While Theory X managers may be suited for some process-driven organizations, a more practical management style today is that of a Theory Y thinker. This theory has also been criticized for being too idealistic and unachievable by some critics. Finally, Theory Z assumes that given the right management support, workers can be trusted to do their jobs to their utmost ability and look afterfor their own and others well-being. The Theory X manager assumes employees hate the idea of having to go to work and do so only to earn a paycheck and the security it offers. Most people are not ambitious, have little desire for responsibility, and prefer to be directed. Interactive, participative style of managing. In the 1960s, social psychologist Douglas McGregor developed Theory X and Theory Y to explain how managers' beliefs about what motivates their employees can influence their management style. Often, the formal leader is appointed by the organization to serve in a formal capacity as an agent of the organization. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . Theory X Studies have shown that the Theory X style of management results in tight control, strict policies, and a punishment and rewards system that reinforces beliefs. The role of the Theory X manager is to coerce and control employees to work towards organizational goals. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, everyone can work visually and collaborate in real time while building flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, and more. Athletic teams often have informal leaders, individuals who exert considerable influence on team members even though they hold no official, formal leadership position. A lot of young entrepreneurs do not keep hierarchical within their company and believe in the willingness and interest of their employees. Many writers and researchers have explored how leaders can use power to address the needs of various situations. Since workers are given much more time to receive training, rotate through jobs, and master the intricacies of the companys operations, promotions tend to be slower. a Theory X Manager typically believes their staff: dislike their work / are lazy cannot be trusted need to be closely supervised / micro-managed dislike or avoid responsibility have no inherent incentive or desire to work lack ambition work only for pay or because they have to have to be driven by rewards or punishment What might be less immediately understandable are the differing effects of Theory X and Y on resulting behavior and productivity. The manager provides incentives and appraisals, but they are given as acknowledgement and appreciation of the employees performances, and not to control them. Good leaders, whether formal or informal, develop many sources of power. Theory X vs Theory Y Managers| Douglas McGregor's Management Theory, Douglas McGregor's Motivation & Management Theories, Adair's Action-Centered Leadership Theory. Based on these factors, it is easy to see how Theory X differs from Theory Y and easy to imagine their potential outcomes in the workplace. University-based ROTC programs and military academies (like West Point) formally groom people to be leaders. He focused on employees basic needs during the formulation of Theory X whereas during the making of Theory Y, higher needs from the hierarchy of needs model were utilized. These theories have become the reference point for various approaches to the issues of human resource administration and organisation. A doctor in charge of a hastily constructed shelter for victims of a tornado may use this style to command nonmedical volunteers. Theory X represents a negative view of human nature that assumes individuals generally dislike work, are irresponsible, and require close supervision to do their jobs. "Theory X and Theory Y, Douglas McGregor", "Employee Management: Are You X or Are You Y", "Theory X and Theory Y: Understanding People's Motivations", A diagram representing Theory X and Theory Y, Another diagram representing Theory X and Theory Y, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theory_X_and_Theory_Y&oldid=1136635549, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 10:10. They lack ambition and physiological and safety factors motivate them. This paper addresses both theories X and Y of Mc Gregor in economic crisis, where X is the one that might get the poor results focusing on instrumental, physiological values comparing to theory Y where managers are effective . When I say X, I don't mean the type that marks a treasure - in fact, quite the opposite is true. Abraham Maslow and McGregor both gave popular theories on motivation. In general, Theory X style managers believe their employees are less intelligent, lazier, and work solely for a sustainable income. McGregor and Maslow respected each other and used each others theories in their work. Another colleague, Joseph, sees him as a worker who performs just for the sake of money. employees are motivated mainly by the chance for advancement and recognitionc. Are inherently lazy, lack ambition and prefer to be directed on what to do rather than assume responsibility on their own. He would hierarchically arrange the job roles with several supervisors for different departments, looking over employees. Some people prefer micromanaging and leading, and some people prefer giving space. The latter theory proposes that employees and managers can achieve a collaborative and trust-based relationship. The informal leader is that individual whom members of the group acknowledge as their leader. ]; the use of rewards often leads people to think in terms of How much am I getting? or How much should I give? or Am I breaking even? The use of referent power produces identification with the leader and his cause. The theories attempt to show how a manager's perception of his team affects the . The managers influenced by Theory X believe that everything must end in blaming someone. Advertising, Public relations, Marketing and Consumer Behavior, Psychology, Behavioral And Social Science. When researchers study trends in occupational inequality they usually focus on distribution or allocation pattern of groups across occupations, for example, the distribution of men compared to women in a certain occupation. Traditionally, the roles of informal leaders have not included the total set of management responsibilities because an informal leader does not always exercise the functions of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. It is important to recognize that the traits possessed by certain individuals contribute significantly to their emergence as leaders. This management style assumes that the typical worker has little ambition, avoids responsibility, and is individual-goal oriented. Work in organizations that are managed like this can . Two reasons: (1) high-quality products and (2) low prices. If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, People must be constantly directed, prompted, rewarded, or punished in order to complete their work. Vassiliou, Marius, and David S. Alberts (2017). B employees are primarily motivated by opportunities for advancement and recognition. Theory X managers tend to take a pessimistic view of their people, and assume that they are naturally unmotivated and dislike work. As such, it is these higher-level needs through which employees can best be motivated. It helped me pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to the practice quizzes on Study.com. There are several ways to lead an organization and this theory allows fluidity. A variety of processes help us understand how leaders emerge. But how do leaders effectively exercise this influence? They do not always need coercion, incentives or force to complete their work. The worker here is considered to be mature. Some employees may take advantage of this freedom and not meet their work objectives. job satisfaction is primarily related to higher order needs. When this persons role is sanctioned by the formal organization, these team leaders become formal leaders. In Theory X, Douglas McGregor summarizes the traditional view of management in a number of characteristic assumptions in which autocratic leadership style, close supervision and the hierarchical principle are the key elements. An organization with this style of management encourages participation and values individuals' thoughts and goals. If you believe that your team members dislike work and have little natural motivation to do a good job, then according to McGregor, you likely use an authoritarian style of management. He mentioned Theory X and Theory Y in his book, The Human Side of Enterprise, published in 1960. Make team leaders aware of the negative consequences of the Theory X management style and the positive consequences of the Theory Y management style. Market Segmentation Types & Examples | What is Market Segmentation? Theory X managers are likely to believe that: a. the average employee dislikes work and will seek to avoid it when possible. A manager dealing with a group of experts would likely use this theory and give them freedom and space to work. Theory X managers are likely to believe that employees are lazy, fear-motivated, and in need of constant direction. As a Theory X manager, Xavier believes that his workers: Xavier assumes that his employees show up for work for their paycheck and the security that a regular, paying job offers. This managerial style is more effective when used in a workforce that is not essentially motivated to perform. He believed that workers who were continuously being treated as robots with no thinking ability, at one point eventually start behaving like robots. Business Case Study: Apple's Management Style, Henri Fayol's Principles of Management | Summary & Explanation, Marginal Tax Rate Concept & Formula | How to Calculate Marginal Tax Rate, Decision Making Skills & Techniques | How to Improve Decision Making. Leadership is also about having a vision and communicating that vision to others in such a way that it provides meaning for the follower.32 Language, ritual, drama, myths, symbolic constructions, and stories are some of the tools leaders use to capture the attention of their followers to be to evoke emotion and to manage the meaning of the task (challenges) facing the group.33 These tools help the leader influence the attitudes, motivation, and behavior of their followers. McGregor makes the point that a command-and-control environment is not effective because it relies on lower needs for motivation, but in modern society those needs are mostly satisfied and thus are no longer motivating. Theory X and Theory Y thinking and leadership are not strictly an American phenomenon. Theory Y results in an arrangement whereby individuals can achieve their own goals and happily accomplish the organizations goals at the same time. We recommend using a In a strict environment with little autonomy, workers were indeed unhappy and lacking ambition. Therefore, Xavier believes his role as a manager is to coerce and control his employees to work towards organizational goals. This approach is usually taken by managers working in older companies and firms. Theory X and Theory Y are two contrasting models of how your work force can be motivated. Work is inherently distasteful to most people, and they will attempt to avoid work whenever possible. Different situations call for different configurations of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Theory Y managers appeal to a higher level of motivation on Maslows famous Hierarchy of Needs, capitalizing on the human need for esteem and self-actualization. A compliment or reward from a person we like generally has greater value than one from someone we dislike, and punishment from someone we love (such as tough love from a parent) is less offensive than the pain inflicted by someone we dislike.31. Each assumes that the managers role is to organize resources, including people, to best benefit the company. They are not inherently irresponsible or lazy. Just like formal leaders, informal leaders can benefit or harm an organization depending on whether their influence encourages group members to behave consistently with organizational goals. One assumption is that theyseek to build cooperative and intimate working relationships with their coworkers. Where a Theory X manager might threaten loss of employment in order to get employees to work on a Saturday, a Theory Y manager might appoint a temporary leadership title to anyone who chooses to show up to work on a Saturday. The Theory X leader assumes that the average individual dislikes work and is incapable of exercising adequate self-direction and self-control. Occupational inequality is the unequal treatment of people based on gender, sexuality, height, weight, accent, or race in the workplace. Leonard Bernstein was part of the symphony, but his role as the New York Philharmonic conductor differed dramatically from that of the other symphony members. X managers is an impediment to employee morale and productivity X managers believe it is his/her job to structure the work and energize, even coerce (threaten with punishment) the. Yoko is a Theory Y manager, and when I say Y here, think 'why not.' Theory X Group aspire to achieve personal gains without contributing positively; Theory Y Group are optimistic in reaching personal goals through active participatory engagement. McGregor's X-Y theory is a salutary and simple reminder of the natural rules for managing people, which under the pressure of day-to-day business are all too easily forgotten.