What is Theory X and Y? Description
Douglas McGregor, an American social psychologist, proposed his famous
Theory X and Theory Y models in his book 'The Human Side Of Enterprise' (1960).
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Theory X
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Theory Y
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Assumptions
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Humans inherently dislike working and will try to avoid it if they
can. |
People view work as being as natural as play and rest. Humans expend
the same amount of physical and mental effort in their work as in their
private lives. |
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Because people dislike work they have to be coerced or controlled
by management and threatened so they work hard enough. |
Provided people are motivated, they will be self-directing to the
aims of the organization. Control and punishment are not the only mechanisms
to let people perform. |
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Average employees want to be directed. |
Job satisfaction is key to engaging employees and ensuring their commitment. |
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People don't like responsibility. |
People learn to accept responsibility and seek responsibility. Average
humans, under the proper conditions, will not only accept, but even
naturally seek responsibility. |
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Average humans are clear and unambiguous and want to feel secure at
work. |
People are imaginative and creative. Their ingenuity should be used
to solve problems at work. |
Application
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Shop Floor, Mass Manufacturing. Production workers. |
Professional Services, Knowledge Workers. Managers and Professionals. |
Conducive to
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Large scale efficient operations. |
Management of Professionals, Participative Complex Problem Solving. |
Management Style
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Authoritarian, Hard Management. |
Participative, Soft Management. |
McGregor sees Theory Y as the preferable model and management method, however
he thought Theory Y was difficult to use in large-scale operations.
Theory Z - Ouchi
In 1981, William Ouchi came up with a variant that combined American and
Japanese management practices together to form Theory Z, having the
following characteristics: long-term employment - collective decision-making
- individual responsibility - slow evaluation & promotion - implicit, informal
control with explicit, formalized measures - moderately specialized career
paths - and a holistic concern for the employee, including family.
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Theory X Theory Y Theory Z Special Interest Group
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Special Interest Group (550 members)
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All you need to know about management
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Advance yourself in business administration and management
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Accelerate your management career
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Compare with Theory X Theory Y:
Leadership Styles
| Managerial Grid
| Leadership Continuum
| Situational
Leadership |
Bases of Social Power
| EPIC ADVISERS
| Hierarchy of Needs
| Expectancy Theory
| Path-Goal Theory
| Hawthorne Effect
| ERG Theory |
Herzberg Two Factor Theory
| Change Management |
Seven Surprises
| Seven Habits |
Eight
Attributes of Management Excellence |
Five Disciplines |
Ten Principles of
Reinvention |
Fourteen Points of Management
| Charismatic Leadership
| Theory of Needs
Return to Management Hub: Change & Organization | Communication & Skills | Human Resources
| Leadership |
Supply Chain & Quality
More Management Methods, Models and Theory
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Special Interest Group Leader
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Theory X Management Style
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