Investigating the progression of Maslow’s needs among traditional, remote and hybrid-setting employees

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether the predictive relationships between fundamental human needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy differ by work setting. It builds upon McConnell and Metz (2024a) by assessing how modern work environments influence the progression of defined humanistic needs. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using five validated scales corresponding to each level of Maslow’s hierarchy: physiological, safety-security, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization. The study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to verify item structure, followed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the predictive relationships among needs. Multigroup analyses (MGA) were conducted to compare path coefficients across work setting groups. Findings The MGA revealed no statistically significant differences in the path coefficients between needs across traditional, remote and hybrid work settings. These null findings suggest that the predictive relationships within Maslow’s hierarchy remain stable across varied work environments. As with all questionnaire-based research, these results are subject to potential self-report bias and the contextual scope of the sample. Practical implications While prior research has shown that hybrid employees report higher satisfaction across all tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the current study finds that the structural relationships between those needs are consistent and unaffected by the influence of the work setting. These findings emphasize that while work settings influence the extent to which needs are fulfilled, they do not change the fundamental progression of needs outlined in Maslow’s theory. Originality/value While previous research has focused on how levels of need fulfillment differ across work settings, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to investigate whether the relationships between individual needs within Maslow’s hierarchy differ based on work setting arrangement.