Application of Theory

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 Application of Theory

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is one of the theories of motivation at the organization. People have

different reasons for pursuing work. Maslow’s theory relies on these reasons to improve motivation at the

workplace. According to this theory, human needs fall into five broad categories or levels: physiological

needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs.

Physiological needs are the most important and they are found at the bottom of the pyramid.

Physiological needs comprises things such as homeostasis, excretion, sleep, sex, water, food and

breathing (Maslow, 2019). Physiological needs comprise of basic human needs. Consequently, they must

be satisfied before one advances to the next level of needs. For instance, it is hard for employees to work

efficiently if they do not have basics such as a washroom and watering point at their workplace. The

absence of these things creates an imbalance making it hard for workers to advance to the next level of

needs. The next level on the hierarchy consists of safety needs. Safety needs comprise emotional stability,

financial security, protection from theft and violence and health security. Workers cannot conduct their

duties effectively in an unsafe environment. This explains why modern organizations provide their

employees with a health cover and retirement benefits. Workers want to feel protected especially during

times of uncertainty such as the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic threatened safety needs which halted

productivity in many industries. Employees were willing to resume their duties once they were assured

and certain that their safety would not be compromised. This is why some employers introduced measures

such as working from home to make their employees feel safe from the pandemic.

Love and belonging needs are on the third level on Maslow’s hierarchy. Love and belonging

needs consist of social needs that determine how we interact with others (Maslow, 2019). This need can

be achieved by being a member of a social group such as a worker’s union. Love and belonging needs

make the employee feel valued and appreciated rather than feeling as if they are a mere means of

production. Money is not the sole motivation for providing human labor. Esteem needs are up the next

level. These needs comprise of the urge to feel respected and self-esteem. Workers have to feel valued
and confident about themselves in order to perform optimally. Self-actualization needs are on top of

Maslow’s hierarchy and they are the last to be achieved. These needs entail the need to realize your full

potential as a sane human. They can be achieved through education and acquisition of new skills.

Winning awards and visiting new places also goes a long way in satisfying self-actualization needs.

Organizations risk operating at losses if they have dissatisfied employees. Dissatisfied employees

do not have much motivation to perform their professional duties. This reduces performance and may

even result in the business operating at a loss. Maslow’s hierarchy of motivation can be used to decrease

job satisfaction. Addressing essential physiological and safety needs is the first step towards increasing

job satisfaction. The contingency viewpoint can also be applied when brainstorming for new ideas.

Managers who think outside the box are more likely to come up with creative ideas that counter employee

dissatisfaction. The chaos theory is also critical in addressing long-term issues that create job

dissatisfaction. This theory can be applied in making long-term changes to the system so that workers are

satisfied. Moreover, the complexity theory can be useful in understanding indirect effects that might

contribute to job dissatisfaction.

 References

Maslow, A.H. (2019). A Theory of Human Motivation. General Press. New Delhi.