Abraham Maslow devised a Hierarchy of Needs through which he tried to communicate the human's basic concerns and desires. He focused on some of the most intellectual people of his day to base his research. The Maslow Hierarchy of Needs incorporates five different levels: Physiological, Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self Actualization. All of the lower levels must be reached before a human can experience the higher levels.



A human being's basic concern is his physiological needs. For survival people should eat, breathe, quench their thirst, procreate and use the bathroom. Without all these they cannot live. The employee's basic needs and comforts should be looked after by the leader to make them use their complete potential. If the work place is extremely cold an employee cannot work fast and efficiently like working in more comfortable work place.

Employees need to feel secure. This is the second level of the hierarchy of needs. An employer should create this security with his workers by conveying that their jobs are safe and financially rewarding. If an employee believes that he is soon to be laid off, he will most certainly not work as hard as possible. He may even go further by disrupting the work of others or sabotaging some aspect of the job simply for revenge.

Feeling like a person belongs and is loved and desired is the third level. Employers can assist employees in making friends with each other. This will help to create a pleasant environment to work in. The employer can encourage these relationships by organizing small group tasks and organizing events.

The fourth level is a person's esteem. People have the desire to feel as though they are part of a group. In group situations, we have the ability to feel emotions of achievement and confidence. We start to gain the respect of others which in return boosts our self-esteem. An employer can create activities outside of work to help engage his employees. Whether it is a team sport or relay picnic event, co-workers can bond over the activities, have a great time, and boost their confidence in themselves.

Finally, the last level, according to Maslow, is self actualization. This is our ability to be creative and problem solve. It also deals with our feelings of morality. We can achieve these feelings once we have reached all of the other previous levels that were already discussed. Only then, can we reach self actualization and become completely mature.