Discuss Abraham Maslow's theory (hierarchy) on motivation, Essay

Discuss Abraham Maslow's theory (hierarchy) on motivation, particularly how evident and effective it is in our day-to-day decisions, actions and (college) study patterns - Essay Example Abraham Maslow in developed the theory in 1943. This theory aimed at understanding why the needs of individuals change over time. Abraham Maslow named this theory as the needs hierarchy of employees. He developed that there is a difference between the motives and drives and every individual has nine main needs and motives to work. He developed a hierarchy of the needs and expressed them as featured in the diagram below. 1. Biological requirements: these needs include the basics like sunlight, food, water, sexual expression, rest, and oxygen. These are the basic requirements in everyone’s lives without which anyone would die. 2. Safety needs: The need for security, comfort, tranquility, freedom from fear, and threat from the environment. These needs form the next highest needs of a human being. If these needs are not met, individuals could fell inferior and helpless and unsatisfied. 3. Affiliation needs: these refer to the needs of attachments, affection, love and belonging. If these needs are not met individuals would loss confidence however if a persons needs are satisfied the individual would become a self – confident. 4. Esteem needs: These refer to the individual need for achievement, self – esteem, independence, prestige, attention and appreciation. These needs basically refer to the need for a stable life and respect from others. 5. Knowing and Understanding: It is human nature to have a need to know and understand the various things around one self. This need is based on the curiosity, experimenting, philosophizing, learning and exploring. 9. Self – actualization needs: These are the highest form of needs in an individual’s life. These refer to the need of individuals to have a clear need to know them selves completely and develop to the full potential (Maslow, 1998). Maslow argued that each of these needs required to be fulfilled in the order of the hierarchy since the needs would not be effective motivators