Hierarchy of Needs Theory Essay Example

Introduction

The hierarchy of needs theory was developed by Abraham Maslow who was proposing his research paper, "A theory of motivation" in the psychological review. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is one of the best-known methods of motivation. Abraham Maslow, a humanist psychologist, developed the theory to depict that people's actions are motivated in to achieve specific needs (Cherry, 2017). The approach was correspondingly made to extend Maslow's idea in his observations of an individual's innate inquisitiveness. Maslow's theory is in line with other methods of human development psychology, most of which focus on the different levels of development in human beings (D'Souza & Gurin, 2016). He designed a five-tier classification system encompassed in a pyramid. The pyramid depicts a series of human needs with the more basic ones at the very bottom.

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Deficiency Needs Versus Growth Needs

The five-stage figure is sub-divided into deficiency needs and growth needs. Maslow believed that needs are parallel to instincts and they all have a role in motivating human actions. The first four needs, physiological, social, security, and esteem, are categorized as deficiency needs. According to Maslow, deficiency needs refers to needs which occur from deprivation (Lussier & Achua, 2015). Therefore, satisfying deficiency needs is appropriate to evade unpleasant outcomes or feelings. He defined the top level of the pyramid as growth needs which do not stem from deprivation but instead are derived from a desire to progress as a person. Maslow terms this growth urges as self-actualization which encompasses the passion for individuals to realize their full potential.

However, just like any other research, Maslow's findings face criticisms from other experts. Most people are not able to substantiate the concept of a need hierarchy. Also, there is inadequate evidence to support the ranking of those needs in a hierarchical order. Moreover, the theory is difficult to test. Critics point out that it is impossible to prove the need for self- actualization scientifically.

Contingency Leadership Theory

The contingency theory of leadership is used to mean that a leader's effectiveness is dependent on how their leadership modes match the prevailing situation. Fiedler's contingency model requires that leaders should identify their leadership style and the general condition in which they thrive. One of the major concerns is that there is no one specific best style of leadership. Preferably, a leader is termed efficient, in the case where his or her mode of administration befits the situation.

Fred Fiedler developed the Contingency Leadership theory when he was preparing research based on a leader's effectiveness in group circumstances. Fred Fiedler presumed that a leader's effectiveness to manage situations depended on their control of the state of affairs as well as their leadership style. Fiedler contradicted the situational theory of leadership which presumes that all leadership styles are fixed and that they can neither be modified nor adapted (Lussier & Achua, 2015). It is proposed that a leader is most operative when his aspects and mode of leadership are in parallel with the environment and the situation around them.

Moreover, the contingency theory does not regard the leader adapting to the situations; instead, the objective is to align the leader's style with a viable case. This theory requires identification of the form of leadership style that a leader incorporates. The assessment is done through the Least Preferred Coworker scale, which consists of a list of queries on the kind of employees that a leader would like to work with. The outcomes of the assessment are to depict the type of leadership style that a leader possesses. According to Fiedler, a higher LPC score infers to a leader with excellent personal skills and one who relies on connections with others to accomplish job tasks. On the contrary, a leader who has a low LPC score achieves objectives by focusing on the task at hand and positional power

Application of the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Motivational Theory

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, one cannot achieve the higher tier needs in the pyramid unless they fulfill the lower levels in the pyramid. As a football coach in a community college, I always advise the football player to apply the hierarchy of needs theory typically. Usually, I recommend them to meet their physiological needs, to boost their interest in winning the game or gain self-confidence. This is because when the physiological needs are fulfilled, the players can transition and upscale to ensuring safety, belonging, garnering self-esteem and ultimately reaching their maximum potential. The safety needs require that football players require is that they would want to represent the communal team to the best of their ability; hence, they need to be motivated to rise and be the majors. The quest for love and belongingness in football players is establishing themselves in the sport. Another need is the longing for paramount recognition where they would have found themselves hence high self-esteem (Mills & Boardley, 2017). Eventually, they will realize self-actualization where they would have reached the maximum of their potential and attract supporters from around the globe, instead of the primary community support.

Also, the physiological and biological needs would apply to me as a football manager. They would translate to me being in good health position to ensure hard work and excellent coaching skills in the field. I would also ensure the safety of the players by guiding them on the safety measures to use in the field. Love and belongingness would also apply to me as a coach as I would expect appreciation from the football fan base. (Stodter, 2018). Subsequently, esteem will be realized by being successful in the matches by winning over our components. Eventually, I will be able to achieve self-actualization as I would recognize my full football coaching potential, hence seek both financial and individualistic growth for the football team.

Application of The Contingency Leadership Theory

Fiedler's Contingency model can be effectively applied in the sports setting. This is because it helps a sport's manager to identify the best leadership style to use depending on the situation. As in my case, to ensure victory for the community's football team, I would incorporate the leadership style of building personal relations and enhancing own skills to ensure that my players feel appreciated hence realize the need for better performance. There will also be a boost in the self -confidence in the players as I would build a personal connection with each one of them. Linking up with the team players will provide an opportunity for me to learn from them as well as find better solutions to challenges (Nelson, Groom & Potrac, 2016) This is because teamwork is the best way of solving complex hurdles, as it provides the chance of many concepts which form a better solution when joined. On the contrary, being task-oriented would alienate me from the players. Besides, it would develop fear in some of the team players hence making them lose their self-confidence and eventually low performance by the team.

References

Cherry, K. (2017). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Dursun, A. (2011). Dede Korkut Hikayelerinde Halk Hukuku. Electronic Turkish studies, 6(4).

D'Souza, J., & Gurin, M. (2016). The universal significance of Maslow's concept of self-actualization. The Humanistic Psychologist, 44(2), 210.

Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2015). Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development. Nelson Education.

Mills, J. P., & Boardley, I. D. (2017). Advancing Leadership in Sport: Time to 'Actually 'Take the Blinkers Off? Sports Medicine, 47(3), 565-570.

Nelson, L., Groom, R., & Potrac, P. (Eds.). (2016). Learning in sports coaching: Theory and application. Routledge.

Stodter, A. (2018). Learning in sports coaching: theory and application.