Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X and Theory Y
After World War II there were several studies performed that ultimately revealed how assumptions about workers’ attitudes and behaviors affect managers’ behavior. In the 1960s one of the most influential approaches was created and developed by Douglas McGregor at the MIT Sloan School Of Management. He proposed two sets of assumptions about how work attitudes and behaviors not only dominate the way mangers think but also affect how they behave in organizations. He named these two contrasting sets of assumptions Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human motivation that have been used in human resource management, organizational behavior, organizational communication and organizational development. Overall, Theory X and Theory Y have to do with the perceptions managers hold on their employees and their attitudes, not the way they generally behave and their attributes.
According to the assumptions of Theory X, the average employee is lazy, dislikes work, and will try to do as little as possible. Workers normally have little ambition and wish to avoid responsibility. Therefore, the manager must strive to counteract workers’ natural tendencies to avoid work. To ensure that employees work hard, managers should closely supervise, create strict work rules and implement a well-constructed system of rewards and punishments to control employees. Theory X managers believe that workers must be made to do what is necessary for the success of the organization so they also focus on standard operation procedures or SOPS. These managers typically don’t see the point in giving workers freedom and empowerment to solve their own issues because they think the workforce neither expects nor desires cooperation. Theory X managers see their role as closely monitoring or micromanaging workers to ensure that they contribute to the production process and do not threaten product quality. A great example of a Theory X manager is Henry Ford, the
After World War II there were several studies performed that ultimately revealed how assumptions about workers’ attitudes and behaviors affect managers’ behavior. In the 1960s one of the most influential approaches was created and developed by Douglas McGregor at the MIT Sloan School Of Management. He proposed two sets of assumptions about how work attitudes and behaviors not only dominate the way mangers think but also affect how they behave in organizations. He named these two contrasting sets of assumptions Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human motivation that have been used in human resource management, organizational behavior, organizational communication and organizational development. Overall, Theory X and Theory Y have to do with the perceptions managers hold on their employees and their attitudes, not the way they generally behave and their attributes.
According to the assumptions of Theory X, the average employee is lazy, dislikes work, and will try to do as little as possible. Workers normally have little ambition and wish to avoid responsibility. Therefore, the manager must strive to counteract workers’ natural tendencies to avoid work. To ensure that employees work hard, managers should closely supervise, create strict work rules and implement a well-constructed system of rewards and punishments to control employees. Theory X managers believe that workers must be made to do what is necessary for the success of the organization so they also focus on standard operation procedures or SOPS. These managers typically don’t see the point in giving workers freedom and empowerment to solve their own issues because they think the workforce neither expects nor desires cooperation. Theory X managers see their role as closely monitoring or micromanaging workers to ensure that they contribute to the production process and do not threaten product quality. A great example of a Theory X manager is Henry Ford, the