Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory is based on the needs of people. He identified five distinct categories
of needs. He arranged these needs into a hierarchy, and stated that individuals wish to satisfy particular
need to a moderate extent, and then tries to satisfy the next need in the hierarchy.

Categories in Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory

The five categories proposed by Maslow are:
1. Physiological Need: Basic and primary needs required for human existence are physiological
needs. These needs relate to the survival and maintenance of human life. These needs include
such things as food, clothing, shelter, air, water and other necessities of life. These needs must
be satisfied repeatedly until human beings die.
2. Safety and Security Needs: After satisfying the physiological needs, people want the assurance
of maintaining a given economic level. Individuals seek protection from natural environment,
biological danger, economic deprivation and emotional threat from other beings and animals. In
order to motivate employees, organisations provide fringe benefits, health and accident
insurance, housing loans, etc

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 3. Social Needs: Man is a social animal. Social needs emerge from the basic urge of individuals to
associate, belong with others, make friendship, make companionship, desire to be accepted by
others and seek affection. Organisations should provide scope for formation of informal groups,
encourage working in teams, and provide scope for interpersonal communication, interpersonal
relationships and interpersonal understanding to motivate employees
4. Self-esteem Needs: Maslow believes that people seek growth. They have natural desire to be
identified and respected by others. This instinct is called as esteem. Esteem needs are
associated with self-esteem and esteem from others. The need for power, self respect,
autonomy, self confidence, achievement, recognition of competence, knowledge, desire to have
freedom, status and secure attention of others, appreciation are some of the esteem needs
individual wishes to satisfy. Maslow identified them, as higher order needs. The nature of
esteem needs is that they are dormant until basic, security and social needs are fairly satisfied.
Satisfaction of esteem needs produce a feeling of self-confidence, strength, capability and
adequacy in the individuals. The fulfilment of esteein'needs leads to self confidence strength
and capability of being useful in the organisation. Whereas inability to fulfil these needs results
in feelings of inferiority, weakness and helplessness.
5. Self Actualization Needs: Self-actualization is transformation of perception and dream into
reality. Individuals have inner potential to do things different from others. Realising the full
inner potential, one wishes to become what he is capable of becoming. After his other needs are
fulfilled, a man has the desire for personal achievement. The sense of achievement gives him
satisfaction

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