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Considering Maslow 's Hierarchy Of Needs

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There are many options on how to reward success, or punish failure. Some are controversial, while others can be fairly standard. It is a bitter sweet part of managing a safety program when considering the bright side to giving awards for exceptional behavior, or the dark side of having to punish people for their failures. It is important to find the balance within the two because overuse of either one will result in diminishing returns. The purpose in having established awards and punishment policies is to motivate safe behavior. Considering Maslow’s hierarchy of needs will aid in trying to motivate safe behavior. According to Abraham Maslow, there are five levels of needs that humans have to satisfy, which range from primitive to advanced (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2010). The lowest level, biological calls for satisfying the needs for food, water, air, and shelter. The second level is safety and the need to gain security, comfort and a freedom from fear (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2010). Third is attachment, which is the need to belong and to be liked or loved. The fourth level is Esteem and the need to achieve confidence and self-worth (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2010). Finally, the highest level is self-actuation and the need to fulfill meaningful goals (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2010). Maslow’s theory is based on the idea that the lowest levels must be satisfied before worrying about the higher levels. People will not concern themselves with the need to belong to a certain group when

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