Leadership and Motivation: Maslow's Hierarchy in Modern Workplaces

This essay delves into the theory of motivation, with a specific focus on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and its practical application within the modern workplace. The essay explains the different levels of needs in Maslow's hierarchy: physiological, safety, social, self-esteem, and self-actualization, and how the fulfillment of these needs can drive employee motivation and improve workplace environments. It uses the example of TESCO to illustrate how these needs are met in a real-world context. By providing fair salaries, health insurance, team-building activities, and opportunities for personal development, TESCO is seen to address various levels of Maslow's hierarchy. The essay concludes that by understanding and addressing employee needs, organizations can improve productivity, employee retention, and overall company performance.

Essay

Topic: Theory of motivation and application to modern workplace
Motivation is a force that pushes an individual to work with full potential in order to
attain its desired goals effectively. There are various motivational theories that is applied at the
modern workplace for maintaining positive working environment and retention of employees as
well (Bowen, 2020). One of the well-known motivation theory is Maslow's hierarchy of needs
that consist of lower level need to the higher level of needs of an individual.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
This theory was formulated by Abraham Maslow and states that fulfilment of one need
will arise another need of an individual. The needs involved in this motivational theory is given
below:
Physiological need: These are the basic need of an individual that involves food, water,
shelter, sleep and so on. It is determine that if these needs are not satisfied, an individual cannot
continue to function. For example, TESCO a British multinational Grocery store provide staff
members a fair and regular monthly salary, food for employees and give a private locker for
every worker so that they can put their personal stuff in it (Crandall, 2020). Fulfilment of all such
basic need decline the mental pressure of employees of TESCO due to which they work with full
zeal and enhance productivity of organisation.
Safety need: This need arise after the fulfilment of basic needs of a person. It involve
factors such as financial security, personal security, health and many more. This need is also
essential for the physical survival of an individual. For instance, TESCO provide health
insurance to their employees for their safety (Himeno and Tano, 2019). In addition to this, it
provide formal contract to employees which states that if an employee causing any issue or
incident at workplace, the company is liable for it. Such sense of security make employees feel
and valued at workplace due to which they retain in organisation for longer-time period.
Social need: It is consider as third level of need that involve friendship, family,
belonging, intimacy and so on. It is determine that if all these is not fulfilled an individual can be
vulnerable to different psychological issues like depression, loneliness and social anxiety as well.
If it is talking about TESCO, it develop groups & teams that belongs from different levels inside
the company and also assist store workers to perform as a team. Along with this, the organisation
provide discounts & special offers for its employees on gym membership, theme parks and so

on. All such needs develop a sense of belongingness and good relationship at workplace that has
positive influence on productivity & profitability as well (Nasif, 2020).
Self-esteem need: This need states that a person desire is to be validated and valued by
others such as recognition of status or success. It also consist self-esteem that refers to the
acceptance one has for oneself. For instance, TESCO appreciate for hard workers & also give
them rewards in front of all the staff members as it boost the confidence level of employees in an
effective manner. Moreover, it also celebrate achievement of staff and focus self-respect &
respect for others as well.
Self- actualization: Herein, an individual feel that they have reached their full zeal & can
do everything as they are capable of. This need occur after a person is reaching on goal or deal
with the specific challenge which develop contentment and self-confidence as well. In case of
TESCO, it offers a personal development plan which provide staff members an opportunities to
improve their skills and reach to higher level of growth and development as well. Fulfilment of
such need boost the morale of employees that has positive impact on efficiency of staff members
which in turn leads to raise in performance & profitability of company.
From the above discussion, it is summarised that Maslow's theory of motivation assist an
organisation to met with the needs of employees due to which they take interest in working and
enhance productivity of company (Sarracino, 2019). In addition to this, it also assist
organisations to retain employees for longer-time which has positive influence on performance
and profitability level of a company.

REFERENCES
Books & Journal
Bowen, B., 2020. The Matrix of Human Needs: Reframing Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
Crandall, A.,and et. al., 2020. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a Framework for Understanding
Adolescent Depressive Symptoms Over Time. Journal of Child and Family
Studies, 29(2), pp.273-281.
Himeno, M. and Tano, S., 2019, July. Analysis of Motivation Model Using Real User Data from
Social Games for Smartphones Extended to Social Factors Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy
of Needs. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 114-124).
Springer, Cham.
Nasif, S., 2020. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
Sarracino, C., 2019. The Incorporation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs into State Decision-
Making (Doctoral dissertation, New Mexico State University).