Triangulating Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: The Construction of Management Studies' Famous Pyramid

Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivation, the idea that human needs exist in a hierarchy that people strive progressively to satisfy, is a classic approach to understanding and motivating people at work and typically one of the first models encountered by students of management. Despite gaining little support in empirical studies, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs remains popular, its popularity underpinned by its widely-recognized pyramid form. The theory has been criticized by mainstream and critical management scholars alike, however remaining unquestioned is the assumption that Maslow created the pyramid. Based on our historical analysis, we reveal ‘Maslow’s Pyramid’ to be a myth – he neither created it nor would have considered it an appropriate depiction of his work. We investigate how Maslow’s Pyramid came to be constructed, why this matters, and how, in management education, Maslow’s contribution to an understanding of motivation could be better represented.