Today Maslow’s theory of motivation is used and adapted by businesses globally. Even though it is more than 70 years old it is found very useful by managers who adopt it. ‘There’s no question, it’s had a profound influence on management education and management practice’. It helps them to discover and understand what motivates their employees.

 

A business applying this theory will look to use The Hierarchy of Needs to recognise what level the individual employees are on. Understanding this will give them the knowledge to be able offer them incentives that will motivate them accordingly.

 

When this theory is applied the business will understand that not all of its employees are motivated by the same things and that they do not move up the hierarchy at the same pace. A manager adopting this theory will understand that the business place is an opportunity for employees to have their needs gratified and thus motivating them. A business looking to satisfy social needs of its employees put individuals into groups which may help them feel more included.

 

In the second half of the 20th century managers began to move away from the purely transactional contracts with employees to complex relational ones. These new relationships could allow the employees to feel more fulfilled and expect more than money contracts with employees to complex relational ones. These new relationships could allow the employees to feel more fulfilled and expect more than money.