Have we ever realized why self actualization is so
important for every individual, be it a professional or a house wife, a
mid-level employee or retired elderly people? Every individual one time or
other in his life span faces this situation. This is a situation of dejection,
despondency, stagnancy and perhaps lack of esteem and self confidence. This
happens only when we fail to see beyond our surroundings surrendering ourselves
to the circumstances prevailing around. This is the time we need to delve more
into ourselves and do a self realization.
This reminds me of Maslow’s hierarchy theory of needs which is a
stepping-stone for motivating and inspiring individuals to attain and achieve
what they aspire.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory states that
people have a pyramid hierarchy of needs that they will satisfy from bottom to
top. Stating from a mere subsistence to safety & security to belonging to
social circle to self esteem to following your dream through self
actualization. Important to the
hierarchy of needs theory is that the needs on the lower ladder have to be
fulfilled in order to climb up the 5 level ladder. The levels are:
Ø
Biological & Physiological needs- air, food,
shelter, drink, sleep, sex
Ø
Safety & Security needs- law & order,
security (both financial & social), stability
Ø
Love & belonging needs- affection &
love, from work group, family, friends,
Ø
Esteem needs- achievement, mastery, prestige,
self respect
Ø
Self actualization needs-realizing personal
potential, self-fulfillment
According to Abraham Maslow, human motivation is
based on people seeking fulfillment and change through personal growth and self
actualized people are those who are fulfilled and doing all they are capable
of. In self actualization, a person comes to find a meaning of life that is
important to him.
Despite many drawbacks in Maslow’s theory, this
still has a wide application in personal and work life. Many marketers and
advertisers have used this motivation theory to promote their offerings and
products with messages aimed at aspiring potential customers to achieve what
they want to, While organizations/corporate follow this for retaining and
grooming talented employees. In this post, I will restrict my discussion with
regards to work life situations and marketing aspects.
The pyramid of needs is divided into two categories
for work situations: deficiency needs (including physiological & safety
needs) and growth needs (including belonging, self esteem and self
actualization). Applying this theory to work situation, it implies that
organizations have the responsibility to ensure that the deficiency needs are
met first. This means, a safe work environment and an adequate wage. Secondly,
it implies creating a work environment in which employees can develop their
fullest potential and do whatever they aspire to be. Failure to do so would
increase employee frustration which could result in poor performance, lower job
satisfaction and increased attrition. There are many potential ways of
satisfying employee needs. Some of these are easy and inexpensive to follow,
while others are hard and costly. Also, the employees’ needs may vary. However,
if organizations manage to implement at least some of them, they would be
looked at as more considerate, supportive and interested in people’s welfare
and this would be a milestone in setting up an example of CSR. Ultimately,
every, organization works with human and
for human.
Another wide application that Maslow’s theory of
needs finds is with the marketers and advertisers. They have been using this
effectively for evoking in their potential customers the feeling to achieve and
do what they really want to do. One of the recent ads that remind me of using
theory of needs is the one from Idea Internet Network. The ad shows a boy,
aspiring to be an engineer denied admission by college and forced by his father
to join their bakery business. The boy seemed dejected and
De-motivated but perhaps has not lost his desire to
excel in life. Here comes one of the greatest ads from Idea. The boy found a
new life in Idea Internet Network 3G, a new way to educated himself through
Idea Internet. Ultimately he surpassed everyone expectations and criticism and
successfully made a drone which he wanted to make. He proudly called himself
the student of IIN (Idea Internet Network).This ad explicitly targeting those
people who have a strong desire to excel in life despite all the odds by evoking
in them the importance of self actualization.
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