MAN201 | Maslow Hierarchy of Needs in Job Enrichment

You are required to draw on relevant organisational behaviour concepts to answer this question. 

Answer:

“Maslow hierarchy of needs in job enrichment”

One of the motivational theories discussed in this essay is Maslow hierarchy of needs. This theory is taken into consideration by the top management so that employees in the workplace can be motivated in a proper manner. Motivated employees are considered as an asset of the company. So, Maslow hierarchy of needs is defined as the motivational theory that helps to motivate the employees in the workplace by emphasizing on the needs of the employees.

Maslow hierarchy of needs theory was proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. This theory basically relates to the classical depiction of the human motivation and it is based on the assumption that there are basic needs of a person (Healy, 2016).

Job enrichment is also considered as the technique which is taken into action by the companies so that satisfaction level of the employees can be maintained in the workplace or towards the activities of the company. It can be elaborated as the medium through which top management can motivate the employees by giving them additional responsibilities which are reserved for the higher level of the employees.  When this step is taken by the management then employees feel like their work has meaning and they are also important for the organization (Daniel & Sonnentag, 2016).

Therefore, motivational theory which is Maslow hierarchy of needs is related with job enrichment or it can be stated that how job enrichment can be motivational. Job enrichment can be motivational when the needs of the employees are satisfied. It is important for the top management to focus on the needs of the employees so that they can feel motivated and with this job enrichment can also be effectively enriched.

In Maslow hierarchy of needs there are five needs which can motivate the employees towards the organizational operations. These five basic needs should be considered as it can affect the job enrichment of the employees. The five needs in Maslow hierarchy of needs theory are physiological needs. This is considered as one of the important and also basic needs like water, air, clothing and shelter.  These are considered as the basic need of the employees. It is necessary for the management to fulfill the basic need so that they can feel motivated and satisfied (Acevedo, 2018).

The next need in this theory is safety need which focuses on maintaining safety of the employees in the workplace. It has a link with job enrichment as it can be evident that if there is employee safety in the workplace then only it can be possible for the company to enhance the satisfaction level towards the activities which are assigned to them. Safety needs focuses on physical, environmental and emotional protection. It has a link with the job security and also with the financial security. Therefore, by taking into consideration this need it can be possible to enhance the satisfaction level of the employees, as every employee want to have security of their job and it can be done if top management considers this theory in the workplace.  This need can directly impact the overall satisfaction level of the employees towards the organizational operations (Alegre, Mas-Machuca & Berbegal-Mirabent, 2016).

Social needs are also considered as one of the need in the Maslow hierarchy of needs theory.  This need emphasizes on the need related with love, affection, care, belongingness and friendship. Job enrichment can take place when the management focuses on maintaining the social needs in the workplace. To enhance the satisfaction level of the employees it is important to create positive environment which will boost friendship and belongingness in the workplace. If social needs are considered by the top management then employees can feel motivated and happy. It can create positive environment in the workplace which will affect the overall operations of the company.  By focusing on the social need, the affect can also been analyzed on the behavior of the employees. If employees are satisfied with their job then they will behave in the positive manner and if they are not satisfied then they will behave in a negative manner (Osemeke & Adegboyega, 2017).

Esteem needs is also known as one of the important needs in Maslow hierarchy of needs. This need has a link with the job enrichment. In job enrichment it has been examined that responsibilities are also given to the employees. In this need there are two types; first is related with internal esteem needs which highlight the factors like self-respect, confidence, achievement and freedom. To enhance the motivation level of the employees it is necessary to give respect so that they can feel confident towards the organizational operations. By considering this need it can be stated that achievement and freedom can be maintained by the top management of their employees. It will help to motivate the employees and can also create positive behavior in the workplace. External esteem need is also related with recognition, power, status and attention. It is necessary for the top management to focus on these factors as it can help to enhance the level of motivation within the employees. Job enrichment can also be done when the employees are offered power or responsibility. So, this need should be considered as it can help in boosting the motivation level of the employees. The satisfaction level of the employees can also be enhanced when they are promoted or given specific responsibility. It can also affect the overall productivity level that can help to attain the positive outcome (Rasskazova, Ivanova  & Sheldon, 2016).

The last need in Maslow hierarchy of need is self-actualization need. This need help to focus on the capability of the employees. It takes into consideration the need related to growth and self-contentment. This also relates with the growth of the employees and it states that when employees grow the opportunities also grow. So, employees can be satisfied when they grow and achieve the position which they want. It is important that employees should be satisfied so that they can perform better towards the organizational operations (D'Souza & Gurin, 2016).

Therefore, it can be stated that when the needs of the employees are fulfilled then only job enrichment is more effective.  It is important for the top management to focus on the needs of the employees so that it can be fulfilled easily. Job enrichment can take place when needs or the requirement of the employees is satisfied in the workplace. Motivated employees are the one who are satisfied and happy with the overall rules and working structure of the company.

Maslow also stated that the employees should be satisfied so that job enrichment can take place. The needs are grouped in two categories which are higher needs and lower needs.  In lower need the physiological and safety needs is considered and in higher need social, esteem and self-actualization need is considered. So, it is important to satisfy the requirement of the employees so that job enrichment can be effective.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Maslow hierarchy of needs focuses on job enrichment. It can be stated that employees can be satisfied when the needs of the employees are fulfilled. It can also enhance the motivation level of employees through which positive results can be attained. It is necessary for the company to focus on job enrichment as it can help the companies to retain the employees in the company for a long run. If the needs of the employees are satisfied then job enrichment can be effective to motivate the employees to continue their operations within the company.

References

Acevedo, A. (2018). A Personalistic Appraisal of Maslow’s Needs Theory of Motivation: From “Humanistic” Psychology to Integral Humanism. Journal of Business Ethics, 148(4), 741-763.

Alegre, I., Mas-Machuca, M., & Berbegal-Mirabent, J. (2016). Antecedents of employee job satisfaction: Do they matter?. Journal of Business Research, 69(4), 1390-1395.

Daniel, S., & Sonnentag, S. (2016). Crossing the borders: The relationship between boundary management, work–family enrichment and job satisfaction. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(4), 407-426.

D'Souza, J., & Gurin, M. (2016). The universal significance of Maslow’s concept of self-actualization. The Humanistic Psychologist, 44(2), 210.

Healy, K. (2016). A Theory of Human Motivation by Abraham H. Maslow (1942)–reflection. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(4), 313-313.

Osemeke, M., & Adegboyega, S. (2017). Critical Review and Comparism between Maslow, Herzberg, and McClelland? s Theory of Needs. Funai Journal of Accounting, Business and Finance, 1(1), 161-173.

Rasskazova, E., Ivanova, T., & Sheldon, K. (2016). Comparing the effects of low-level and high-level worker need-satisfaction: A synthesis of the self-determination and Maslow need theories. Motivation and Emotion, 40(4), 541-555.