The organization has been struggling with a shortage of workers due to its inability to compete in the labor marketplace for a skilled workforce against its peers. In the last few years, the organization has been struggling with debt repayment, meaning it cannot provide a competitive pay package to attract new and young talent into its workplace. The situation has forced the existing staff to carry more workload to cover the shortage of workers. They must do a few extra hours and add weekly shifts. There has been a noticeable clear case of frustration and lack of job satisfaction in the organization due to the situation. First, the workers feel their compensation does not match the work they must do in the organization. Secondly, some have complained that the situation has massively impacted the workers’ work-life balance. The organization’s production and human resource departments have noted a noticeable decrease in motivation in the workplace, which is usually depicted by a decrease in quality of work, increased absenteeism, and lower productivity.
As an intervention, an industrial and organizational psychologist can recommend that the organization adopt Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to address the lack of motivation. A study by Stefan et al. (2020) confirmed that organizations can utilize Maslow’s hierarchy of needs intervention to improve motivation and performance. The study showed that the workers were more motivated when their higher needs were satisfied. The approach is based on standard psychology theory, which suggests people are likely to get motivated when their essential needs are met, including physiological, safety, self-esteem, self-actualization, and feeling of belonging (Shi & Lin, 2021). In implementing the approach, the organization should first try to satisfy the workers’ physiological needs, that is, give them a reasonable increase in their salaries and bonuses to match their increase in workload.
Secondly, it ensures their physical, emotional, and economic safety. This is achieved by the organization’s workplace safety of high standards and scheduling time for workers to see psychologists to address any emotional and psychological issues they face due to work demands. The organization’s management assures workers their jobs as long as they work towards their organizational goals. In satisfying love and belonging needs, the organization should re-do their work schedule to ensure the workers have a work-life balance to spend more time with their families. In meeting the workers’ self-esteem needs, the organization should advise their management to continuously provide positive feedback and reinforcement for any milestone and achievement the workers accomplish. Lastly, the organization should satisfy self-actualization needs by placing them in situations in the workplace where they can achieve their maximum potential, which might leave them satisfied.
After evaluating the intervention, a few issues arose. First, it is tough for the organization to empirically assess each worker’s level of needs and determine if they are satisfied with its approach. Maslow’s approach focuses on human behavior and the mind to motivate, which sometimes can be very challenging to assess. Secondly, it did not correctly factor in cultural and social considerations, which are vital since people’s cultural backgrounds impact their needs and what motivates them. Another factor the approach should have considered is individual differences since people prioritize different wants and needs; once those needs are satisfied, they are likely to become motivated. One thing any psychologist would have done differently when implementing Maslow’s approach is first to conduct a thorough survey to understand the workers better. However, the good thing about the intervention is that it is easy to understand and implement. It enabled the organization to have a better understanding of their workforce. Some of the employees’ issues were quickly addressed. There is a positive change in the workplace environment and a slight increase in productivity, which might be a sign that motivation in the organization has improved.
Shi, Y., & Lin, X. (2021). A Test of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Concept by a Correlational Model among Adult Learners. American Association for Adult and Continuing Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED611655.pdf
Ștefan, S. C., Popa, Ș. C., & Albu, C. F. (2020). Implications of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory on healthcare employees’ performance. Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, 16(59), 124-143. https://www.rtsa.ro/tras/index.php/tras/article/viewFile/624/612