According to Maslow's need hierarchy, what influences employee motivation?

The hierarchy of human needs, as developed by Abraham Maslow, is fundamental in understanding what motivates individuals, including employees in a workplace. Maslow proposed that human needs are structured in a pyramid with five levels: physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization. According to this theory, individuals are motivated to fulfill their basic needs before they can focus on higher-level needs.

In a work context, this means that an employee's motivation is influenced by their current level of need satisfaction. For instance, if physiological needs such as basic wages and a safe working environment are unmet, the employee’s focus will primarily be on obtaining these necessities. Once these lower-level needs are satisfied, they may then seek to fulfill social needs such as belonging and esteem through team dynamics or recognition. Ultimately, as each level is satisfied, employees can seek self-actualization, which includes personal growth and fulfillment in their roles.

The other options, while they may have some influence on employee motivation, do not encapsulate the foundational principles of human motivation in the same comprehensive way as Maslow's hierarchy. Financial rewards may satisfy some lower-level needs but do not address the entire spectrum of human motivation. The length of the workday and the