Impact of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as It Pertains to Law Enforcement

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Impact of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Every human being on the earth is having some needs and these needs motivate them for taking some action. Abraham Maslow put forward the Hierarchy of Needs model in 1943. Abraham Maslow is an American humanistic psychologist and he never believed that there is any impact of mechanical forces over human beings. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs represents many realities of human life and individual experiences. This theory allows people to understand the fact that how these basic needs of human life can motivate human beings. Today, the theory is still being used for understanding the factors like human motivation, management training and the development of a personal life.

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Motivational Model, all the needs of human beings should be satisfied. Maslow developed this theory based on his experiences with human lives, and not on the other existing psychology theories. (Chapman, 1)

The basic concept behind the theory is can be stated as that the needs of human beings that remain unsatisfied keep on motivating the people. According to this theory, some lower-order needs are necessary to be satisfied before the upper-order needs. There are five types of needs that are defined in this hierarchal model. Among these, the physiological and safety needs are considered to be the lower-order needs, while the other three are termed as the higher-order needs. The needs are divided into the five categories which are given below:

Physiological Needs: These are the very basic needs that are necessary for the survival of human beings. These needs include air, food, shelter, water, sleep and so on. These needs are necessary for the continuance of human life. These are the very basic needs, and if these needs are not fulfilled then surely the people will continue to motivate themselves for acquiring these needs. If these needs remain unsatisfied then it is not possible to attain the higher-order needs.
Safety Needs: These include the needs that human beings want to live in a safe place – for their safety and protection from any type of hazards. Human beings want security, stability, laws, limits, orders, consistency, job, medical facilities, and safe residence and so on. When a person is having his physiological needs completed then automatically the concentration is turned towards safe and secure life. If a life of a person is not secured and he feels endangered every time then other needs will not receive any attention.
Social Needs: When both of the lower-order needs are fulfilled, people can then attain the other higher-order needs. At this stage, the person is freed from the physical and emotional threats and harms. Then the need for social life has emerged – it includes the necessity of interacting with different people for different reasons. These needs include love, friendship, feelings, belongingness, affection, relationships and so on.
Esteem Needs: When a person is socially involved somewhere, whether at a workplace or among friends, he feels the need of having some sort of importance and respect. The esteem needs can be further categorized into two groups; internal motivators and external motivators. Internal motivators include needs such as ego, self-respect, achievement, accomplishment, and so on; whereas, the external motivators include needs like position, value, reputations, recognition, status, fame, attention and so on.
Self-Actualization Needs: This step of hierarchy can be known as the peak of this hierarchal model of human needs. The self-actualization needs can be termed as a hunt for the potentials of a person. Like other needs of this theory, the self-actualization needs cannot be completed because these needs continue to change and grow with time. Some of the motivators of self-actualization needs include truth, justice, wisdom, realizations, and experiences, and so on. Self-Actualization includes different experiences that can provide people with immense happiness. Maslow stated that there are a very small percentage of people who can attain the level of self-actualization. (Maslow’s theory of motivation, 1)

Impact of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory that has a great impact in many different fields of our lives. It is considered a very important theory for making people learn about proper behaviors and skills. This hierarchic theory is presented in the form of a pyramid. Maslow wanted the people to realize this theory and make themselves self-actualized people. The educators should provide students with the realization of these needs. If a person can understand all the basic needs of his life, only then he can analyze his importance.

The theory has a great impact on the life of a person as it creates the realization of needs that are necessary for human life. This theory helps to develop the personality of a person and has impacts on different fields of life like management, education, law and order enforcement, and employee motivation and so on. The following are some impacts of Maslow’s hierarchal needs theory over some fields of life:

Impact of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs over law enforcement

In respect of Maslow’s hierarchal need theory in which Maslow derived the hierarchy of needs of daily life. The real-life impacts of the theory are really outstanding and can be seen in different aspects of life. Especially, in the case of Law enforcement, this theory has provided people with the realization of correcting inner selves. If this theory is implied over the law enforcement then it can be stated that the important thing is not to punish the criminal but to correct its criminal approach. So, if we follow Maslow’s hierarchal need theory then amazingly we will find the results, which this theory enables to determine the needs of a criminal. If the needs of a criminal are known then one can easily reconcile with the approach of the criminal by eliminating its needs regarding any specific matter.

Like according to Maslow needs are in the shape of a pyramid and the base of the pyramid is physiological and security needs. This security need does not mean any specific security, but it covers all the aspects of security like financial, economical, sociological, and sociological and protection security needs. So, if we apply the theory of Maslow on the criminal acts and try to evaluate their need levels and then make efforts to remove those needs then this correctional process of those criminals would be much more proficient than to give a punishment to the criminal. In that way, we can eliminate crimes from cutting their roots because if somebody is satisfied with his needs and wishes then there is no reason to adopt such illegal ways and means. This security need is the thing behind any crime, but the type of security need can be different.

The Maslow Hierarchal need theory has also made an impact on law enforcement by creating awareness among the people about their security needs. When a person is being motivated by security and safety needs then obviously, he will continuously search for law enforcement so that he can be protected by the evils of society. Hence, Maslow’s hierarchal need theory has impacted the enforcing law and order situation as well as controlling criminal acts. (Jones, 1)

Impact of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs over Personal Experiences

The theory of hierarchal needs that was designed by Maslow is very much related to human life and its various experiences. There is a great impact of it over the personal lives and experiences of human beings. The theory enables us to develop skills and finds out the importance of human life. This theory provides people with the ability to manage things. People all over the world do not have the same needs – they differ from one country to country as well as from culture to culture; by applying Maslow’s theory, people can focus on the accomplishment of their needs at different levels by fulfilling their necessities of life. The theory enables people to make efforts for having basic needs of life like food and shelter.

By realizing all the needs that are mentioned in this model, a person can lead a very safe, secure and happy life. Further, every personal life also needs some social elements in life. It teaches the person with the aspects like self-respect, ego, and position which makes the people realize their importance. Obviously, when a person is socially active then he will have the sense of having some value and position among those people. The theory has allowed people to overcome their problems like depression, low self-esteem, and so on by making them realize their value and esteem. Hence, this theory has got a great impact on one’s life and every aspect of life. (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, 1)

Impact of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs over the Development of Employees

The theory has also made a great impact on the development of employees. The theory has made employers develop the workplace in such a way that the environment for the employees seems to be very encouraging. The environment of a workplace should be encouraging enough so that the employees can realize their esteem, and also become self-actualized persons. The environment of a workplace should provide employees the respect and esteem, and also, should emphasize the needs such as truth and justice.

Such an environment can develop an employee into a self-actualized person. Motivating employees is a psychological factor – it makes employees work in such a way so that they can achieve the objectives of an organization. Using this model of Maslow, organizations continuously search for ways by which their employees can be motivated to perform well. (Maslow’s need hierarchy, 1)

Conclusion

It can be concluded that Maslow is a humanistic psychologist who developed a theory called Maslow’s hierarchal need theory. According to this theory, all human beings are slaves for their needs and there is no external mechanical force that can push them. Humans adapt different behaviors and attitudes to attain their needs. Maslow divided his theory of need into a pyramid form. On top of the pyramid, he placed the most important and strategic needs of a human being, and at the bottom, he placed the lowest important, but basic needs of humans, which when accomplished, the person can jump to the next level of needs.

Maslow has given importance to the fact that if we want to see a person motivated then there should be a great emphasis on his existing needs and their fulfillment. According to Maslow’s hierarchal of needs, people should be taught to be authentic, to be aware of their inner selves, and to hear their inner-feeling voices. People should be taught to transcend their cultural conditioning and become world citizens.

The theory has helped people to discover their vocation in life, their calling, fate or destiny. This is especially focused on finding the right career. The paper has also analyzed the impacts of Maslow’s theory especially related to law enforcement, employee development, and personal experiences. After following Maslow’s theory, it is possible to determine the needs of a criminal, and easily reconcile with the approach of the criminal by eliminating its needs regarding any specific matter. So to get a completely free-of-crime society, it is necessary to eliminate all the current needs of criminals, so that they are able to take an active part in the development of society as well as can also correct others regarding that matter.

The theory has also forced workplaces to develop an environment that can motivate employees to realize their esteem and self-respect. Such an environment can develop self-actualized employees. This theory has also got an impact on many different aspects of personal life. Maslow’s hierarchal needs theory has got great importance, and for this reason, the theory is being used even today for the betterment of human lives and for recognizing the various needs of life.

Works Cited

Alan Chapman, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and diagrams of Maslow’s Motivational theory- Pyramid diagrams for Maslow’s theory (2009). Web.

Dr C. George Boeree, Abraham Maslow (2006). Web.

George Norwood, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (2008). Web.

Janet A. Simons, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1987). Web.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (2007). Web.

Maslow’s need hierarchy (no date). Web.

Maslow’s theory of motivation: Hierarchy of needs (2009). Web.

Michael Jones, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can lower recidivism: Crime, Law enforcements and corrections (2004). Web.

Martin V. Covington Making the grade: a self-worth perspective on motivation and school reform Published by Cambridge University Press, 1992.

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