Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a concept developed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943. According to Maslow, human needs are hierarchical and can be represented in the form of a pyramid, where lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs can be addressed.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs consists of five levels, presented in the following order from lowest to highest:

• Physiological Needs – these include basic survival needs such as food, drink, sleep, breathing, maintaining appropriate body temperature, etc.
• Safety Needs – these include needs related to feeling secure, such as protection from external threats, job stability, financial stability, a sense of security in interpersonal relationships, etc.
• Love and Belonging Needs – these include needs related to the desire to form relationships with other people, such as the need for love, friendship, group belonging, acceptance, respect, emotional intimacy, etc.
• Esteem Needs – these include needs related to perceiving oneself as a valuable person, such as the need for respect, recognition, success, prestige, fame, achievement, etc.
• Self-Actualisation Needs – these include needs related to personal development and fulfilling one's potential, such as the need for growth, creativity, self-actualisation, creating something valuable, seeking meaning in life, etc.

According to Maslow, the satisfaction of lower-level needs is essential before higher-level needs can be addressed. This means that if basic physiological or safety needs are not met, it will be difficult to address needs for belonging, esteem, or self-actualisation. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a popular tool in human resource management and organisational psychology.