At work, such needs are represented by a concern for safe working conditions and job security, fringe benefits and orderliness (Amos and Ristow, 1999: 123).
3. Social - The third level consists of those needs related to one's desire for acceptance by others, friendship, and love. In organizations, interacting frequently with fellow workers or experiencing employee-centered leadership may help to satisfy these needs.
Growth Needs.
4. Esteem and Ego - These are the needs for self-respect, self-esteem, and respect and esteem for others. In the workplace, these needs may be reflected in a concern for jobs with higher status and a desire for recognition for the successful accomplishment of a particular task.
5. Self-actualisation - The highest need category consists of the need for self-fulfillment. People with dominant self-actualisation needs are concerned with developing to their full and unique potential as individuals. In organizations, these needs may be reflected in the desire for work that challenges one's skills and abilities, and that allow for creative or innovative approaches.
On a whole, this theory can be used by managers to identify what their employees" primary needs are and hence to assist them in finding ways to motivate their workforce. One must remember, however, that "a satisfied need is not a motivator" (Amos and Ristow, 1999: 125). When one need is met, another emerges as the primary influence of behaviour. Managers must also be aware that they do not only focus on satisfying lower-level needs, as this does not meet the total needs of their employees.
Alderfer's ERG Theory.
Alderfer's theory is similar to Maslow's except that it condenses Maslow's hierarchy into three categories: existence (E), relatedness (R), and growth (G) (Werther and Davis, 1985: 401). Existence needs include those desires that meet Maslow's lower-order needs - physiological, safety and security.