The motivational theory that best explains human behavior is the Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, people behave the way they do depending on their needs that continuously develops their inner drive, which defines their behavior as they seek to satisfy their desires. In this regard, Maslow develops a hierarchy of individual needs that usually determines their actions and they progress from the most pressing to relatively urgent within the home and work context. In particular, the Maslow's theory provides a hierarchy consisting of five classes that are based on the most complex to the most basic of human needs, which are: Self-actualization, esteem, belongingness, safety, and physiological (McLeod, 2014).
According to the theory, self-actualization needs include education, personal growth, religion and hobbies that facilitate the nourishment of a person’s growth, training, creativity, and advancement. Accordingly, esteem needs include approval by one’s family, friends, and the community, and this leads to the society recognizing and according high regard to a person. Belongingness means the ability of an individual to develop the feeling that they fit in and that they are loved within various family, friends, and community settings. On the hierarch of safety, the needs according to Maslow include an individual’s sense of freedom from hostilities. On the other hand, the psychological needs within the hierarchy represent individuals need for food, water, and sex. According to the hierarchy, individuals must first fulfill their most basic needs before they can activate their most advanced needs. That means that I the hierarchy of needs, one must first realize their physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization needs in that order.
The Maslow's theory of motivation explains the actions that one takes in their life in the sense that an individual’s biggest motivation is their survival. The need to survive usually provides motivation to do things that will ultimately provide me with an opportunity to acquire food, and my actions as an individual towards fulfilling the need to eat include working in whatever condition for a basic salary that will enable me to obtain food. accordingly, my ability to acquire food regularly triggers a my concerns for maintaining good health hence I have become conscious of how the working conditions are affecting my health, this concern has necessitated my need to get a health insurance as well as my constant demand for safe working conditions and job security. Consequently, having fulfilled the physiological and safety needs, I have time and again tried to create a close relationship with my co-workers and friends through participating in social events in a bid to feel appreciated within my working environment. When there is appreciation by colleagues and family, there is an aura of enthusiasm that just encourages me to work harder for the benefit of the company and myself. Accordingly, I have done certain things such as helping others financially or otherwise in order to get recognition as a responsible person within the society, an aspect that boosts my esteem.
The need for a person to advance himself or herself drives an individual to seek education and religion in order to learn better ways of survival. With education and training, one becomes more creative, and learns how to relate better with their family, friends, neighbors, and the community in general. Accordingly, through going to church and reading religions books such as the Bible, one gains religious understanding, which plays an important role towards determining one’s conduct as well as how one relates with others. For instance, biblical verse of Mark 12:31 lay emphasis on the love for neighbor by stating thus, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (King James Bible Online, 2016). Ultimately, Maslow believed that individuals possess a system of motivation that is not related to unconscious desires and rewards.
References
“Bible Verses About Love Thy Neighbor”. King James Bible Online (2016).Retrieved From
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Love-Thy-Neighbor/
McLeod, S. (2014).”Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs”. Simply Psychology. Retrieved From
http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
