Employee Motivators and Marlow’s Hierarchy of Needs

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, every individual would be motivated to work if he or she meets the basic needs, in the following order: physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization (Jones and George, 2007, pp. 329-331). Only after satisfying one range of needs, the individual would pursue satisfaction of the next range. In the case of a weak economy, when the unemployment rate is high, individuals that have a salary to provide for food, clothes and housing have the physiological needs met. Workers are more motivated and are more satisfied with their jobs during a recession because having a job allows them to provide to themselves and their families with the means to meet the physiological needs.  Therefore, satisfying the physiological needs is enough motivator to be satisfied with their jobs.

 On the other hand, safety needs are met when the employee has adequate medical benefits. During a recession, a company does not need to consider these medical benefits as a priority. The reason is that as long as an individual feels that his physiological needs are being met, contrary to so many other unemployed people, this creates more job satisfaction than in the past, when the unemployment was not as high and physiological needs were already met by default. When this happened, the motivator was acquiring more medical benefits and participating in better interpersonal relationships at work.

What is very interesting is that most employees find very relevant the ability to improve skills to enhance the employee’s value to the company. I can see that many managers may not have the same perception. However, being able to improve one’s strengths is a powerful motivator in a time of economic turmoil. Because of the lack of job security, an employee may find it important to develop him or herself professionally in order to increase his or her value even in case of being laid off, so he can compete with the high offer of unemployed professionals.  During times when the unemployment rate is high, receiving a benefit such as training becomes more attractive because the employee sees it as an opening to find more job opportunities if he or she loses the current job, in order to continuing meeting the physiological needs. 

References:

Jones, G. R., & George, J. M. (2007).  Essentials of contemporary management (2^nd ed).  Boston:  McGraw-Hill.

Shepherd, Leah Carlson. (2008). Employers adjust benefits in a weak economy. Employee Benefit News. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from   http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1545952181&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD