Applying Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to Global Organizations

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological theory used to study how humans naturally partake in behavioral motivation. Essentially, the theory states that an individual's most basic needs must be met in order for them to become motivated enough to reach her full potential.

When looking at the image above, the idea is that once someone's basic needs are met, she can then satisfy her psychological needs, and when those are met, she can satisfy her self-fulfillment needs.

This may seem logical to most of us in the USA, Canada, or even Western Europe, but this may not be the logical path one would follow in say, China or Iran. How people achieve their full potential can differ from culture to culture and from person to person.

That said, I believe the model is a good one, but it should be adjusted. We shouldn't be so concerned that individuals must move from the bottom to the top of the pyramid in strict order, as needs do not necessarily follow a hierarchy. Instead, the 'need levels' should be seen as multiple paths for motivating and getting people to reach their full potential.

If you are a global organization and play a role in shaping the company's culture, you need to focus on what motivates EVERYONE. Some might need more prestige, others may need lots of appreciation. People want to be heard, included, and feel like they belong, but that may look different depending on the person.

For example, someone from a more group-oriented society may want prestige to be in the form of team recognition, while someone from a more individualistic society may prefer recognition in the form of a personal reward. Someone from a relationship-oriented culture may be best motivated by building a strong bond with her manager, while someone from a task-oriented culture would be motivated by completing complex projects on time.

Global organizations must make sure they are taking INTERCULTURAL DIFFERENCES into account when motivating employees to reach their full potential. It's a key piece to satisfying employee needs, making them happy, and retaining the talent you've worked so hard to attract.

Contact me at hello@nicolebarile.com to learn more about working across cultures & preparing for the future of global work.

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