Akinola Abdulhameed Olamilekan 18/27pa/00206

Edun khairat olamide 18/27pa/00204

Oluwakemi Fathia Adeola 18/27PA/00208

Titiloye Olajide 18/27pa/00209

Adedoyin Emmanuella Bambolarin 18/27pa/00205

QUESTION; An application of hierarchy of motivation in Alaafin of oyo's Palace

INTRODUCTION

In a 1943 paper titled "A Theory of Human Motivation," American psychologist Abraham Maslow
theorized that human decision-making is undergirded by a hierarchy of psychological needs. In his initial
paper and a subsequent 1954 book titled Motivation and Personality, Maslow proposed that five core
needs form the basis for human behavioral motivation.

Maslow (1943) railed against psychology’s quest to completely explain the human experience by
developing exhaustive lists of driving motivations. He believed that classification should be based on
goals rather than desires: a new theory of human motivation should focus on the ultimate goals that
human beings pursue, rather than focusing so much on the immediate drives (Maslow, 1943). This
reflects Maslow’s perspective on universalism and cultural relativism, as he stated that the ultimate
goals that are common across cultures should form the basis of motivation theory, since there are
various culturally contextualized paths a person can take to accomplish broad go als that are common
across cultural divides (Maslow, 1943). He argued that the situation or field must be taken into account,
but it must be balanced with dynamic interpretations of the individual and the human condition.
Maslow stated in the Preface the key tenets of his theory: “Man is a perpetually wanting animal; the
appearance of a need rests on prior situations, on other prepotent needs; needs or desires must be
arranged in hierarchies of prepotency” (Maslow, 1943a, p. 91). Maslow was careful to note that
behavior is not often singularly motivated, and he stated that acts are usually motivated by multiple
factors. He continued that the integration of organisms and the possibility for isolated, partial, or
segmented responses can be included in an overarching theory of human motivation (Maslow, 1943a).

Descriptive analysis of the hierarchical structure of the palace

of the Alaafin (king) of Oyo (Yorubaland, Nigeria), dealing mainly with the period around and before the
conquest by the British in 1895.
 The position of the 'AYABA':the Alaafin's wives, who as palace priestesses, as the heads of compounds
in the women's section, and as official 'mothers' to all the Alaafin's functionaries and some provincial
rulers, played an important role in the politics and administration of Oyo.

The second section deals with the '': the three eunuchs who more or less collectively handled the
running of the palace, from religious matters to presiding over the palace court.

The third part describes the 'ILARIi': the men and women who formed the core of the domestic
servants, messengers, labourers, and soldiers of the Alaafin, and who also prepared and executed rituals
to reinforce the king's spiritual powers. The role expectations and actual functioning of these various
palace officials have changed with the changing political and economic scenes.

Today, the ritual and religious powers of the Alaafin's wives are greatly diminished, the eunuchs are
no longer castrated, and the 'ilari' are no longer initiated into the services of the Alaafin as of old.

The political organization Oyo empire

1. Political head: the alaafin was seen as the political head ofthe empire. He was chosen by the Oyo mesi
(seven hereditary kingmakers ofthe empire). It was claimed that he can only appearthree times a year in
public and that was only during some historic festivals. The administration of the empire involved the
Alafin, assisted by the Aremo, the Basorun, Oyomesi andothers. The Bashorun (primeminister) and the
Oyomesi played a very key role in the administration

2. The Aremo: He was the eldest son of the ruling Alatin but cannot succeed his father at his demise. He
can only work or assist the father (Alafin) in the administration of the empire.

3. The Oyomesi: These are the seven hereditary kingmakers in the empire. The leader was Bashorun.
They are responsible for installinganew Alafin, ifthe ruling one happens to die. They also work hand-in-
hand with the Alafin in the administration of the empire.

4. Provincial governors: (Baale or Oba) Each province was administered by Ajele or Oba. They guarantee
the payment of tribute and payingof homageto Oyo. There was the claim that this rulers had the power
to threaten any hardened Alafin or chief by invoking the god of thunder and lightning through the cultof
Sango, a deified Alafin. It was alleged too that, Sango was the god of thunder and lightning.

5. The army: Are-ona-kakanfo was the head of the army. Oyo, had for long maintained a strong army
and was involved in different wars. It was claimed that if the army suffer any defeat, the kakanfo should
commit suicide. However, the empire might experience a disobedient kakanfo who would refuse to take
directives from the Alafin. For example, Kakanfo Afonja rebelled in Ilorin, and decided to use the army to
score some political points. He was both the army commander and ruler of Ilorin. He later formed an
alliance with the Fulani and declared his independence of the Alafin.

6. The Ogboni society: This society possessed judicial powers and was involved
also in policy making. The maintenance and preservation of the cultural values of the people were also
delegated to them. The Ogboni society was a secret society that influenced events in the society.

Statement of problem

The lack of motivation on the part of personnel and some chiefs in the palace is assumed to be a major
loophole in this research. How well the palace officials are motivated should be a concern of the king.
Not only the king in the palace should deserve a satisfactory life, the officials also do, to bring about
smooth running of the palace.

For instance in an organization either private or public, achieving their mission and vision should be of
paramount concern so in this case there has to be dispensation of hierarchy of motivation over the
personnel that steering the organization through their day to day activities. Employers in both private
and public organizations are becoming increasingly aware that motivations increases productivity. From
the foregoing, and looking at today‘s‘ economic trend, it is evident that the pace of change in our
business environment presents fresh challenges daily, and it could be predicted to be a problem if the
personnel are not well motivated.

Employee’s and organisation performance mostly depends on employee motivation. Low

motivation affects employees and organisation performance. Motivated employees’ are royal,
committed, and productive and provide good services to the organisation. Employer should exercise
employee motivation through the series of rewards for job well done and better organisational
performance (Sevanson, 2011) Although the management of kwasu has made an effort in enhancing
compensation in the institution but the increase did not result in convergence between public service
pay level and those of the labour market comparators. A sizable gap still remains.

RESEARCH QUESTION

1. To what extent Is hierarchy of motivation adopted in Alaafin oyo's palace

2. To what degree is hierarchy of motivation applicable in Alaafin oyo's palace?

3. What are the challenges facing the entrenchment of hierarchy of motivation in Alaafin oyo's palace?

4. What are the possible way forward to tackle the problem of low level of personnel motivation in Oyo
Palace?

OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH

general objective of the study is to investigate the level at which hierarchy of motivation is applicable in
Alaafin oyo palace.

The specific objectives are to:

1. To examine the extent to which hierarchy motivation is adopted by kwara state University
2. To investigate weather hierarchy of motivation is applicable in Alaafin oyo's palace.

3. To examine the challenges facing the application of hierarchy of motivation in Alaafin oyo's palace.

4. To identify the possible way forward to tackle the problem behind the application of hierarchy of
motivation in Alaafin oyo's palace.

LITERATURE REVIEW

This Chapter aimed at presenting relevant literature pertaining to the study which includes theoretical
literature, empirical literature and summary of the empirical literature.

Motivation Definitions

“Motivation refers to the ways in which urges, drives, desires, aspirations, strivings, or needs direct,
control or explain the behavior of human beings” (McFarland, 1974). Also Prasad, 2005 defined
“Motivation as the complex forces starting and keeping a person at work in an organisation.
Furthermore Robbins and Coulter, 2005 defined Motivation as “The process that accounts an individual
willingness to accept higher level of effort to each organisational goal conditioned by the efforts ability
to satisfy some individuals need”. Motivation always pushes someone to act and continues him in the
course of action already initiated”.In the other way round motivation is described as an invisible force
that pushes people to behave in a certain way (Pinder, 2008). An author of this definition believes that it
has some features that make it better than other definitions. Firstly, it is not general as many other
definitions, it presents motivation in close relation to work and careers. His definition is intended to
apply behavior such as joining or leaving a company, being punctual, respecting or not respecting
supervisor’s orders, inventing better ways to perform a job and accepting relocation to another
place.Motivation is the forces that energizes, direct and sustain behavior. It can be intrinsic where
behavior is affected by factors that may arise from work itself and are selfgenerated or extrinsic, which
occurs when things are done or for people to motivate them (Armstrong, 2012).

Importance of Motivation

Motivation is necessary for employee performance. If people do not feel inclined to engage
themselves in work behavior, they will not put necessary efforts to perform well. However performance
of an individual in the organization do not only depends on motivation instead there other factors
besides the level of motivation which include abilities, sense of competence, role perception and
resources.
 Motivation seems to be one of the most important tools for increases productivity and retaining
employees. Organizations that design motivation systems are not only meant to encourage employees
to perform in the most effective way but also to attract potential candidates. One of many ways to
motivate and retain employees isby giving traditional rewards and monetary benefits, compensation
incentives to reward good performance (Memmott and Growers, 2012).

What Is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory of motivation which states that five categories of human needs
dictate an individual’s behavior. Those needs are physiological needs, safety needs, sense of belonging
needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

What Are the 5 Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Maslow's theory presents his hierarchy of needs in a pyramid shape, with basic needs at the bottom of
the pyramid and more high-level, intangible needs at the top. A person can only move on to addressing
the higher-level needs when their basic needs are adequately fulfilled.

1. Physiological needs: The first of the id-driven lower needs on Maslow's hierarchy are physiological
needs. These most basic human survival needs include food and water, sufficient rest, clothing and
shelter, overall health, and reproduction. Maslow states that these basic physiological needs must be
addressed before humans move on to the next level of fulfillment.

Physiological Needs

The most basic set of human needs are physiological: eating, drinking, breathing, and excretion
(Maslow, 1943b). In Maslow’s hierarchy, the basic needs are the most prepotent and they completely
dominate the organism when they are not met (Maslow, 1943b). Human beings strive to achieve a state
of homeostasis, which consists of physiological stability and psychological consistency (Maslow, 1943b).
Eating, drinking, sleeping, and other activities maintain physical homeostasis, and behaviors that seek
satisfaction of physiological needs contribute to a sense of balance and predictability for human beings.
In his unpublished papers, Maslow noted, “To urinate or defecate at the right time can be a great
satisfaction, in the sense of culmination, total discharge, and finishing” (Maslow, 1996, p. 41). This is an
example of a physiological urge that must be satisfied.

Physiological survival is considered to be the most basic motivator of human behavior. These needs
are not separated from the person: “the whole individual is motivated rather than just part of him… It is
John Smith who wants food, not John Smith’s stomach… Food satisfies John Smith’s hunger, not John
Smith’s stomach’s hunger” (Maslow, 1943b). When physiological needs dominate the organism,
behavior is fundamentally different than when other needs motivate behavior. When John Smith is
hungry or exhausted, he will forsake activities that would otherwise be prioritized in order to seek food
or sleep. If John Smith is struck with a sudden need to urinate, his behavior will be fully focused on that
need, regardless of the relevance of other goals that become temporarily relegated to a secondary
status. When physiological needs are unsatisfied, they preoccupy the organism: all of John Smith’s
available capacities will be directed towards the most satisfying his physiological needs when they
advance to prepotency (Maslow, 1970).

2. Safety needs: Next among the lower-level needs is safety. Safety needs include protection from
violence and theft, emotional stability and well-being, health security, and financial security.

Safety Needs

When physiological needs are met, a new set of needs relating to safety emerges as the primary
motivators of behavior (Maslow, 1943b). Physical safety, financial security, protection from harm, and
obtaining adequate materials to sustain survival are considered to be safety needs within this
framework. Safety needs involve the human yearning for a predictable, orderly world orderly world, in
which unexpected and unfamiliar things are rare. Human beings tend to seek out consistency and prefer
familiarity to novelty; there is a common preference for the known and a fear of the unknown, which
relates to the basic human need for safety and predictability. When safety is threatened, a person
becomes singularly focused on averting danger and quickly restoring security. When one is engaged in
safety-motivated behavior, the singular focus of the organism is intense because everything else
appears less important when confronted with a threat to physical or psychological safety.

3. Sense of belonging needs: The social needs on the third level of Maslow’s hierarchy relate to human
interaction and are the last of the so-called lower needs. Among these needs are friendships and family
bonds—both with biological family (parents, siblings, children) and chosen family (spouses and
partners). Physical and emotional intimacy ranging from sexual relationships to intimate emotional
bonds are important to achieving a feeling of elevated kinship. Additionally, membership in social
groups contributes to meeting this need, from belonging to a team of coworkers to forging an identity in
a union, club, or group of hobbyists.

If the physiological and safety needs are fairly well satiated, the love, affection, and belongingness needs
emerge to motivate behavior (Maslow, 1943b). The love needs have been described in different ways: in
terms of social relationships, connection with other people, and belonging to groups or partnerships.
Maslow (1943b) was careful to differentiate between the love needs and sexuality: love needs are
greater than a physiological desire to procreate because they represent a human yearning for emotional
connection that is imbued with a different quality than sexual desire. It is not enough for human beings
simply to receive love. People must have the opportunity to love and be loved: in his private journal,
Maslow lamented that he had not “paid enough attention to the need to admire as well as to be
admired (parallel to love as well as to be loved)” (Maslow, 1979, p. 1177). He wondered about the
nature of the need to give to and

provide for others, since he was sure that the need to be loved was a deficiency need, but the need to
give love seemed to be more of a growth need. Social bonding, including the development of
friendships, partnerships, and group affiliations are important components that synthesize to satiate
social needs. Seeking meaning and connection with other human beings represents the core of social
needs, and a variety of types of relationships are needed to fully satisfy the love needs. The sense of
belongingness is crucial for human beings, who evolved as pack animals, dependent upon the group for
survival. Modern people strive to belong to something larger than themselves: membership in a
marriage, a family, a club, a school, a team, a country, a society, or other groups can provide this sense
of belongingness and gratify some of the social needs. There can be significant damage to individual’s
psychosocial functioning when love and belongingness needs are thwarted or seriously threatened. The
deprivation of love needs can increase or reduce future love-seeking behaviors, depending on the
individual, the circumstances, and the environment.

4. Esteem needs: The higher needs, beginning with esteem, are ego-driven needs. The primary
elements of esteem are self-respect (the belief that you are valuable and deserving of dignity) and self-
esteem (confidence in your potential for personal growth and accomplishments). Maslow specifically
notes that self-esteem can be broken into two types: esteem which is based on respect and
acknowledgment from others, and esteem which is based on your own self-assessment. Self-confidence
and independence stem from this latter type of self-esteem.

When the physiological, safety, and love needs are somewhat satisfied, a set of needs relating to esteem
and self-respect emerge as primary determinants of human behavior. Generally speaking (with a few
extremely pathological exceptions), people in our society wish to think highly of them, they want others
to regard them with esteem, and they want this evaluation reflect their true value (Maslow, 1943b). The
esteem needs include the desire for a high and accurate estimation of the self as well as the need for
others to appraise the individual as worthy. Esteem of others is differentiated from love or social
relationships in Maslow’s theory. In this model, the opinions of others about oneself are considered to
be a higher level of human need than simple human contact. Self-esteem is the other important
component of esteem needs. The need for selfesteem is not simply a desire to think well about oneself:
it must be firmly based in order to fully satisfy the self-esteem needs. Firmly-based self esteem is
grounded in the real capacity, achievements, and respect from others that an individual maintains
(Maslow, 1943b). These needs have been described as a desire for self-respect based on accurate
assessment by oneself and other trusted people. The development of self-esteem and ego strength
leads to feelings of self-confidence, worth, strength, and capability; these emotions propel behavior
toward the higher goals (Maslow, 1943b). People who have satisfied their esteem needs tend to be
hugely productive and well adjusted. However, thwarting of self-esteem needs can produce
psychopathology, especially insecurity, helplessness, and inferiority complexes. People who are
frustrated in their esteem needs may cope with these difficult experiences by withdrawing and
becoming discouraged or they may create psychological defense mechanisms such as self-
aggrandizement to cope with the deprivation they experience in this area.

5. Self-actualization needs: Self-actualization describes the fulfillment of your full potential as a person.
Sometimes called self-fulfillment needs, self-actualization needs occupy the highest spot on Maslow's
pyramid. Self-actualization needs include education, skill development—the refining of talents in areas
such as music, athletics, design, cooking, and gardening—caring for others, and broader goals like
learning a new language, traveling to new places, and winning awards.

Deficiency Needs vs. Growth Needs on Maslow’s Hierarchy

Maslow referred to self-actualization as a “growth need,” and he separated it from the lower four levels
on his hierarchy, which he called “deficiency needs.” According to his theory, if you fail to meet your
deficiency needs, you’ll experience harmful or unpleasant results. Conditions ranging from illness and
starvation up through loneliness and self-doubt are the byproducts of unmet deficiency needs. By
contrast, self-actualization needs can make you happier, but you are not harmed when these needs go
unfulfilled. Thus, self-actualization needs only become a priority when the other four foundational needs
are met.

Findings

Research findings indicated existence of weak negative relationship between motivation factors such
as salary, transport benefits, medical benefits, extra duty allowance, carrier achievement, promotion
benefits, recognition and employees’ performance which imply that there is slim dispensation of
hierarchy of motivation in the Alaafin oyo's palace.

But only the head of the palace which is Alaafin is entitled or have the access to those needs or
motivation in hierarchy (psychological need, safety need, sense of belongings, esteem need and self
actualization)

*In the physiological need the king has the most preponderant access to this and even extended to
other personnel in the palace. As postulated by Abraham Maslow This is the most basic human survival
needs include food and water, sufficient rest, clothing and shelter, overall health, and reproduction.
Maslow states that these basic physiological needs must be addressed before humans move on to the
next level of fulfillment.

*The safety need is also assured over the king in terms of position security, he occupies the seat for a
very long time and can only be removed if he committed taboo but other palace worker can be demoted
or evicted at the king's will. Safety needs from the view of Abraham maslow include protection from
violence and theft, emotional stability and well-being, health security, and financial security, and only
the king can be assured of this.
*Sense of belonging: this need is also asserted on the king he maintain a royal life, seize merriment and
harmonious relationship with other neighboring kingdom's king a royal life cannot be enjoyed by other
palace workers or chiefs , only the king has the absolute access to this.The social needs on the third level
of Maslow’s hierarchy relate to human interaction and are the last of the so-called lower needs. Among
these needs are friendships and family bonds—both with biological family (parents, siblings, children)
and chosen family (spouses and partners). Physical and emotional intimacy ranging from sexual
relationships to intimate emotional bonds are important to achieving a feeling of elevated kinship.
Additionally, membership in social groups contributes to meeting this need, from belonging to a team of
coworkers to forging an identity in a union, club, or group of hobbyists.

*Esteem need: The king is supreme and possess this need, Kings are person of high esteem and egoistic.
The higher needs, beginning with esteem, are ego-driven needs. The primary elements of esteem are
self-respect (the belief that you are valuable and deserving of dignity) and self-esteem (confidence in
your potential for personal growth and accomplishments). Maslow specifically notes that self-esteem
can be broken into two types: esteem which is based on respect and acknowledgment from others, and
esteem which is based on your own self-assessment. Self-confidence and independence stem from this
latter type of self-esteem.

Recommendations:

Since the study has revealed that hierarchy of motivation can never be properly dispensed in the
Alaafin oyo palace because it operate under the paradigm of a monarchical system of which the only the
one who is entitled to the need postulated in the hierarchy of motivation is the king who has the
absolute power.

He (the king) should extend more of those needs to his companions , more than the physiological
need that they have been bestown initially so as to advance the satisfactory life of other official in the
palace. There are also various others ways motivation can be entrenched in the palace, one of them
being creating a good working environment by making them comfortable,That means everything from
creating a pleasant work environment to making sure the palace workers have everything they need to
do their jobs properly.

Reference

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Alderfer, C.P. (1972). Existence, Relatedness, and Growth. New York: Free Press.
Berkowitz, L. (1969). Social motivation. In G. Lindzey and E. Aronson (eds.), Handbook of
social psychology, 2 nd ed., vol 3. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
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