Human needs according to Maslow's pyramid: how to use the hierarchy in life, marketing and management

Hello, friends. Today we will talk about human needs. Oh, how many things we want at once! Moreover, sometimes desires change literally at the speed of light (this is especially true for the fair half of humanity).

You might be interested

• Company sales policy
• How to prepare to participate in the exhibition?

What is Maslow's pyramid

Maslow's pyramid is a description of human needs: from base desires to sublime ones.

Abraham Maslow formulated the theory in 1954 in Motivation and Personality. He structured human desires and needs and created a hierarchy of needs.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory

Below is a table describing the levels of the theory of needs from lowest to highest.

The classic pyramid looks like this:

Maslow's pyramid. Source

We've loosened up the strict emoji hierarchy a bit so you can easily remember the key points:

Maslow's pyramid - human needs

The essence of the theory

The psychologist examined incentives and motivators, as well as the degree of their satisfaction, which act as a driving force and call to action. He suggested that every person has certain needs for a comfortable life that he strives for.

Maslow formulated several principles characterizing human nature:

• People's needs will never be fully satisfied.
• A state of partial or complete dissatisfaction prompts a person to take action - to look for food, shelter, warmth.
• People's desires follow a hierarchy: from simple to complex.

Requests can be primary and secondary, and in the latter some steps may be skipped. Therefore, the theory is shown in the form of a pyramid rather than a diagram.

A person's primary or physiological needs This is what helps him exist - food, water and movement.

Secondary or psychological motivators come with a person's experience and development: success, respect, power, belonging and the desire for well-being.

It is important to note that until an individual satisfies basic desires: physiological needs according to Maslow and ensuring security, it will be difficult for him to think about higher aspirations.

For example: if you work extremely hard, take care of sick parents and do all the household chores, you have no time to think about self-development and self-knowledge.

Higher needs characterize a person's personality and show a wide range of cultural individual differences, but they are extremely difficult to measure. According to the author of the theory, only 2% of the Earth's population achieves the highest satisfaction - self-actualization. At the same time, Maslow does not idealize such a person - they also have shortcomings, irritability, stubbornness and inattention to others.

Abraham conducted a study and formulated 15 traits that are inherent in a self-actualizing personality:

1. Adequate perception of reality - free thinking, independent of stereotypes and prejudices, as well as lack of fear of uncertainty.
2. Acceptance of yourself and others . People do not embellish reality and behave naturally.
3. Spontaneity and simplicity . A person makes spontaneous decisions, while they are in harmony with his rituals and traditions.
4. Service . People are concerned about their life's mission and calling, not about their current situation. They often relate their activities to universal values.
5. Detachment, solitude . A person is prone to loneliness and detachment in relation to current events - therefore he calmly endures failures and finds the right solutions in a timely manner.
6. Independence and will . People easily accept criticism, take responsibility, recover quickly and have their own point of view on any issue.
7. A fresh look . A person is constantly looking for something new in ordinary and familiar things.
8. Mystical or higher experiences . A person concentrates on the problem and on his own “I”.
9. A sense of identification with humanity . People transfer all the problems of others onto themselves.
10. Interpersonal relationships . When communicating with people, an individual does not allow himself to be drawn into a conflict situation and is always committed to positive contact.
11. Democratic . Respect for the opponent and his point of view.
12. The ability to distinguish means from ends . People are guided by a sense of ethics and moral principles.
13. Sense of humor . A person approaches many things with humor - his professional activities, himself and the things around him.
14. Creativity . An individual approaches any process from a creative side.
15. Controversial attitude towards cultural traditions . A person treats dogmas categorically or chooses something close to himself.

Classification of human needs

In psychology, all human needs are usually divided into three groups. This classification is quite unambiguous, since each group has very specific and obvious criteria. Let's look at each of them in detail.

Biological needs

This category includes basic needs aimed at survival, achieving physical comfort and procreation. It includes:

• delicious food (taste is important to determine freshness and nutritional value);
• clean water to quench thirst;
• comfortable living conditions;
• security and confidence in your future;
• satisfaction of sexual needs.

The listed aspirations are present in all living beings. They were formed evolutionarily to ensure the survival of the population. Essentially, they are all mechanisms that allow a person (or other creature) to survive and achieve “reproductive success” (produce offspring and ensure their survival in the future).

Social needs

Since man is a social being, he has a number of instinctive aspirations aimed at increasing his own importance in society or his group. The most illustrative examples are:

Self-identification. A person associates himself with his social group, while striving to recognize himself as an individual with special personal and other qualities.

Self-affirmation. It is important for any person to be proud of their own actions and achievements, as well as to feel respect from others.

Altruism and passionarity. Most of us derive pleasure from doing things that benefit other people or society as a whole. At the same time, self-esteem grows even if our contribution goes unnoticed by others, since for an altruist the act itself is important, and not the approval of others.

Spiritual Needs

There is a system of universal spiritual values ​​that most people share in one way or another. We strive for moral and spiritual growth, appreciate beauty, grace of form and harmony, enjoy contemplating objects of art and listening to beautiful music. At the same time, each person has his own taste, so we all like different styles in music and styles in painting. In addition, priorities of spiritual values ​​change throughout life.

Spiritual needs include:

Self-actualization. Obtaining new knowledge, expanding the range of interests and hobbies, professional growth, advanced training - these are all natural aspirations for a person who is currently not concerned with satisfying basic biological needs.

Self improvement. As we grow up, we understand that we like to become better not in order to please someone, but simply to feel our progress. We give up smoking and alcohol, take up sports, begin to maintain a daily routine and control our stress levels. We just like to think that we're getting a little better every day.

Romantic love. This point could be considered a manifestation of the reproductive instinct, but for us it is something much more

It is very important for us to have a loved one nearby who inspires us and gives us not only sexual but also emotional pleasure.

Spiritual needs, unlike biological and social ones, are present only in humans. Moreover, their list is not just extensive, but almost endless, since each person finds some of his own hobbies that do not have to be shared with someone else. Some people like fishing, some prefer knitting, some watch TV series, some reread The Little Prince for the hundredth time, some adore the sound of pouring rain outside the window, and some experience peace from the echoing the croaking of frogs in a nearby pond.

Advantages and disadvantages

Now let's understand the advantages and disadvantages of Abraham Maslow's theory.

Advantages

• It allowed us to organize needs and explain in simple language what a person needs.
• Was the basis for the creation of theories of motivation.
• It has influenced all areas of human life - it is used both in business and in everyday life.
• Helped me understand people's values.
• Convenient for self-analysis to understand thoughts and desires, as well as structure your goals.

Flaws

• There are no ways to empirically measure the degree of satisfaction, which means the theory cannot be considered evidence-based.
• The pyramid is a simplified system; it is not suitable for everyone; it is necessary to further segment people’s desires.
• The model does not take into account cultural differences and characteristics. Also, due to objective reasons, namely changes in a person’s lifestyle, it is already outdated and requires improvement and updating.
• The theory does not explain how a satisfied need can re-motivate a person.
• The study also does not help in the study of extraordinary actions, namely, it cannot explain their motives.
• According to the theory, a person satisfies desires from the bottom up, but he constantly needs food, which means that there is an inverse relationship.

Creative self-realization

They perceive the benefits of civilization and the creations of culture, which people use every day in everyday life, as something completely natural, as a result of the development of industrial and social relationships. However, behind such a faceless vision there is hidden a huge number of scientists and greatest masters who cognize the universe in the process of their personal activities. After all, it is the creative activity of predecessors and contemporaries that is the basis for the progress of material production and spiritual creations.

Creativity is an invariable attribute of an individual’s activity. It implies a historically established evolutionary form of activity of subjects, which is expressed in various activities and leads to the formation of personality. The basic criterion of a spiritually developed personality is considered to be its mastery of the complete process of creativity.

Creative activity is a derivative of the subject’s realization of unique capabilities in a specific area. That is why there is a direct connection between the creative process and the implementation of the subject’s abilities in a socially significant type of activity that has signs of self-realization.

It has long been an established fact that the most complete development of an individual’s inclinations and talents is possible only through the performance of socially significant activities. At the same time, it is quite important that the implementation of such activities is determined not only by external factors (of society), but also by the internal needs of the individual. Under such conditions, the activity of the individual is transformed into amateur performance, and the realization of abilities in the chosen activity acquires the features of self-realization. From this it follows that creative activity is an amateur activity, covering the transformation of reality and personal self-realization in the process of creating material wealth and spiritual values. Creative self-realization of the individual allows one to expand the boundaries of human potential.

In addition, it should be noted that it is not so important in what exactly the creative aspect is expressed, in the ability to skillfully operate a loom or in virtuoso playing the piano, in the ability to competently and quickly solve various inventive problems or organizational issues. After all, no type of activity is far from a creative approach

It is not at all necessary that every member of society knows how to write poetry or paint pictures. The combination of all the natural forces of an individual, the expression of all his personality traits in action, contribute to the formation of individuality, accentuating his extraordinary qualities and unique features.

Fully mastered creativity by an individual means that he or she is following the path of developing the spiritual component of personal growth.

Creative self-realization of the individual is the area of ​​application of the individual creative potential of the subject and the development of his reflexive attitude towards his own personality. Any type of creativity is a unique process of developing a personal worldview. Through creative activity, individuals independently acquire new knowledge and techniques. As a result of the acquired experience through such activity, the individual develops an emotional and value-based attitude towards his own personality and the reality that surrounds him. An individual achieves a certain degree of creative self-realization by using creative potential and expressing his creative essence.

Application in marketing

In marketing, Maslow's pyramid serves as a starting point for finding target audiences and segmenting them, as well as for market analysis. Based on data received from users, specialists can find out what needs prevail among the target audience.

For example, the user cannot place an order for a long time - perhaps there are some fears - and the specialist needs to be told about the guarantees. Or show the valuable qualities of a product that will help improve its comfort: cooking equipment, an alarm system to protect the home, a Parker pen as an indicator of a person’s success and wealth.

Important! The pyramid is a material for reflection that will help you understand the big picture, but not solve a specific problem.

Thanks to the concept, it is possible to plan long-term goals in order to track the dynamics of changes in the needs of the audience and see their path of interaction with the brand. That is, the company can predict demand, develop a strategy and assess risks. And for each segment, develop a unique offer and a corresponding product.

For example, a consumer is looking for a vacuum cleaner. It follows the classic customer journey:

• The first stage: “Manifestation of need.” It compares the characteristics and cost of the product.
• The second and third are “Interest” and “Research”. After the buyer has become familiar with the brand, he studies the warranty terms and delivery information.
• The fourth is “Purchase”. Purchase of goods.
• Fifth - “Return” or “Manifestation of need”. After the purchase, a person may discover a defect or breakdown - and either the company will solve this problem, or he will continue to search. At all stages, the buyer experiences different needs.

How to learn to “accept”?

• Start regularly tracking and noticing when other people do something nice for you. Each time, note what reactions the pleasant thing they did for you will cause you. Be aware of what you felt, what you thought, what sensations appeared in your body in response to this, what images arose in your mind.
• Notice how you interpret situations when other people do something for you. What meaning do you attach to these situations? And also think about why you interpreted this situation this way. How does this relate to your story, your past experiences?
• Work through (preferably with a psychologist) traumatic situations from the past that cause you to react negatively when other people do something nice for you.
• Learn to directly ask others for what you need. Don't wait for the other person to figure it out and give you what you want from them. Help other people do nice things for you - tell them what you want and directly (but politely) ask them to do it for you.

Application in life

As we said above, theory helps you understand yourself - thoughts, desires, values ​​and fears. By analyzing events or actions, you can understand what need needs to be satisfied and what factors prevent this from being done.

A person is also able to analyze other people and understand how to interact with them. This could be supporting a friend or partner in difficult times, observing ethics in business communication, or expressing gratitude to a salesperson in a store.

How to learn to “give”?

• Accept the fact that deep down you have a need to do something important for others. And that when you do something for others, you satisfy that need, your own need. Recognize that you cannot feel fulfilled in your life and relationships unless you give yourself permission to “give” to other people.
• Think about what exactly you are afraid of when you are afraid to “give” to other people. What terrible, unpleasant, painful thing could happen if you stop being cold and unavailable?
• Ask your loved ones to acknowledge and thank you whenever you do something for them. Share with them that it is very important for you to receive positive feedback from them and that it motivates you to care more about them.
• Monitor these positive reactions and accumulate this experience within yourself when people express gratitude in response to your niceties. Again and again, collect within yourself the experience that proves that people are pleased, that they like it when you do something for them.

Maslow's pyramid in work and business

People go to work to satisfy physical needs and provide security, in other words, in search of stability. When you can already meet your daily needs, it is time to strive for career growth, success and recognition.

And entrepreneurs, in turn, can analyze the desires of employees and help satisfy them: promote them, increase wages, hold corporate events in the Maldives, open a soup kitchen, provide training. This also includes improving the workflow: connecting automated systems that take over the routine.

Automation of email newsletters

Send chains of trigger messages: welcome, abandoned cart, reactivation, combining email, SMS and web push within one chain.

Set up trigger mailings

Problems of self-realization

Unfortunately, today we must state the fact that the problem of personal self-realization remains insufficiently studied and developed, since there is no holistic theory of self-realization as a social process. However, it is possible to identify typical problems of self-realization that an individual faces along the path of life.

In adolescence, every teenager dreams of growing up and becoming a big businessman or a famous actor. However, life, society and even parents always make their own adjustments. After all, modern society does not need thousands of actors and big businessmen. For its progress and prosperity, society needs individuals who have masterfully mastered working professions, accountants, drivers, salesmen, etc. Due to the discrepancy between what is desired and the unpleasant reality, the first problem of self-realization is born. Yesterday's teenager, living in dreams, has to make a difficult choice between a business that interests him and a profitable profession. The second difficulty is the inability to correctly determine and choose the most suitable field of activity after graduation. Often many people do not understand that the areas of self-realization can be different. If an adult individual has become a professional surgeon, and not a famous actor, as he dreamed of as a child, this will not mean that he was unable to self-realize in the profession. The areas of self-realization are quite extensive; an individual can realize himself not only in the profession, but also in the role of a parent, spouse, in creativity, etc.

In order to solve the problem of self-realization, you should not try to plan your whole life in adolescence. Also, when the first difficulties appear, you don’t need to give up, change or sell your dream for good money.

After determining the professional activity, the subject faces the next problem of self-realization, which consists in his perception of the possibilities of his work and professional activities as a condition for further full-fledged personal growth.

Alternative theories

Maslow's concept gave impetus to the development of theories of motivation. In this section we will look at several popular teachings that are also used in business and in life.

You can read more about all the theories in scientific publications, for example, in the book “Fundamentals of Marketing” by American economist and marketer Philip Kotler.

Alderfer's theory

Clayton Alderfer took Maslow's idea and refined it. He combined the needs and created three groups:

• Existence, or the needs of existence . These are physiological needs and safety.
• Relatedness, or communication needs . This category includes a person’s social relationships, his desire for recognition and respect, as well as the need for self-affirmation.
• Growth, or growth needs . Personal development is the desire to learn new things, self-actualize and enjoy life.

The essence of the theory is that there is no hierarchy as such. The movement can be either bottom-up or top-down. It can be depicted as a pyramid or interconnected parameters, as in the screenshot below.

Alderfer's ERG theory

The concept gives scope for the study of human values ​​and expands the boundaries in the knowledge of motivation. It can also be used in business and in life.

McClelland's theory

David McClelland suggested that lower-level needs are always satisfied to some extent, so he focused on higher-level intangible motivations: power, success and belonging.

The author of the concept argued that any person has only three needs - regardless of race, gender, age and cultural code. In his opinion, desires and requests are formed through life experience, and are not innate. In fact, this is why McClelland’s work is also called the theory of learned needs.

The theory is used in companies to understand how to better interact with employees and structure business processes.

Herzberg's theory

Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory focuses on assessing job satisfaction. He studied employee profiles of companies and came to the conclusion that only two factors influence them: motivators and retention, also called hygiene factors.

SScheme of Herzberg's two-factor theory

Main theses of the concept:

• Employees are motivated to work more if they are given interesting projects, thanked, and given opportunities to solve non-standard problems. They are also given more responsibility.
• Employees lose incentive when hygiene factors are not met - low pay, poor working conditions, negative relationships with colleagues or supervisors.

The theory is applied to internal processes in a company in order to understand the needs of employees, help them and build a system of favorable relationships.

Porter-Lawler theory

Lyman Porter and Edward Lawler developed the concept of a comprehensive model of motivation, which includes five variables:

• The effort expended.
• Perceiving the process and tracking how effort and ability affect reward.
• The result obtained.
• Reward.
• Degree of satisfaction.

The essence of the theory is that a person receives a monetary reward for his work and through it satisfies his personal needs.

The main conclusion from the teaching: productive work, which brings reward to a person, generates satisfaction.

Scheme of the Porter-Lawler integrated motivation model

The idea is used in business to evaluate the performance of company employees. Managers, following this model of behavior, must set clear and understandable tasks, monitor their implementation and properly reward employees.

Role/mask 2. Scapegoat.

There is a parable about the scapegoat, which says that the priest of a village took a goat and blamed all the sins of that village on it. Then they took the goat into the desert, where it slowly died of thirst, as if through its suffering it cleansed the village of sin.

In a family, such a child is burdened with a lot of guilt and responsibility. You may find that the child, who, however, was not expected in this world, is to blame for all the troubles in the family. Then, in different ways, the parents take it out on the grief-stricken child for their failed life - “if it weren’t for you, then I...”!

Often, in order to achieve their failed goals in life, parents “out of good intentions” use the child without taking into account his interests. There are a limitless number of examples that can be given. The main slogan of such parents is: “I’m trying for you,” “I know better what’s good for you.” In any case, the child fulfills his role as a “scapegoat” for his parents.

“I don’t suffer for myself” is the slogan of such a child. Such a child is very hostile and does not obey his elders. By type of character, he is touchy, gloomy, angry, and has very low self-esteem. In order to receive surrogate recognition, love, approval, he attracts attention through negative behavior. He can easily break glass at school with a stone, and all in order to attract the attention of teachers, parents, and peers. Since people pay attention to it, it means it is significant.

The metaphor is that the pendulum doesn’t really care which side you swing it from.

Let's look at examples of test tasks

with theory , now it's time to start practicing . Start completing the first sample task yourself, and then check your answers.

Correct answer: №1

Correct answer: №3

Correct answer: №1

Post Views:885

Post tags Post tags Social studies Unified State Exam