Motivation is one of the levers of a balanced professional life for the individual and of a quality commitment to the organization. Knowing how to identify the needs of employees allows us to act more appropriately when it comes to mobilizing their energy and maintaining individual and collective performance.
Several theories try to grasp this human "strength", including the "pyramid of needs" developed by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow. This tool has gained a lot of notoriety over the years because of its complexity and its contribution to the social sciences and management. To understand the interest around this theory, we would have to take a closer look at its variations, its applications and its controversies...
Who is Abraham Maslow ?
But first of all : who is Abraham Maslow ? Born in New York in 1908, Abraham Maslow studied at the University of Wisconsin and the New School for Social Research. Maslow was first interested in philosophy before turning to psychology – a science that, for him, had more "direct" effects in society.
The horrors of the Second World War, as well as personal experiences, led him to focus on the origin of human motivations and the quest for fulfillment. Considered by some to be the "father of humanistic psychology", Maslow had to face the two intellectual powers of his time : behaviorism and the Freudian current. As if to escape this duality, he has taken it upon himself to contribute to the fortification of a theory that takes into account the human in all its aspects and according to the context in which it is inserted.
The pyramid of needs : How does it work ?
According to Malsow, human beings must meet 5 vital needs to achieve a state of well-being and personal fulfillment:
- Diet (not being hungry, thirsty, etc.)
- security (having a roof over your head, moving around in different spaces without feeling threatened, etc.)
- belonging and love (being part of a community, connecting with others, receiving affection and giving)
- accomplishment (being able to achieve oneself by carrying out projects).
But above all, according to Maslow's logic, needs are ordered : the first need in the pyramid must be satisfied in order for the next to be considered. So we have to start by feeding ourselves, then we feel the need to feel safe, etc.
The author nevertheless specifies that it is not an "automatic" evolution from one need to another when you reach the 100% success mark. To be more "realistic", as Maslow would have it, we need to think about percentage rates that allow us to go through the stages as we go along. For example, if a 25% quota is met for food, the need for security gradually arises, and so on.
What are the uses of the "pyramid of needs" ?
The pyramid of needs has been used in several areas. In HR, for example, it has long been used to analyze employee motivation, in order to take measures to increase it. Remuneration, for example, is supposed to meet first and foremost the primary needs of food, housing, etc. But the quality of the work group will also contribute to the feeling of belonging. Recognition works to strengthen self-esteem. Autonomy promotes a sense of accomplishment.
In marketing, Maslow's theories have been able to inspire strategies aimed at encouraging purchasing reflexes: for example, by elevating a common consumer product to the rank of a " healthy food" (thus meeting the need for safety), by valuing another as an agent of self-esteem reinforcement via the beauty it promises to enhance. Or computers or phones whose brand is a distinctive sign (sense of belonging), etc.
The software of the pyramid of needs can also influence public policies, which will, for example, set social minimums at the level of the supposedly primary needs that are food and housing... At the risk of a form of ambient morality that will be the judge of the common sense of people receiving state aid and who would use their income to meet other needs.
The weak points of the "pyramid of needs"
Since its release in Psychological Revue magazine , Maslow's article has been criticized for a range of reasons. Despite its innovation at the theoretical level, the tool seemed difficult to apply in practice.
Some also point to the lack of scientific rigour and data to prove his theses, the absence of information on "demotivation" and also the low importance attributed to cultural differences. Not to mention a certain "elitist" bias attributed to Maslow's thought: his arguments place people with less purchasing power at the bottom of the ladder and "limited" in their quest for satisfaction, i.e. individuals who would not seek to obtain "more" because they own very little...
We should also take a closer look at this tool in the age of social networks: can we consider the Internet a new "need" ? Certainly, when you see that some basic procedures, such as accessing social assistance or finding housing, are mainly done via the web. But is it possible, for example, to achieve a sense of belonging via digital communities? And how can we achieve fulfilment in a new economy that is still far from offering equal opportunities, far from it?
After Maslow...
Despite its limitations and criticisms, the pyramid of needs has established itself as a relevant theory for understanding and analyzing the sources of human motivation. It has influenced many works, such as those of Alderfer, a psychologist who focused on the notions of "desire" and "satisfaction".
For this researcher, it is above all a question of looking at the intensity of a need (measured by the degree of satisfaction), regardless of its "place" in the hierarchy. You should also not hesitate to look at other theories of motivation, such as Clark Hull's , which speaks more of the incentive or the "drive" : according to him, our body mobilizes to maintain a certain harmony by reducing biological "needs" – states of hunger or thirst, for example – that can harm our balance.
We can also talk about Nudge , which allows for obvious behavioral changes by playing on feelings of pride and belonging. Like all scientific theses, Maslow's work contributes to reflection and invites the exercise of thought without establishing a truth about the world : it is up to us to have the necessary motivation to contribute with our own ideas !
