Introduction
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theoretical model in psychology that explains human motivation using a framework of five consecutive levels. The model was proposed in the twentieth century by Abraham Maslow and has since been adopted in many domains, including sociology, management, and nursing, among others. The following paper discusses the core concepts of the hierarchy and the importance of its individual levels.
Discussion
The most popular representation of the model is in the form of a pyramid, with levels stacked vertically. The first level represents physiological needs and includes the most fundamental needs of humans, such as the need for nutrition, sleep, water, and air. Depending on the area of implementation, it can also include shelter, clothing, and satisfaction of sexual instinct.
The second level is termed safety needs and factor in once the threat of insufficient physiological needs is eliminated. In the presence of a threat to physical and emotional well-being, people tend to experience stress, which leads to traumatic experience and contributes to the development of certain disorders. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the well-being also depends on certain economic factors, collectively known as financial security (Jerome, 2013). Thus, safety needs can be viewed as a combination of financial security, health, and safety against accidents.
The next level is social belonging, originally termed by Maslow as love and belongingness needs. This level covers most aspects of social interactions, such as friendship, family, and intimacy. Importantly, the third category is equally relevant for social structures of varying scope and magnitude. In other words, it holds true for the entire society and small formations such as workplace, community, or a club. The compromised sense of belonging is known to create adverse effects ranging from social anxiety to clinical depression.
The fourth level, termed esteem, is based on the inherent need of humans to be recognized and respected by others. Esteem is achieved through actions that are expected to create value and perception of contribution (Jerome, 2013). The deficiency of respect and recognition results in the compromised confidence and a sense of meaninglessness in life.
Finally, the fifth level, known as self-actualization, reflects the need of an individual for the realization of their potential. Simply put, people who are aware of their capabilities are inclined to maximize them and perform as good as possible throughout life (Jerome, 2013). It is important to understand that self-actualization factors in only after all of the previous levels are completed, which is also true for each individual level.
Importance of Elements
As was mentioned above, the levels of the hierarchy are interconnected and interdependent. This means that each subsequent level becomes relevant only once all of the prerequisites are fulfilled. Thus, it is difficult to isolate a single element and identify it as the most important level. Instead, it would be appropriate to prioritize the levels based on specific goals and objectives. For instance, in a project aimed at the improvement of housing conditions in the local community, safety and security implications will be prioritized. In this context, the level of safety needs can be considered the most important (Taormina & Gao, 2013). In the absence of a specific context, it would be more appropriate to view self-actualization as the most important level, since it requires the fulfillment of all levels and yield the most satisfaction, both at the individual and social levels.
Conclusion
As can be seen, the hierarchy of needs presents its levels as interconnected entities that do not exist in separation. Thus, identifying the most important level would compromise the premise of the framework and should only be done in relation to specific goals and objectives. In the broadest sense, it is possible to view self-actualization as the most important level, since it requires the fulfillment of all underlying needs and ensures the maximization of value.
References
Jerome, N. (2013). Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory: Impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource and employee’s performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(3), 39-45.
Taormina, R. J., & Gao, J. H. (2013). Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs. The American Journal of Psychology, 126(2), 155-177.