An Application on the Theories of Motivation: Understanding the Hierarchy of Needs and ERG Theory - Essay Example

An Application on the Theories of Motivation: Understanding the Hierarchy of Needs and ERG Theory Introduction Work motivation has become increasingly important for organizational management in understanding the quality and the content of the work outcomes among employees. The identification of the role of motivation has been identified through different studies and experts during the 20th century. Accordingly, the motivation frameworks and principles in the 21st century have gained popularity as it have explained and incorporates different theories that represented the human necessities, personality, values, thinking, emotions, environment, and behavior. Consequently, the conceptualization of motivation had arrived to different understanding from different experts in order to integrate the principles of different theories (Toode, Routsalo, & Suominen, 2011). In relation to this, organizational management endeavored to further progress the role of motivation for work efficiency among employees. Particularly, organizational employees engages in work activities in order to obtain achievement, contentment, honor, and also respect. Accordingly, there are different motivational theories that are classified into two categories, and these are the content theories and process theories. The content theories are motivational principles that focus on attaining the basic human needs and objectives while the process theories are motivational principles that focus on the manner in achieving individuals goals and gratifying individual needs. Hence, motivational theories are more likely to center its explanation on the concept of reason and the manner while human person engages in such activity such as working (Parks & Guay, 2009; Goldsmith, 2012; Saif et al., 2012). Consequently, this present paper aims to discuss the two well known motivational theories that have gained important role within the organizational context. Particularly, this present paper will explain the different levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, and this paper will also explain the three primary human needs or the ERG theory of Alderfer. Furthermore, this present paper will differentiate the two theories in terms of its principles and application within the organizational context. Hence, this paper will focus on the two theories and the manner of how to effectively apply in the organizational settings. Theories of Motivation Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow (1970) developed a motivational theory in terms of a hierarchical structure which would explain that human beings are motivated to satisfy their basic needs (cited in Gordon Rouse, 2004). Maslow conceptualized that the motivation scheme of human beings arises in a sequential and hierarchical pattern basing from the lowest need towards upward for satisfying individual highest needs. Accordingly, Maslow identified five basic human needs that are ordered in a hierarchical manner, in which human beings need to satisfy the lowest form of their basic needs in order to move on and satisfy the next level of basic needs until they have achieved their goals of personal growth and development. Hence, the more human needs are gratified and achieved by an individual, the more the individual will seek to gratify the higher human needs (cited in Hall & Nougaim, 1968; Dye, Mills, & Weatherbee, 2005). Particularly, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are categorized into five levels, and these are physiological needs, safety and security needs, need for love and belongingness, need for esteem and achievement, and lastly the need for self-actualization. First, the physiological needs encompases the basic human needs of water, food, shelter, air, and other biological necessities. The physiological needs is the lowest form of basic human needs, and these particular needs different from other levels because these are the only needs that can be overly gratified and naturally important in human life. Secondly, the safety and security needs encompasses the human needs of protection from harm, independence, and durability from threatening situations. The safety and security needs can be gratified after individuals can satisfy their physiological needs, and also individuals cannot overly satisfied this particular needs compare to the physiological needs (Brown & Cullen, 2006; J. Feist & G. Feist, 2009). Thirdly, the love and belongingness needs encompasses the human needs of friendship, romantic love, family, group memberships, society, and sexual interaction. The love and belongingness needs can to be satisfied stably by human individual in order to have a healthy amount of understanding in giving and receiving love towards other people. Fourth, the the needs for esteem and achievements encompasses the human needs to acquire confidence, competency, self-respect, success, accomplishment, and knowledge or wisdom. The needs for esteem and achievements can be satisfied when a person had gained personal recognitions and honor to oneself, and the desire to endeavor more skills and abilities. Lastly, the needs for self-actualization encompasses the human needs to acquire fulfillment and realization of one’s capacities to do something great in life. Hence, the needs for self-actualization is the highest form of human needs that need to be satisfied by people in order for them to become fully human (Brown & Cullen, 2006; J. Feist & G. Feist, 2009). Gordon Rouse (2004) implicated the theory established by Maslow can be seen to have a difficult applicability in real situation because of different factors that can contribute to its ineffective understanding. Nevertheless, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs still gained popularity in understanding human needs and what motivates people in engaging different activities in life. Hence, the motivational principle of Maslow has been widely noted and accepted by different organizations, and also it has aided other theorists in establishing their personal motivational theories (Kim, 2006). Alderfer’s ERG Theory Alderfer (1989) constructed a motivational theory that also centers on the concept of satisfying human needs. Accordingly, Alderfer proposes that the human needs can be categorized into three domains, and this theory follows the sequential assumption in satisfying the human needs from the lowest domain towards the highest domain (cited in Wilcove, 1978; Caulton, 2012). Alderfer constructed the ERG theory based on the overlooked lapses made by the theory of Maslow and also through empirical studies and findings. Respectively, the theory created by Alderfer had gained popularity in the contemporary period in understanding the motivational schema among human beings and the different ways in satisfying each needs (cited in Arnolds & Boshoff, 2002). Hence, the Alderfer’s ERG theory is a motivational principles that centers in apprehending the different intrinsic factors that contribute to the behaviors among human beings (cited in Caulton, 2012). Particularly, the ERG theory of Alderfer is the abbreviated form of the three domains of human needs, and these are the existence needs, relatedness needs, and the growth needs. Primarily, the existence needs encompasses the primitive basic physiological needs and safety needs. The existence needs would include the basic human needs of water, food, shelter, and security. Secondly, the relatedness needs encompasses the human needs of friendships and relationship. The relatedness needs involve the need for every individual to be part in a social system such as community, affiliations, family, and also romantic relationships. Lastly, the growth needs encompassses the human needs of development, achievements, and also self-fulfillment. The growth needs involve the need to develop oneself and accomplish one’s dream in order to have the sense of fulfillment, achievement, and also self-confidence (Arnolds & Boshoff, 2002). However, Ivancevich and Matteson (1999) explicated that the ERG theory of Alderfer has not attracted a great deal research studies, but it has served a great deal of valid understanding to the basic needs among human beings (cited in Arnolds & Boshoff, 2002). The ERG theory has gained recognition within the organization context, in which organizational management adopted Alderfer’s principle in yielding the desired job performance from its employees through satisfying the three domains of human needs. Hence, the ERG theory is a useful theory for organizational management in explaining or predicting the needs of the workplace in terms of career, health, life status, and relationships (Caulton, 2012). The Differentiation and Similarities Between Two Theories The hierarchy of needs and ERG theory are both motivational theories created by different theorists and accepted within the society differently. These two theories are constructed under the light in giving understanding the basic needs among human beings. Despite the similarities of the two theories in grounding the explanation of motivation among human beings, the two theories have also differences in terms of conceptualizing the motivational principles of satisfying the human needs. Maslow constructed the hierarchy of need with the conceptualization that the human needs are structured hierarchically and needs to be satisfied in a sequencing order (Gordon Rouse, 2004; Dye, Mills, & Weatherbee, 2005). On other hand, Alderfer created the ERG theory within the principles of Maslow, but the distinct features of ERG theory is that the human needs are categorized into three domains and the satisfaction of these domains does not need to be in a sequential manner as long as it is to be satisfied (Kim, 2006; Saif et al., 2012). Nevertheless, the two theories have gained general acceptance in understanding the intrinsic forces that drive people in doing things such as working. These two theories were considered in the contemporary period and have been utilized within the organizational context. Hence, despite its differences and similarities, the two theories have served a substantial frameworks for organizational management in motivating their employees in order to have a beneficial results for both the company and the employees themselves (Kelley, 2002). Theoretical Applications within the Organizational Context Organizational Application on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s hierarchy of needs had served as an important theoretical framework within the organizational context. Particularly, organizational management had taken into consideration Maslow’s theory in motivating their employees. The role of organizational leaders has become difficult when applying the theoretical framework by Maslow, but this particular theory can effectively motivate the performance of the employees. Accordingly, an organizational leader must know the needs of his/her team members, and be able to arrive an action in satisfying those needs. For example the team leader is aware that one of his/her employees is starting a family, and that the basic need for his/her employee is to have a suitable amount of ay that will sustain the need of the employee’s family. Consequently, it is the role of the team leader to ensure the job security of his/her employee and to ensure that salary given to the employees is enough for him/her and his/her family. Hence, the role in applying Maslow theory is considered to be difficult for team leaders to apply because he/she needs to create assumptions the current needs of his/her employees (Pustai, 1989; Kelley, 2002). Organizational Application on Alderfer’s ERG Theory Alderfer’s ERG theory has also gained recognition within organizational context especially in motivating employees. The ERG theory has become a well known theory of motivation that has been applied by different organizational management especially in understanding the principle of satisfying the human needs. Accordingly, leaders who endeavored to apply the ERG theory within the organizational context can achievable because the concept of ERG is drawn from the organizational perspective of work benefits, work environment, and work satisfaction. Particularly, a team leader can effectively apply the ERG theory by knowing the needs of his/her employees. For example, if a team member endeavored to achieve something for the organization, the team leader can motivate his/her employee by giving him/her projects that can give a beneficial effects for the company. In addition, if the employee has a hard time in satisfying the needs of a certain ERG domain, the theory suggests that team leader can motivate their employees through motivating them in satisfying the remaining ERG domain. Hence, the ERG theory can help team leaders in motivating their team members through helping them satisfy the three domains of human needs (Trivellas, Kakkos, Reklitis, 2010). Conclusion The motivational theories established by Maslow and Alderfer have served a substantial element for organizational management in understanding the needs of their employees. The hierarchy of needs by Maslow was the pioneering work that conceptualizes the role of human needs in the motivation perspective. On the other, the ERG theory of Alderfer was the most successful theory of human needs that gained a substantial role within the organizational context compared to Maslow’s theory. Nevertheless, despite the differences and similarities, these theories had contributed in the domain of motivation which had guided different organizational management in putting importance on satisfying the basic needs of their employees. References Arnolds, C. A., Boshoff, C., 2002. Compensation, esteem valence and job performance: an empirical assessment of Alderfer’s ERG theory. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 13 (4), pp.697-719. Brown, K., & Cullen, C., 2006. 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