Need

Definition

In the context of motivating employees, a need is an internal state that makes certain outcomes appear attractive, driving individuals to act in a way that fulfills this condition. Needs are fundamental for understanding employee motivation and guide behavior towards achieving personal and organizational goals.

Related terms

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: A theory that categorizes human needs into five levels from basic (such as food and shelter) to more advanced (such as esteem and self-actualization), often applied to understand employee motivation.

Motivation: The process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors; it is what causes you to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.

Herzberg’s Two: Factor Theory - A theory that suggests there are two factors influencing people's work motivation and satisfaction - hygiene factors (which can cause dissatisfaction if absent but don't necessarily motivate if present) and motivators (which truly encourage employees to work harder)