The Impact of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs on Employee Empowerment

This essay critically examines the application of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory in the context of employee empowerment. It begins by defining employee empowerment as providing workforces with responsibility and independence in decision-making. The essay then introduces Maslow's...Read More

Running head: COMMUNICATION
Communication

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Introduction
In the current business scenario, the company faces the issue in terms of empowering their
employees. This can create chances of increasing the employee’s turnover rate from the
organization. Hence, the company should useMaslow’s hierarchy of needs theory for
empowering their employees (Anderson, 2014). This essay presents the understanding of the
employee’s empowerment and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. It also discusses the Role of
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in employee empowerment.
Employee Empowerment
Employee empowerment is enabling workforces a certain extent of responsibility and
independence for decision-making about their particular organizational tasks. It permits to make
a decision about the lower level of business in which workforces have a unique perspective of
concerns and problem facing an organization at the particular extent (Robertson, 2016).
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
According toStoyanov (2017), Maslow's hierarchy of needs enable a top authority in existing
times and is the foundation through which employees could be empowered at the workplace.
There are certain level of hierarchy such as physiological needs, safety and security needs,
psychological or belonging needs, self-actualization, and peak experience.
In contrast to this, Karnatovskaia Gajic Bienvenu Stevenson and Needham (2015) critics that
workforces cannot go to next phase of hierarchy until minimum needs is not fulfilled. The
highest level requirement, peak experience, and self-actualization are closely tied to
empowerment. Empowered workforces may feel that they can practice their independent
decision in terms of getting accomplishment for themselves and its organization.
Role of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in Employee Empowerment

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In the view ofHarrigan and Commons (2015), Maslow addresses the key physiological
requirements in order to sustain the life of a human as food, water, and sleep. For attaining the
jobs, employees require vigorous air to inhale, nourishment to fuel their bodies, recuperate
between shifts, water to maintain their systems hydrated, adequate time to rest and frequently
planned breaks. Furthermore, while deficiencies create in these different basic needs for survival,
then people may become incompetent to develop the goal much less acting on it and attaining
their full potential. It seeks unfair management where a person lives are dispensable and
employees are regularly pushed towards dehydration, exhaustion, and starvation.
On the other side, Botana and Neto (2015) stated that a safe and secure operational atmosphere
declines the possibility of physical injury. While employees consider that the extent of risk has
been declined and good safety and health practices are sensibly enforced and assessed by
management, then they feel more relaxed and less unfocused in terms of attaining the task and
communicating with others.
Ouyang Zhou and Qu(2015) argue that conscientious safety practices may decline the
absenteeism rate that can impact on morale as well as productivity. Security may enlarge to
emotional well being within an organization. Manager offers medical advantageous and
contributes toa retirement plan.In addition, financially solvent makes employees feel protect
regarding their job and their future. Company care for the welfare of employees and generates
the environment of trust in order to lead the loyalty and declines the stress.
In support of this, Lee Back and Chan (2015) stated that man is a social animal and accordingly,
looking for friendships, enclosure, and acceptance. It is identified that social needs include the
peer support, friendships and the competency to offer and get love. Organization can provide the
chances for becoming part of a team where member distribute their respective proficiency,

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understanding and unique experience in order to solve the issues where they have a vested
attention. Moreover, mentoring, competition, brainstorming sessions, focus group, office
potlucks, and after-work get-togethers that can make feel to workforces as they are “family”.
According to Wong Wan and Gao (2017), social need is crave that should be renowned for
personal attainment. Maslow categorizes this part of theory into internal and external motivators.
In this way, external motivators are prizes and awards that are used for marvelous performance,
and altitude in position. It can convert the promotion, admiration, and spanking concentration
from others. Moreover, internal motivators have private objectives that an employee developed
for them like attaining more than sales as compared to previous and the satisfaction of
experiencing confidence in order to perform the right things.
In contrast to this, Antony et al (2017) stated that justice and stability in the gratitude procedure
are vital. While workforces understand that their efforts are not going overlooked by
management, they take more pleasure in the products and work. Moreover, their co-worker sees
the relationship between accountability and rewards, and may attempt to develop the
performance bar superior for themselves. In addition, once the section of physiological, social,
safety and self-esteem are developed, an individual would be competent for attaining the true
impending andsymbolize reality, understanding, and impartiality in their action.
In the view of Kim Kim Shin and Kim (2015), self-actualization moves the individual to the
higher level of knowledge as well as higher compassion towards requirement of others. Those
who are attaining the goal at the workplace may enjoy higher independence and a deeper sense
of respect for others. It is also addressed that journey could be in different forms but it could be
more rewarding as compared with actual destination. A senior manager can implement this in the

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form of praising in order to give value to each individual as compared to emphasizing on the
end-game and people who lose all prospect of the emotion of a human.
In opposed to this, Shirish Boughzala and Srivastava (2016) critics that Maslow theory suggests
an employee begins to focus on lower order needs such as physiological and security that makes
sense. An individual is starting their career that will be very anxious with physiological
requirements such as sufficient wages, constant income and security requirements like safe
working place and benefits. An employee wants a good salary in terms of attaining the need of
our family and also wants to perform in a stable atmosphere.
As per the view of Kim Kim Shin and Kim (2015), workforces whose lowest level needs have
not been met will make job decision as per the safety, stability and compensation concern.
Furthermore, workforces will revert for fulfilling their basic extent of if requirements when these
requirements are no longer attained or are vulnerable. This may create an extra requirement for
managers to perform humanely while difficult organizational decision like reduction of staff has
to be applied. Irrational application of decision will affect the remaining workforce at the
workplace to make feel threatened regarding the competency and desire of the company to attain
the security and physiological needs.
On the other side, Antony et al. (2017) evaluated that once the lower needs are completed then
employees will want to meet his belongingness requirement. The extent of social interaction may
desire by an employee in terms of identifying whether they are extrovert or introvert. The main
point is that workforces are a desire to better perform in the atmosphere and have some
communication with others. It shows that effective interpersonal relations are required within an
organization. Moreover, managers can develop the atmosphere where employee’s cooperation is
rewarded. It would motivate the interpersonal effectiveness in the organization.

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As per the view of Wong Wan and Gao (2017), ongoing managerial interaction regarding
operational issues isa significant element to meet the social needs. Workforces who are “kept in
the dark” regarding operation issues, could be empowered by making a future plan. These
employees are involved in an outsider as they are virtual workforces whose absence from
organization creates an extra obligation on managers to keep these workforces engaged in the
organizational communication.
In contrast to this, Antony et al. (2017) stated that a workforce wants to meet their higher level of
needs such as self-actualization with esteem. In this way, esteem needs are tied to improve their
image in the eyes of employees and meet their desire in terms of offering recognition and respect
at the workplace. Even, when workforces do not wish to shift into the management then they
probably do not wish to go the same performance for long years. They want to be involved in the
project team, accomplish the targeted task, learn another task with duties and develop their
accountabilities in a certain way.
In the view of Ouyang Zhou and Qu (2015), job enrichment, cross training, and special tasks are
renowned to make work more satisfying. Moreover, the company should enable the workforces
for participating in judgment regarding operational issues. It is a powerful technique to meet the
esteem need of workforces. Another essential element of completing the esteem of workforces is
job perks, job title, nice office, workspace, awards, and business cards.
In opposed to this,Wong Wan and Gao (2017) stated that the significant consideration for top
authority is that they should offer a reward to their workforces that both come from the company
and performing work itself. Rewards should be balanced for obtaining maximum effects.
Moreover, when work assignment and rewards are a significant consideration to meet
workforces self-esteem needs then, fairness at the workplace is quite significant.

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Ouyang Zhou and Qu (2015) stated that with self-actualization, workforces would be interested
in individual development and growth. Employees will also need to be skilled at what they do.
They may want a challenging task; get freedom from authority, the opportunity for completing
the further education, autonomy for defining their procedure to meet the objectives of an
organization. At the top level, a senior manager can emphasize on endorsing the atmosphere in
which workforces can attain his own self-actualization requirements.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be concluded that Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory can be
applied for employee’s empowerment. This theory is related to attaining the requirement of
employees so that they can feel recognized at the workplace. It can be also summarised that
workforces should meet the undesirable outcome and manage the activities that employees resist
at the workplace.

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References
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