It is probably safe to say that the best-known theory of motivation is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.8 He hypothesized that every human being has a hierarchy of five needs:
• Physiological. Includes hunger, thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs.
• Safety. Includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm.
• Social. Includes affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship.
• Esteem. Includes internal esteem factors such as self-respect, autonomy, and achievement; and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and attention.
• Self-actualization. Includes growth, achieving one’s potential, and self-fulfillment.
This is the drive to become what one is capable of becoming.
As each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied, the next need becomes more important to fulfill. In terms of Exhibit…, the individual moves up the steps of the needs hierarchy. From the perspective of motivation, the theory would say that while no need is ever fully satisfied, a substantially satisfied need no longer motivates. So if you want to motivate someone, according to Maslow, you need to understand what level of the hierarchy that person is currently on and focus on satisfying the needs at or above that level.
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