Analysis on the Behavioural Approaches Taken by Better Place Based on the Ideas by Abraham Maslow
Better Place was established in 2007 and considered a high-risk international business that created and provided battery charging and swapping facilities for battery electric vehicles in China, Denmark and Israel. Better Place had an innovative and optimistic vision of creating a green alternative to petrol-based vehicles (Better Place 2012). Due to various factors, Better Place was forced to file for bankruptcy in May 2013. This paper will analyse the behavioural approaches taken by Better Place focussing specifically on ideas by Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist, who was a renowned for his hierarchy of needs theory. Several recommendations will be provided on how Better Place could have avoided their demise based on Maslow’s theory.
The behavioural approach is the sole emphasis on the actions of employees (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 25). Several behavioural approaches are used by managers on a daily basis to motivate and lead employees in order to achieve higher performance outcomes. From the 1930’s – 1950’s, the human relations movement was based on the idea that greater concern for employees, offering rewards and praise for employees would increase their overall work satisfaction and productivity in the workplace. This idea was heavily supported by people who were committed to making management practices more humane (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 25).
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory was proposed in his 1943 paper ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ published in the Psychological Review (Maslow A. 1943, p. 370-396). The hierarchy of five needs is based on Maslow’s theory that each person must be satisfied in order to move up a level through motivation of fulfilling their needs:
“ 1. Physiological needs: food, drink, shelter, sex and other physical requirements.
2. Safety needs: security and protection from physical and emotional harm, as well as assurance that physical needs will continue to be met.
3. Social needs: affection, belongingness,
The behavioural approach is the sole emphasis on the actions of employees (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 25). Several behavioural approaches are used by managers on a daily basis to motivate and lead employees in order to achieve higher performance outcomes. From the 1930’s – 1950’s, the human relations movement was based on the idea that greater concern for employees, offering rewards and praise for employees would increase their overall work satisfaction and productivity in the workplace. This idea was heavily supported by people who were committed to making management practices more humane (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 25).
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory was proposed in his 1943 paper ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ published in the Psychological Review (Maslow A. 1943, p. 370-396). The hierarchy of five needs is based on Maslow’s theory that each person must be satisfied in order to move up a level through motivation of fulfilling their needs:
“ 1. Physiological needs: food, drink, shelter, sex and other physical requirements.
2. Safety needs: security and protection from physical and emotional harm, as well as assurance that physical needs will continue to be met.
3. Social needs: affection, belongingness,
References: Better Place 2012, About Better Place, Better Place, viewed 9 August 2013, . Christensen, T B, Wells, P, Cipcigan, L 2012, ‘Can innovative business models overcome resistance to electric vehicles? Better Place and battery electric cars in Denmark’, Energy Policy - The International Journal of the Political, Economic, Planning, Environmental and Social Aspects of Energy, Vol. 48, pp. 498 – 505, viewed 17 September 2013, . Maslow, A. H. 1943, ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’, Psychological Review, vol. 50, no 4, pp. 370-396, viewed 17 September 2013, . Plumer, B 2013, ‘Better Place was supposed to revolutionize electric cars. What went wrong?’, The Washington Post, 3 March, viewed on 17 September 2013, . Robbins, S, deCenzo, D, Coulter, M & Woods, M 2011, Management: The Essentials, Pearson Australia.