Who Built Maslow’s Pyramid? Not Maslow.
The figure was designed to simplify Maslow's theory, and it distorted Maslow's work in the process.
The 3-minute video below summarizes an article -- Who Built Maslow’s Pyramid? A History of the Creation of Management Studies’ Most Famous Symbol and Its Implications for Management Education -- published in the journal, Learning and Education.
The article argues that Maslow never conceptualized the pyramid commonly used to illustrate his Hierarchy of Needs. The figure was developed by a consultant seeking to simplify Maslow's theory for corporate clients, and it distorted Maslow's work in the process.