Sailing Away From the Pyramid: A Revised Visual Representation of Maslow’s Theory Z

Abstract

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in its pyramidal representation, is one of the most recognizable visual figures in psychology and management. Recently, there have been attempts to incorporate Maslow’s Theory Z, which encompasses the highest level of human motivation beyond self-actualization, into this pyramid. However, this pyramidal representation of Theory Z encompasses many of the misconceptions of Maslow’s theory of human motivation, and it fails to convey the richness of Theory Z. As a result, this article aims to address and rectify the shortcomings of previous pyramidal representations of both Maslow’s original hierarchy of needs and Theory Z; it also aims to provide a revised visual representation of Theory Z. This article will first summarize and build on Kaufman’s recent “sailboat” approach to depict Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Next, it will present the method and results of a content analysis on several of Maslow’s writings, revealing the necessary components and subcomponents of the revised visual representation of Theory Z. This revised representation will then be discussed in detail, and a description of each component and subcomponent will be provided. The goal is to provide students and researchers alike with a more accurate visual depiction of Theory Z.