What are the two key assertions Maslow makes about the five basic needs?

• A. Everyone is motivated by these five needs, and what people need most affects how they act at work.
• B. Everyone is motivated by these five needs, and what people need most affects how they act at work; Everyone goes through the same needs in the same order.
• C. The needs must be satisfied in a fixed order from bottom to top.
• D. Needs are not related to work behavior.

Answer: (B)

Maslow’s idea is that people are driven by five basic needs arranged in a ladder from the most basic to the most advanced. The two big claims are that everyone is motivated by these five needs, and that what a person needs most at the moment shapes how they behave, especially at work; plus, in Maslow’s view, people tend to move through the needs in the same bottom-to-top order. In practical terms, if physiological or safety needs aren’t met, behavior is focused on securing food, shelter, or security. Once those are addressed, attention shifts to belonging and esteem, and then to self-actualization. The model treats these needs as a universal ladder that most people progress through in the same sequence, which is why this option aligns with Maslow’s framework.