The theory by Abraham Maslow called holistic- dynamic theory can also be referred to as humanistic, transpersonal, the third force in psychology, the fourth force in personality needs theory and self-actualization theory. This is because the theory assumes that one need or another motivates an individual and people have the potential of growing toward psychological health. It follows that for people to attain self-actualization, they must satisfy lower needs like hunger, safety, love and esteem (Ryckman, 2007).
Maslow’s theory affects individual behaviors in various ways. He begins by talking about the motivation of the whole person, something that is usually complex.
A person’s behavior thrives from various different motives. Motivations for behavior can be either unconscious or unknown to the person. He further argues that one need or another continuously motivates human beings. Once a need is satisfied, it loses its motivational power leading to its replacement by another need. For instance, when people’s hunger needs are frustrated, they struggle to find food.
When enough food is gotten, they proceed to wanting other needs like safety, friendship, and self-worth. Finally, on motivation is that people such as Steve Jobs is motivated by the same basic needs. This is evident in the way in which people from different cultures obtain shelter, food, and express friendships. It therefore follows that needs are hierarchically arranged. The lower level needs are always satisfied first before the high level needs (Ryckman, 2007).
Maslow says that the basic needs of any person, which are mainly physiological, are the most. Hungry people are motivated to eat not to make friends or gain self –esteem. Similar to other people, Steve jobs satisfies his hunger as a matter since he has enough to eat. According to Ryckman (2007), physiological needs are different from other needs in two important ways. One is that they can be satisfied fully and that this need recurs.
When Maslow talks of safety needs, we become aware of how Steve Jobs is motivated by things such as physical security, stability dependency and freedom from threatening forces such as war, terrorism, illness and natural disasters. This needs differ from physiological needs since they cannot be satisfied fully.
Steve Jobs is motivated by love and belongingness when his employees are safe and free from physiological needs such as food. These needs are desires of friendship, the wish for mate and children, the need to belong to a family, a club, a neighbor or even a nation. There are two categories of people as far as love and belongingness is concerned.
There is a group of people whose love and belonging needs are adequately satisfied from junior years (Ryckman, 2007). This group of people do not panic when denied love. They are confident since they know they can be accepted by the significant others. A second category is the group of people that have never experienced love and belongingness and they are not able to effectively give love. Some might not have ever been hugged, cuddled or even experienced any form of verbal love.
This category will learn to devalue love while taking its absence for granted. Another category is the group of people who have received love and belongingness in small doses. This group is strongly motivated to seek love and belongingness. In addition to the above, Steve Jobs is motivated by esteemed needs that other people hold in high esteem. Such needs include self-respect, confidence, competence and knowledge.
Reference
Ryckman, R. (2007). Theories of personality. 9 Ed. Florence, KY: Cengage Learning.