We all have needs. They can drive us (motivate us) or hold us back.
Management theory places a significant focus on understanding needs, particularly in relation to motivation and productivity.
There’s a fine line between management and psychology. Companies’ success often hinge on human motivations and social relations, so it’s natural to see a lot of psychology woven into the fabric of management. While I won’t delve deeply into psychology. It’s essential to acknowledge that managers need both technical and people common sense.
When it comes to motivation, Abraham Maslow is a pivotal figure. He introduced the hierarchy of needs in 1943 (survival or psychological, security or safety, social, ego-status, and self-actualization needs).Interestingly, Maslow never used a pyramid to present his hierarchy – if anyone knows who first displayed it that way, do share!
I went far back into history, for sure there is much more modern thought, theories, studies, and books on the subject. However, there’s a bit of comfort in the simplicity of what Maslow offers to start.
The question is: Do we need to satisfy lower needs before higher ones? The generally accepted answer is: No. Some individuals can forego full satisfaction of a lower need to pursue a higher one (e.g. an artist who sacrifices good food to buy art supplies). I believe it’s crucial to address lower needs first, but the extent to which each level needs to be satisfied varies for everyone.
Herzberg, another influential thinker on the need issue, focused on workplace satisfaction. He divided needs into two categories:
- Lower-level needs: The basics
- Higher-level needs: Those fitting the more psychologically complex human being.
Herzberg proposed that both categories must be satisfied in the workplace. He identified two types of factors influencing satisfaction:
- Hygienic factors: Context and environment, including workplace setup, rules, supervision, status, security, and pay
- Motivator factors: Job-related aspects like achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and growth.
Maintaining excellent hygienic conditions prevents dissatisfaction, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to satisfaction. On the other hand, motivators can bring true satisfaction as they are personal.
Needs, needs, needs… As for me, I now need a break. What kind of need would that be? I suppose it fits into the psychological need category. Perhaps I can create a new classification: Part of my “change of activity” needs. Models are helpful, but humans remain complex and, of course, needy.