Introduction

When I was oscillating in my mind, what management topic can I explore first to explain in simple terms as I need my all type of audience to enjoy the blog at the same time to educate them. 

That’s how I landed up with a simple theory from principles of management and relating it to the current ongoing pandemic situation.

Hope you guys enjoy reading it!!!

COVID-19

Source: www.who.int

In the beginning of 2020, no one in the world (the developed and the developing countries) would have expected that they will be facing a huge challenge ahead in the form of a virus, a kind of bio-war in the name of Coronavirus named as, “COVID 19.” 

It was such a blow and a testing period for each and every human irrespective of who they are, what they do, where they belong, as none had the answer for the main question “When will this pandemic end.”

In 2022, again we are in the cycle of the third wave of pandemic hitting us in the form of a different delta variant named “omicron”. 

This pandemic has taught life lessons to each and every one either mentally, physically or financially. Definitely the perception of life would have changed for all post the pandemic which is for sure.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 

Abraham Maslow

Abraham Harold Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was an American psychologist who was best known for creating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory of psychological health predicated on fulfilling inborn human needs in basis of priority, culminating in self-actualization.

source: simple.wikipedia.org

The levels are in order of importance.

1. Basic needs 
2. Safety needs 
3. Social belonging
4. Self-esteem
5. Self-actualization
6. Transcendence – Giving oneself to something beyond oneself—for example, in altruism or spirituality. This was a later addition to his ideas.

As per Maslow, these needs give us motivation to work hard to buy the things we want or a desire to achieve certain things in life. 

Maslow’s needs theory with the COVID Situation

1. Physiological needs

When the pandemic hit us in 2020, there was a fear in the eyes of the public as a result, the basic essential needs like food, water, groceries, vegetables went out of stock due to panic buying.  

Many were left without food and shelter and to stay on roads and walk to their hometown as transportation was not available.

2. Safety needs 

We had to remain indoors to avoid contracting the virus and even if so, we are not safe as it depends on the rate of infection in the particular area and also on how the precautionary measures were taken.

Most of our work was shifted to work from home, the frontline persons had to fight for the well-being of the public, many had to lose their jobs for various reasons and many businesses went for loss and shops had to be closed permanently due to lack of physical presence of customers.

Everywhere there were uncertainties and fear in the minds of people regarding job insecurities and uncertainty to even sustain their living for the next day.

3. Social needs 

The major change or blow in people lives came when they were restricted to step outdoor which is to avoid social gatherings, visiting spirituals places, attending any function or parties or any kind of family meetings which impacted them the most psychologically as being indoors 24/7 can make you feel depressed and can give constant fear of life. 

4. Esteem needs 

During the pandemic, esteem needs were doubtful due to the rate of unemployment and the uncertainty about the future. 

5. Self-actualization needs 

According to Maslow, this need occurs when all other needs are met sufficiently. In the light of the current crisis the majority of people are not able to focus on these higher-order needs.

How to relate Maslow’s theory with the Covid 19 situation

According to Maslow’s theory, people tend to follow the hierarchy by satisfying the lower needs first that is meeting their basic, safety needs and then they slowly progress to achieve the social needs and then to meet their higher-level needs which is self-esteem and self-actualization which gives them utmost satisfaction once achieved. 

But after Covid-19, as we saw in the above discussion, the priority given by all irrespective of their income and living status was in achieving the basic, safety needs rather than the social, esteem and self-actualization needs.

The below picture depicts the change in human behaviour post Covid 19.

Conclusion

Human nature always tends to change. Once the basic needs now seem to be given priority by all sectors of people rather than others needs. Being at home always will be a big demotivating factor but when your health is related to that we have no other choice. Now materialistic things mean nothing to us as we got a big lesson from the pandemic that life is more than money, status, social enjoyment.

Now as we are in the third wave of Covid please mask up, sanitize, follow the government rules, store things not as whole but the amount you will require to run a family as there are so many without even these basic needs.

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