Motivation theories are important to supervisors attempting to be effective leaders. Two primary approaches to motivation are content and process. The content approach to motivation focuses on the assumption that individuals are motivated by the desire to fulfill inner needs. Content theories focus on the needs that motivate people. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs identifies five levels of needs, which are best seen as a hierarchy with the most basic need emerging first and the most sophisticated need last.
People move up the hierarchy one level at a time.
Gratified needs lose their strength and the next level of needs is activated. A satisfied need is not a motivator. The most powerful employee need is the one that has not been satisfied. Level I - Physiological needs are the most basic human needs. They include food, water, and comfort.