Origin
AmericanpsychologistMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheoryproposedinhisbook"TheoryofMotivation"in1943thathumanneedscanbedividedintofivelevels.TheyThesequenceis:physiologicalneeds,safetyneeds,socialneeds(includingloveandbeingloved,belongingandleadership),respectandself-realizationneeds.Theneedforself-realizationisthehighestlevelofhumanneeds.
ThebasicconnotationofMaslow'sself-realizationtheorycanbesummarizedinthefollowingfouraspects:
First,self-realizationisabasicneedofpeople.Maslowrankspeople’sbasicneedsinorderoftheirstrengthandorderaccordingtotheirphysicalneeds,safetyneeds,loveneeds,respectneeds,andself-realizationneeds.Hebelievesthatthegenerationoftheneedforself-realizationdependsonthesatisfactionofthepreviousphysiologicalneeds,safetyneeds,loveneedsandrespectneeds,whichreferstothetrendthatpromotestherealizationofhispotentialabilities.Maslowoncesaidclearly:"WhatIcallbasicneedsmaybecommontoallpeople."It'sjustthattheneedforself-realizationdoesnotprevailuntilotherneedsarenotmet.Theemergenceisnotfromscratch,butfromnon-dominanttodominant.Second,self-realizationistheultimategoalofman.Self-realizationisakindofgoalpursued,thatis,"IhopethatIwillbecomethedesiredpersonmoreandmoreandcompleteallthingscommensuratewithmyabilities."Notonlythat,butunlikeotherbasicneeds,otherneedsdisappearbythemselvesassoonastheyaresatisfied,andnolongerexistasneedsthatareatleastinactive,andself-realizationwillneverdisappear.Itis"asimple,Theultimatevalue,orthepurposeoflife."
Third,self-realizationisacontinuousprocessofdevelopment.Self-realizationisnotjustamovementofideas,butaprocessofrealizingpersonalpotentialanytime,anywhere,bitbybit,towork,towork,torecognize,toexperience,andtomakeitinadesirablestate.Self-actualizationmeansworkinghardtodowhatyouwanttodo.Fourth,self-actualizationismanifestedasapeakexperiencepsychologically."Self-actualizationmeanstofully,activelyandselflesslyexperiencelife,concentrateon,forgeteverything",thisisanexperiencewhentruth,goodnessandbeautyarehighlyunified.Itisthebestmomentinlife,thehappiestmomentinlife,Theexperienceofbeinginthebeststateoffulfillingone'spotential.Thiskindofpeakexperiencealsooccursinordinarypeople,butitismorefrequentandperiodicinself-actualizers.
Connotation
Thetheoryof"self-actualization"sproutedinthehumannaturetheoryoftheemergingwesternbourgeoisieinthe17thcentury.Self-creation.Thewell-knownpsychologistMaslowputforwardthehierarchyofneedstheoryinthe1940s.Hebelievedthatthebasicneedsofhumanbeings,fromlowtohigh,arephysiologicalneeds,safetyneeds,belongingandloveneeds,respectneeds,andself-realizationneeds..Thefirstfourareabsent,originatedfromtheactualorperceivedenvironmentorlackofself,completelydependentontheoutsideworld.Theneedforself-realizationisgrowth,anditistheprocessesthatleadtoself-realization.Self-realizationmeans"thefulldevelopmentandutilizationoftalents,potentials,etc..Suchpeoplecanrealizetheirdesiresandalwaystrytheirbesttoaccomplishwhattheycan."Maslowbelievesthattheneedforself-realizationcanbeattributedtoeveryone.Thedesireforself-expressionandfulfillmentisalsoatendencytorealizeitspotential.Thistendencycanbesaidtobeaperson'sdesiretobecomemoreandmoreliketheoriginalpersonandrealizethefullpotentialoftheperson.Maslowdescribedthegeneralcharacteristicsofself-actualizers:Doeverythingpossibletomakeyourselfperfect.Absoluteperfectionofpeopleisimpossible,butitiscompletelypossibletoapproachandstriveforperfection.Maslowtakespeopletowardperfection.Theprocessortendencyofstruggleiscalledself-realization.
ItshouldbenotedthatalthoughMaslow’shierarchyofneedshascertainhistoricallimitations,itisstillatheoryofmodernmanagementtomotivateemployees.Atthesametime,itisalsoanimportanttheoryandcontentofmodernpeople,especiallymanagersandemployees,abouttheirsubjectconsciousness,values,andidealpersonalityconsciousness.Self-realizationhasveryimportantvalueandpositivesignificanceinmodernmanagement,includingshapingmanagersandemployees.Themaincharacteroftheemployees,providethemotivationforthedevelopmentoftheorganizationanditsmanagement,andpredictthefuturedirectionofthemanagementdevelopment.
Relatedassumptions
Maslow'shierarchyofneedstheoryassumesthatpeoplearemotivatedTomeetoneormoreneedsthatareimportantintheirlives.Furthermore,theintensityofanyparticularneeddependsonitspositioninthehierarchyofneeds,andthesatisfactionofitandallotherlower-levelneedsDegree.Maslow’stheorybelievesthattheprocessofmotivationisdynamic,gradual,andcausal.Inthisprocess,asetofconstantlychanging“important”needscontrolpeople’sbehavior,andthishierarchicalrelationshipNotallpeoplearethesame.Thisisespeciallytrueformiddle-levelneedssuchassocialneedsandrespectneeds,andtheirordervariesfrompersontoperson.However,Maslowalsoclearlypointedoutthatpeoplealwaysgiveprioritytomeetingphysicalneedsandself-fulfillingThedemandisthemostdifficulttosatisfy.