Maslow on My Mind: How Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Affects business and community

Introduction: Maslow in the Big Apple

Abraham Maslow was born in New York in 1908 to poor, uneducated Russian immigrants. He was the oldest of seven children, and therefore pushed by his parents to effect in study where they had not. Originally studying to be a lawyer, he found it to be of microscopic interest and finally shifted over to science of mind where he excelled. Maslow went on to receive his PhD in science of mind at the University of Wisconsin, under the tutelage of Harry Harlow, notable for experimentation with rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. After some time he returned to New York and began studying human sexuality. In addition to this study, during the years of teaching, he had the occasion to meet many well-respected psychologists which further helped to shape his thoughts on the human needs. The final event which led Maslow to move in the humanistic direction came from the study of the improvement of the concept of "self-actualization". It was this study that led Maslow to establish his notable Hierarchy of Needs Theory.[1]

The Food Pyramid

Food for thought: What humans precisely need

Until Maslow began to establish his theories, most studies on human nature focused on biology, achievement or power to account for the military that drive us.

Maslow postulated that there were five levels of basic needs that every human attempts to attain:
Externally-Satisfied Needs (basic needs that every personel must satisfy before they can progress).

1. Physiological - I'm hungry.

2. Protection - I'm scared.

Internally-Satisfied Needs (needs prominent to enlightenment and understanding.

3. Group - I'm lonely.

4. Esteem - I can't.

5. Self Actualization - I can!

In the 1970s, Maslow further split this hierarchy up into a total of eight levels:[2]

1) Physiological: hunger, thirst, physical comforts, etc.;

2) Safety/security: out of danger;

3) Belonging and Love: affiliate with others, be accepted; and

4) Esteem: to achieve, be competent, gain approval and recognition.

5) Cognitive: to know, to understand, and explore; (new)

6) Aesthetic: symmetry, order, and beauty; (new)

7) Self-actualization: to find self-fulfillment and realize one's potential; and

8) Self-transcendence: to associate to something beyond the ego or to help others find self-fulfillment and realize their potential. (new) (This concept is relatively new and many authors such as Dr. Stephen covey express similar views.)[3]

Another way to look at the Needs is to break it into "D-Needs" (Deficiency) and "B-Needs" (Being). Maslow believed that the scantness needs, once satisfied ceased to be a driving force for the individual, and they were then free to move upward to developing themselves.

If we effect the customary hierarchical form, we can see that each need forms the basis of the next need above it in the pyramid. Without these old foundations, Maslow believed that it is impossible to move on to the next stage in the hierarchy.[4]

In spite of the fact that it is very customary and intrinsically comforting, there seems to be microscopic hard evidence that the theory precisely applies to people in general. Even Maslow admitted to this.[5]

A studying experience

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs has had a dramatic sway on the field of education. customary beliefs about educational methodology have shifted to a more humanistic approach, with the focus on meeting the students' basic needs in order to help them to progress.

The most prominent goal in study is to learn, followed by developing an comprehension of the material to withhold it, and apply it in life. In order to do this, the students need to be motivated sufficient to work hard to achieve this goal. Without motivation to learn it is unlikely that the study will effect to the extent that it is intended.

In order to maximize this motivational desire, the educators need to attend to the needs of the student. By comprehension Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, teachers can work toward realizing the basic needs that establish the foundation for higher learning, or actualization.

Here is an example of how the school can meet the basic needs of the students:

If the school understands that in order to function at school, students need the basic physiological needs satisfied before they can discharge their studies, they may consider providing lunches if a great deal of the students do not have their own. This would then propel the learners to the next level. By fostering a trusting, safe environment, with a classroom Group network, and providing praise in the form of distinct reinforcement from the teachers, the students will be able to focus on their learning.[6]

A real example that has come up near the end of the 20th century with respect to this is the problems that have arisen due to the beliefs on "special education". during the 70s and 80s when where the customary beliefs of segregating children with extra needs (physical, intellectual, or emotional) was employed in the school theory anomalies arose that called into examine these beliefs. It was believed that by placing these students in isolate studying atmospheres they would be able to learn at a pace more accepted to their abilities, receive extra attentiveness and finally improve through the theory to receive the same study at the end of the program. As it turns out, this did not happen and the children’s studying was hampered.[7]

Managing expectations

Focusing on such human needs for thriving motivation can very precisely be ported over to the enterprise world and applied in the field of Management. In fact, Maslow himself became fascinated with the field of management and attempted to account for the capability of good managers to motivate their employees using a solid comprehension of the Hierarch of Needs. He even went so far as to commonly visit a high-tech enterprise in California to study the management practices in the 1960s. Maslow discovered that managers who treat their subordinates with trust and respect created an environment that promoted a best work situation and improved productivity.

Peter Drucker, the notable management guru has said that "Maslow's offering to management was a big one. He pointed out hat you have to have different personnel policies for different people in different situations for them to be truly effective."[8]

Why 'Y'?

Theories X and Y, as advanced by Douglas McGregor fit very nicely into the Needs Theory. If humans are intrinsically searching for something to help propel them to the next level, and have an internal desire to progress, and give back to society, as is believed by the followers of "Theory Y", then it goes to calculate that the humanistic approach, as laid out by Maslow would help these individuals in reaching their goals. If we believe that human nature responds best to a positive, nurturing atmosphere, then managers that hold the following beliefs with respect to their staff should be able to raise them up higher in an endeavor to improve productivity, and the personel goals of the worker:

1. Employees view work as natural.

2. Commitment to goals leads to self-direction and self-control.

3. people will look for situations where they can receive accountability for their work.

4. Decision-making on assorted levels can be spread among the enterprise and not be the sole accountability of upper management.[9]

What's 'Humanism' got to do, got to do with it?

Humanism is the "third force" in psychology, following the customary studies of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Maslow, Carl Rogers, Rolly May and many others helped to improve this way of finding at the human condition.

Humanism has a long history going back to the times of the Greek philosophers of the 6th century Bc. It has come forward in time and advanced into three broad categories: religious, secular, educational humanism. When people discuss "humanism" they generally mean the comprehension of secular humanism.
"Humanism is a broad class of active ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the capability to rule right and wrong by motion to universal human qualities— particularly rationality, tasteless history, experience, and belief. Humanism is a component of a variety of more definite philosophical systems, and is also incorporated into some religious schools of thought.

Humanism entails a commitment to the hunt for truth and morality through human means in withhold of human interests. In focusing on the capacity for self-determination, humanism rejects transcendental justifications, such as a dependence on faith, the supernatural or divinely revealed texts. Humanists endorse universal morality based on the commonality of human nature, suggesting that solutions to our Group and cultural problems cannot be parochial."[10]

Humanists generally believe the following:[11]

1. Humanism is a doctrine focused upon human means for comprehending reality. Humanists make no claims to possess or have access to supposed transcendent knowledge.

2. Humanism is a doctrine of calculate and science in the chase of knowledge. Therefore, when it comes to the examine of the most valid means for acquiring knowledge of the world, Humanists reject arbitrary faith, authority, revelation, and altered states of consciousness.

3. Humanism is a doctrine of imagination. Humanists identify that intuitive feelings, hunches, speculation, flashes of inspiration, emotion, altered states of consciousness, and even religious experience, while not valid means to procure knowledge, remain useful sources of ideas that can lead us to new ways of finding at the world. These ideas, after they have been assessed rationally for their usefulness, can then be put to work, often as alternate approaches for solving problems.

4. Humanism is a doctrine for the here and now. Humanists regard human values as production sense only in the context of human life rather than in the promise of a supposed life after death.

5. Humanism is a doctrine of compassion. Humanist ethics is solely involved with meeting human needs and answering human problems--for both the personel and society--and devotes no attentiveness to the satisfaction of the desires of supposed theological entities.

6. Humanism is a realistic philosophy. Humanists identify the existence of moral dilemmas and the need for just observation of immediate and future consequences in moral decision making.

7. Humanism is in tune with the science of today. Humanists therefore identify that we live in a natural universe of great size and age that we evolved on this planet over a long period of time, that there is no compelling evidence for a separable "soul," and that human beings have distinct built-in needs that effectively form the basis for any human-oriented value system.

8. Humanism is in tune with today's enlightened Group thought. Humanists are committed to civil liberties, human rights, church-state separation, the prolongation of participatory democracy not only in government but in the workplace and education, an expansion of global consciousness and transfer of products and ideas internationally, and an open-ended arrival to solving Group problems, an arrival that allows for the testing of new alternatives.

9. Humanism is in tune with new technological developments. Humanists are willing to take part in emerging scientific and technological discoveries in order to exercise their moral sway on these revolutions as they come about, especially in the interest of protecting the environment.

10. Humanism is, in sum, a doctrine for those in love with life. Humanists take accountability for their own lives and relish the adventure of being part of new discoveries, seeking new knowledge, exploring new options. Instead of finding solace in prefabricated answers to the great questions of life, Humanists enjoy the open-endedness of a quest and the free time of discovery that this entails.

What is holding us back?

If reaching the summit of the mountain of self-actualization were easy, every person would be enlightened, happy, hard-working, creative, and wealthy. We would all strive to take accountability for our actions, and endeavor to improve the situation nearby us by developing new and unique ideas. Unfortunately, this is not happening. What is holding us back from reaching our "fully functional, wholesome personality"?

I concur with Maslow that community and the study theory are preventing individuals from reaching their full potential. Here is what Maslow has to say on the matter:

"The state of being without a theory of values is psychopathogenic, we are learning. The human being needs a framework of values, a doctrine of life, a religion or religion-surrogate to live by and understand by, in about the same sense he needs sunlight, calcium or love. This I have called the "cognitive need to understand." The value- illnesses which effect from valuelessness are called variously anhedonia, anomie, apathy, amorality, hopelessness, cynicism, etc., and can come to be somatic illness as well. Historically, we are in a value interregnum in which all externally given value systems have proven failures (political, economic, religious, etc.) e.g., nothing is worth dying for. What man needs but doesn't have, he seeks for unceasingly, and he becomes dangerously ready to jump at any hope, good or bad. The cure for this disease is obvious. We need a validated, usable theory of human values that we can believe in and devote ourselves to (be willing to die for), because they are true rather than because we are exhorted to "believe and have faith." Such an empirically based Weltanschauung seems now to be a real possibility, at least in theoretical outline." [12]

If community is not instilling the allowable values into the youth of today, they are unable to establish a wholesome outlook on life. This will hamper their journey to self-actualization. The study theory is also currently not providing the allowable morals, and positive, nurturing environment for students in order for them to grow. The schools need to focus on the areas of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that are deficient in the pupil body, look after them, and help their students to excel in ways that go deeper than just good grades.

Summary: convert Your Socks, convert Your Attitude

In the contemporary enterprise world, a product-centered enterprise style is no longer successful. Fellowships must now, more than ever before, establish a consumer-centric arrival to business. The store is demassifying, and this means that personel needs must be met.

In order for the study theory to produce individuals that can reach the peak of Maslow's pyramid, the schools should also take a similar arrival and rather than focus on the product (education), they should instead focus on meeting the needs of the client (student). This will by no means be an easy task for it requires a titanic number of time and energy on the part of the supplier (schools), but the end results will produce a much more satisfied buyer who is able to benefit from the interaction.

Maslow lists 10 points that educators and teachers ought to consider in order to convert their style so as to move toward the self-actualization of the individual. A overview of these points can be found below:

1. Be true to yourself.

2. Do not be bound by your culture.

3. observe your calling.

4. Life is precious.

5. Do not judge people.

6. See to the satisfaction of basic needs.

7. Take time to smell the roses.

8. Learn self-control.

9. Don't sweat the microscopic things.

10. Make the right decisions.

These can and should be applied to all aspects of life, from your underground time, through study and even in the work environment in order to work toward enhancing yourself and society.

References

1. C. George Boeree, ‘Abraham Maslow, 1908-1970’, http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/maslow.html

2. Huitt, W. (2004). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational science of mind Interactive. Valdosta, Ga: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html.

3. Stephen R. Covey, ‘The 8th Habit, From Effectiveness to Greatness’, FranklinCovey Co., Free Press, 2004.

4. Wikipedia, 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

5. Educational science of mind Interactive

6. Jones, Michael. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Can Lower Recidivism.” Corrections Today 66.4 (2004): 18–22.

7. Norman Kunc, 'The Need to Belong:　Rediscovering Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs', Axis Consultation and Training Ltd,, [http://www.normemma.com/armaslow.htm], 1998.

8. Excerpted from Maslow on Management, by Abraham H. Maslow, with Deborah Stephens and Gary Heil, 1998.

9. Robbins, Stephen P., 'Essentials of organizational behavior, eighth edition', Pearson study Inc., 2005, p50

10. Wikipedia definition for 'humanism', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism

11. Frederick Edwards, 'What is Humanism?', American Humanist Association, 1989, [http://www.jcn.com/humanism.php4]

12. Maslow, A., & Lowery, R. (Ed.). (1998). 'Toward a science of mind of being (3rd ed.)', New York: Wiley & Sons.

Maslow on My Mind: How Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Affects business and community