In general, Theory X style managers believe their employees are less intelligent, lazier, and work solely for a sustainable income. Are inherently lazy, lack. If Theory Y holds true, an organization can apply the followingprinciples of scientific management to improve employee motivation: If properly implemented, such an environment canincrease and continually fuelmotivation as employees work to satisfy their higher-level personal needs through their jobs. Management use of Theory X and Theory Y can affect employee motivation and productivity in different ways, and managers may choose to implement strategies from both theories into their practices. [6] Coercive power can result in favorable performance, yet follower and resistance dissatisfaction are not uncommon. However, employees can be most productive when their work goals align with their higher-level needs. D.job satisfaction is primarily related to higher order needs. There are several ways to lead an organization and this theory allows fluidity. Theory Y managers, on the other hand, are more optimistic. A Theory X management style may be well-suited for this type of structured, process-driven workplace. A manager dealing with a group of experts would likely use this theory and give them freedom and space to work. 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. Theory Y is used by managers who believe employees are responsible, committed and self-motivated. Much like a bomb, assumptions are a dangerous thing to make - just the slightest little mistake and you can end up blowing yourself up! He was particularly interested in what motivates people to work hard, in particular on what belief systems motivate people to work hard. workers must be controlled in order to achieve a company's goalsb. Question: D Question 21 1 pts A manager who subscribes to Theory X believes in the importance of TQM that people prefer to be directed that people naturally seek out work in the contingency approach to management that people are committed to goals D Question 22 1 pts Theory X managers believe workers are O committed lazy happy needy O lucky Theory X and Theory Y are two contrasting models of how your work force can be motivated. These managers also believe employees would rather . You lead people.23 Informal leaders often have considerable leverage over their colleagues. Self-actualization and creativity were given importance in Theory Y. B. most employees know more about their job than the boss. [4] This led companies to focus on how their employees were motivated, managed, and led, creating a Theory Y management style which focuses on the drive for individual self-fulfillment. Athletic teams often have informal leaders, individuals who exert considerable influence on team members even though they hold no official, formal leadership position. 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. People will be committed to their quality and productivity objectives if rewards are in place that address higher needs such as self-fulfillment. In this capacity, leadership can be seen as a differentiated role and the nucleus of group activity. consent of Rice University. Management believes employees' work is based on their own self-interest. The manager provides incentives and appraisals, but they are given as acknowledgement and appreciation of the employees performances, and not to control them. Because of this, a Theory X approach may be necessary although I believe it's best to give people the benefit of the doubt and go with a more empowering approach to begin with. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. In contrast, Theory Y leaders believe that people have creative capacities, as well as both the ability and desire to exercise self-direction and self-control. Although Theory Y encompasses creativity and discussion, it does have limitations. The managers who are categorized as a Theory X leaders in general believe that the subordinates fail to live up to the corporate expectations hence assume that subordinates are just influenced with rewards as well as monetary rather than fulfilling the stated corporate objectives. are licensed under a, Major Characteristics of the Manager's Job, How the Brain Processes Information to Make Decisions: Reflective and Reactive Systems, Administrative and Bureaucratic Management, External and Internal Organizational Environments and Corporate Culture, The Internal Organization and External Environments, Organizing for Change in the 21st Century, Ethics, Corporate Responsibility, and Sustainability, Dimensions of Ethics: The Individual Level, Ethical Principles and Responsible Decision-Making, Leadership: Ethics at the Organizational Level, Ethics, Corporate Culture, and Compliance, Emerging Trends in Ethics, CSR, and Compliance, Cultural Stereotyping and Social Institutions, Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs, Trends in Entrepreneurship and Small-Business Ownership, Strategic Analysis: Understanding a Firms Competitive Environment, Gaining Advantages by Understanding the Competitive Environment, A Firm's External Macro Environment: PESTEL, A Firm's Micro Environment: Porter's Five Forces, Competition, Strategy, and Competitive Advantage, The Strategic Management Process: Achieving and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, The Role of Strategic Analysis in Formulating a Strategy, Strategic Objectives and Levels of Strategy, Planning Firm Actions to Implement Strategies, Measuring and Evaluating Strategic Performance, An Introduction to Human Resource Management, Influencing Employee Performance and Motivation, Talent Development and Succession Planning, Benefits and Challenges of Workplace Diversity, Situational (Contingency) Approaches to Leadership, Substitutes for and Neutralizers of Leadership, Transformational, Visionary, and Charismatic Leadership, Opportunities and Challenges to Team Building, Factors Affecting Communications and the Roles of Managers, Managerial Communication and Corporate Reputation, The Major Channels of Management Communication Are Talking, Listening, Reading, and Writing, Formal Organizational Planning in Practice, Management by Objectives: A Planning and Control Technique, The Control- and Involvement-Oriented Approaches to Planning and Controlling, MTIIts Importance Now and In the Future, External Sources of Technology and Innovation, Internal Sources of Technology and Innovation, Management Entrepreneurship Skills for Technology and Innovation, Managing Now for Future Technology and Innovation, Tannenbaum and Schmidts Leadership Continuum, Leadership Behavior and the Uses of Power. Theory of X and Y is a theory on human work and motivation developed by Douglas McGregor. He has now replaced the empty chair with Amazon employees with the job title Customer Experience Bar Raisers. employees are motivated mainly by the chance for advancement and recognition. However, neither of these extremes is optimal. University-based ROTC programs and military academies (like West Point) formally groom people to be leaders. We refer to this person as the designated leader (in this instance the designated and formal leader are the same person). Theory X managers are likely to believe that: A. the average person dislikes work and will seek to avoid it when possible. A manager who believes in Theory Y could have assumptions that: Too much freedom could lead to no accountability and people could lose direction and focus. [8] This approach is derived from Fred Fiedler's research over various leadership styles known as the contingency theory. Work can be as natural as play if the conditions are favorable. How do the theories of Tannenbaum and Schmidts leadership continuum and McGregors Theory X and Theory Y attempt to define leadership? Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Different situations call for different configurations of knowledge, skills, and abilities. The employee is not responsible and hence must be supervised or directed towards the goal of the organization. Previous post: Improving Problem Solving Skills. Work is inherently distasteful to most people, and they will attempt to avoid work whenever possible. [1] McGregor's work was rooted in motivation theory alongside the works of Abraham Maslow, who created the hierarchy of needs. Lack of ambition and laziness is more common than ambition and creativity. 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. People under Theory X believe that employees see their work as a burden and are lazy, so they tend to micromanage and control their performance and efforts. Basically, Theory X managers believe that people don't want to work, don't enjoy working, and are only motivated by money. Work in organizations that are managed like this can . This could additionally lead to a bad reputation. 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. Managers let employees use self-direction and self-control to do their jobs instead of coercing or forcing them. Under Theory X, one can take a hard or soft approach to getting results. Intervention of the management is considered to be important to deal with passive, resistant workers. Organizations have two kinds of leaders: formal and informal. The theories attempt to show how a manager's perception of his team affects the . 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. "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. 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. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. 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. [4] Assumptions of Theory Y, in relation to Maslow's hierarchy put an emphasis on employee higher level needs, such as esteem needs and self-actualization. Many leaders emerge out of the needs of the situation. Peopleare motivated by money and fears about their job security. As a result of this members contributions to the groups goals, he has accumulated idiosyncrasy credits (a form of competency-based status). Pacesetting Leadership: What It Is and When to Use It, 3 Leadership Principles to Foster Team Success, The 4 phases of the project management life cycle, The go-to toolkit for effortless documentation. If you agree with Riya, you will likely agree with Theory Y, which refers to a more participative style of managing. It is possible that the originator, and subsequent researchers, of these contrasting theories did not place much emphasis on these attributes as being inherent in humans, but workplace reality suggests these two distinct facts are real. Thus, Salancik and Pfeffer reason that power and thus leadership flow to those individuals who have the ability to help an organization or group [overcome its critical contingencies]. Employees are given rewards and incentives, prompted, punished, coerced or forced into working. A surgeon might allow the entire surgical team to participate in developing a plan for a surgical procedure. Because employees have historically been given a flat exchange of time and energy for income, workplace incentives have often been rooted in a fear of loss of employment, in earning potential from extra productivity, or in acquiescing to managerial dominance for promotion. C. employees are motivated mainly by the chance for advancement and recognition. Most managers will likely use a mixture of Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X and Theory Y Theory X and Theory Y represent two sets of assumptions about human nature and human behavior that are relevant to the practice of management. Also sharing power is the directive democrat, who encourages participative decision-making but retains the power to direct team members in the execution of their roles. Theory X managers and supervisors are sometimes called micro-managers. McGregor cautioned both types of managers against what he called self-fulfilling prophecies, whereby an employee will act just as the manager assumed he or she would due to the manager's own actions and behaviors. Informal leaders are acknowledged by the group, and the group willingly responds to their leadership. Employees additionally tend to take full responsibility for their work and do not need close supervision to create a quality product. succeed. In 1960, Douglas McGregor published two theories (Theory X & Theory Y) of employee motivation based on the assumptions that managers make about employees. 4. Theory X: The Authoritarian Boss. CRC Press; New York; pp. Are inherently lazy, lack ambition and prefer to be directed on what to do rather than assume responsibility on their own. Answer the question(s) below to see how well you understand the topics covered above. [8] As a result, Theory Y followers may have a better relationship with their boss, creating a healthier atmosphere in the workplace. It follows the traditional route of direction and control. Managerial Functions in the International Organization. Yoko is a Theory Y manager, and when I say Y here, think 'why not.' One assumption is that theyseek to build cooperative and intimate working relationships with their coworkers. citation tool such as, Authors: David S. Bright, Anastasia H. Cortes. The theory X and Y leadership model was developed 50 years ago and has been validated by modern research. The hard approach to motivation relies on coercion, implicit threats, micromanagement, and tight controls essentially an environment of command and control. Theory X managers tend to take a pessimistic view of their people, and assume that they are naturally unmotivated and dislike work. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo This leader behavior is recommended when decision-making time is limited, when tasks are routine, or when organizational members have sufficient expertise to determine appropriate role behaviors. It includes a trusting, collaborative and positive relationship between the manager and employees. The modern manager knows how to distribute responsibility, instill trust in their employees, and motivate team members to deliver their best work and ideas. Most people avoid responsibility and need constant direction. Elton Mayo's Theory of Management |Overview & History, Charisma in Leadership | Charismatic Examples & Theory. Finally, the permissive democrat shares power with group members, soliciting involvement in both decision-making and execution. Also, participative decision-making may not always be feasible or successful due to the nature of the work or the willingness of the workers. Proc. 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