Organizational issues are common in any business setting and can range from communication breakdowns to lack of employee motivation. It is important for businesses to understand how human behavior theories and concepts can be applied to create solutions that will help alleviate these issues. This paper will discuss the application of two different human behavior theories – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and McGregor’s Theory Y – as well as provide recommendations on how they can be used to address organizational issues.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (MHN) was first proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943, which outlines five core levels of needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization (Kotler & Keller, 2016). The idea behind this theory is that when one level of need has been satisfied, people are motivated to satisfy the next higher level. For example, if an individual’s basic physiological needs such as food or sleep have been met then they may then seek out safety or security needs such as a stable job or regular income (Kotler & Keller). Applying MHN within an organization could help resolve communication breakdowns by ensuring employees’ basic needs are met through compensation packages that meet their physical and financial requirements.
Create solutions to the organizational issues by applying human behavior theories and concepts
Additionally providing a safe work environment with consistent rules and regulations could help increase trust among employees which would foster better communications between team members thus promoting collaboration amongst all individuals involved in the organization. In addition to applying MHN within organizations it is important to also consider McGregor’s Theory Y which suggests that “people respond positively when given greater responsibility” (Robbins et al., 2014). As such implementing this theory involves giving employees more opportunities for advancement within their roles by allowing them autonomy over certain aspects while still maintaining overall control over their positions (Robbins et al.). Offering rewards based on performance can also incentivize employees gain recognition for their contributions thus creating a culture where hard work is rewarded with additional responsibilities leading towards job satisfaction and improved employee morale(Vroom & Malhotra 2011).
Applying both these theories together could lead not only increased job satisfaction but also greater productivity due to better communication channels created through improved employee morale resulting from having their basic physiological needs met along with some autonomy over their own roles. Additionally providing training opportunities for personal growth will ensure that skills remain up-to-date helping bridge any gaps in knowledge thereby creating an efficient workplace. Research conducted by Vroom & Malhotra (2011) found that “employees who view themselves as having more discretion tend display more positive attitudes than those who perceive lower levels of freedom in decision making” demonstrating the importance of incorporating both MHN along with Theory Y when resolving organizational issues related to low employee motivation..
Overall it is clear that understanding different human behavior theories can be beneficial when attempting resolve organizational issues thereby encouraging efficiency within a workplace setting. Through implementation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs providing compensation packages suited for individual preferences along with offering career development opportunities based upon performance using McGregor’s Theory Y organizations should see improvements in employee morale leading towards better communication channels being created resulting in increased overall productivity .