Of Maslow, motives, and managers: The hierarchy of needs in American business, 1960–1985

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs in American management. I trace how a roster of management experts translated the hierarchy of needs into management through case studies of job redesign programs at Texas Instruments and marketing firm Young & Rubicam's management training. The hierarchy of needs resonated with management, I argue, because it seemed to offer both a concrete guide for management, with practical implications for designing management training and work structures, alongside a broader social theory that purported to explain changing social values and economic circumstances in America. For the management theorists who invoked the hierarchy of needs, the corporation served as both the prime site for people to fulfill their higher psychological needs and the ideal site to study and cultivate motivation. This article contributes to histories of psychology that show how psychology became a prominent resource in American public life.

Living wages, decent work, and need satisfaction: an integrated perspective

“…Earlier work on Maslow's needs theory corresponds well with our connection of the five dimensions of precarious employment to hierarchy of needs theory. Lussier (2019) documents suggestions by different authors (among them Maslow himself) to map the hierarchy of needs onto various workplace and employment characteristics. For example, physiological needs included financial compensation; safety needs included insurance, sick leave, and safety programmes; love and belonging needs included liking and respect gained from the job; esteem needs included job title, responsibility, recognition, and promotion; and self-actualization needs included a challenging job, creativity, and achievement in work (Berl et al, 1984;as cited in Lussier, 2019).…”

Exploring the role of religion in consumer decision-making processes: Perspectives on developing nations

“…Psychological and safety needs in Maslow's theory are considered as biological needs for human survival, where individuals provide the basics to satisfy those needs and then move to satisfy the next level of needs (Maslow, 1962). Example of physiological needs include food, water, air, shelter, clothing, sex and individuals consume these items to satisfy their psychological needs (Lussier, 2019). But the religious beliefs have impacts on the purchase decision making process for this category needs, as various religions permit and prohibit the consumption of certain foods and diets to their followers.…”

Eupsychian Theory I: Reclaiming Maslow and Rejecting The Pyramid - The Seven Essential Needs

“…Maslow himself recognized extant resistance and suggested this resistance was the outcome of a scholarly pathology that created depressed, cynical, malicious, cruel, and vengeful members "of the intellectual community" who used their control of the channels of communication to the educated public and to youth" (A. H. Maslow, 1970, p. x) to suppress his theory. Some have suggested that user-friendly packaging (Lussier, 2019), face validity (Buttle, 1989), and basic explanatory value (Loh et al, 2000), at least when applied with broad brush strokes (Peterson & Park, 2010), keep the theory on the table. Others suggest it remains because it is "usable" (Loh et al, 2000).…”

“…Others suggest it remains because it is "usable" (Loh et al, 2000). As some have noted (Lussier, 2019), Maslow's theory provides actionable information to marketers and management seeking to understand and manipulate human behaviour and justify an exploitative system (Soper et al, 1995). Maslow's theory gives marketers a theoretical framework that allows them to conceptualize and effectively market products as capable of satisfying human needs (Peterson & Park, 2010, p. 320).…”

“…"Members of the Blackfoot tribe displayed high levels of emotional security, and thus were more self actualized than the industrial capitalist and settler in North American society. Because basic needs were provided for...the Blackfoot were able to embody emotional security and self actualization in higher levels than in mainstream -North American society" (Lussier, 2019).…”