[MUSIC] So, we're going to get started looking at the content theories. And content theories basically try to explain what motivate us. What factors get us moving? What factors help us explain, understand, what we do and why we do it? So three different, let's say, answers have been given to this question what motivates us. First is our personal needs which are like the internal drivers, something that we want to do, and that motivates us that helps explain what we do. The second set of factors is not inside but outside, and specifically in the nature of our jobs. And the third set of factors, let's say the third answer that people have come up with in understanding what motivates us, is the goals we set for ourselves. Let's get started with our personal needs. Here we're going to be focusing on two specific sets of theories, of perspectives. So the first is Maslow's pyramid and the seconds are the needs as defined by McClelland's. So there have been many more theories also in this perspective, but I just wanted to give you an overview of these two main perspectives. First of all, Maslow's pyramid, you may have seen this pyramid before. Because it's very widely used by people who want to understand motivation. Even when to be honest the empirical support for this theory is not so strong, it is very present out there and both managers and scientists that you see it coming back very often. So keep in mind this is not something with a lot of empirical evidence, but is a very important model, which is why I want to share it with you today. So what we see in this pyramid is the hierarchy of different needs. So the different internal factors that help explain why people do what they do. If we start at the bottom, we see physiological needs. These are very basic needs, you can think about it if you're hungry, you're motivated to eat. If you're thirsty, you're motivated to drink, very easy. The second level is safety needs. So, those are the needs that every person has for protection, to be secure, to be safe, to not be in danger. The third level, social needs. Also, these are internal drivers. Specifically, people have an inherent need for friendship, for affiliation, to belong to something and because of these needs, we do all kind of social activities and we engage in all kinds of activities. Then fourth, esteem needs, these are the needs that say something about the desire that we have for recognition, both by ourselves, by others, by feeling secure, by feeling confident in what they do. And the fifth layer is called self-actualization. This is the inherent need, according to Maslow, that people have for fulfilling their full potential. So to be who you really feel that you can be. And now the reason why these different needs are organized in the form of a hierarchy is that Maslow says you cannot fulfill higher order needs until your lower level needs are fulfilled. So if you're hungry or thirsty, according to the theory, you would not care so much about being confident and fulfilling your full potential. And here, right away I guess what we see is a big criticism on this theory. Because as it turns out, people can be motivated by different needs at the same time. Even if you're hungry, you can still engage in social activities to fulfill your social needs. So the hierarchy, the idea that you can only move onto a higher level needs until your lower level needs are satisfied is not supported. But what is important from this theory is that it opened up the thinking on how internal factors, our personal needs can drive our behavior. And this is where the pyramid of Maslow made a really big contribution to moving along the field of motivation and developing knowledge. [MUSIC]