Reciprocity Between Self‐Actualisation and Hard Work

Although scientific interest in work motivations dates back at least to Adam Smith who, in his Wealth of Nations, examined “The Causes of the Improvement in the Productive Powers of Labour”, the appearance of Maslow's theory of a hierarchy of human needs offered a useful framework and explanation for many studies of work incentives. Maslow postulated a series of pre‐potent needs, each of which assumed potency as the previous need was relatively satisfied. With physiological needs as the most fundamental, or originally most potent, self‐actualisation was described as the final, or highest, need.