motivated by involvement in social activities, the opportunity to learn new things, or advancement. Only after each need in the hierarchy has been adequately met, according to Maslow’s theory, would individuals be motivated to move on to higher-level needs.

For example, suppose you have recently employed a single mother who is struggling to care for three small children. She will initially be highly concerned with making enough money to meet her family’s needs for food, shelter, and security. Money will be the driving factor in motivating this employee. Offering her the opportunity to serve on a special task force, or giving her additional responsibilities (unless those new responsibilities lead to a pay increase) will not be motivating to this individual.

However, suppose this woman begins to make enough money to provide adequately and appropriately for her family. The strong initial drive has been satisfied. At this point, the employee may be driven to pursue higher-level needs, such as establishing relationships with other employees, learning new tasks, or taking on more responsibilities. More money would, of course, be welcomed, but more money would not create the motivation to perform better, faster, or with more loyalty.

In reality, Maslow’s theory doesn’t work quite that simply. Each of the needs on the hierarchy are, to a certain degree, inter-related. While we strive to earn a good wage, we are also concerned with job stability, getting along with coworkers, being recognized for our achievements, and feeling some sense of intrinsic enjoyment of the work we do. In addition, the extent to which each of these needs is satisfied is continually shifting and changing as our life circumstances change. We may be making adequate wages and be quite satisfied with our incomes, but major life events (i.e., an illness in the family) may mean that our salaries are no longer adequate.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be instructive to a manager in that it points to the individual differences among employees and the need to recognize each individual’s position on the hierarchy.

Motivating an employee who is well paid, well-liked, and highly satisfied with his or her job will be quite different from motivating an employee who does not make enough money to meet his or her basic needs, or an employee who is dealing with security issues in his or her personal life.