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. Under Theory Z management, not only do workers have a sense of cohesion with their fellow workers, they also develop a sense of order, discipline, and a moral obligation to work hard. Both sides seek to satisfy some personal pleasures and needs. Make team leaders aware of the negative consequences of the Theory X management style and the positive consequences of the Theory Y management style. They can use self-direction and self-control in this aspect. Informal leaders, by contrast, are not assigned by the organization. They need an interactive and safe environment with opportunities for growth, learning and creativity. As a Theory X manager, Xavier believes that his workers: Hate the idea of having to go to work and do so only to earn a paycheck and the security that it offers. As we have noted, leadership is the exercise of influence over those who depend on one another for attaining a mutual goal in a group setting. Enlightened managers use Theory Y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop. Theory X and Theory Y thinking and leadership are not strictly an American phenomenon. In the 1950s, Tannenbaum and Schmidt created a continuum (see Exhibit 13.6) along which leadership styles range from authoritarian to extremely high levels of worker freedom.34 Subsequent to Tannenbaum and Schmidts work, researchers adapted the continuum by categorizing leader power styles as autocratic (boss-centered), participative (workers are consulted and involved), or free-rein (members are assigned the work and decide on their own how to do it; the leader relinquishes the active assumption of the role of leadership).35. Theory Y managers will make different choices about how to arrange team members and workflows, how to talk to people, how to reward and incentivize, etc. The employees are full of potential, and it is through their own creativity, ingenuity and imagination that organizational goals are met. 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. And the approach to and requirements of leadership are changing with it. Implementing a Theory Y-focused leadership approach requires modern tools that can complement the collaborative workplace. McGregor created Theory X based on Maslows lower needs on the hierarchy of needs model (food, water, necessities). In this situation, one would expect employees to dislike their work, avoid responsibility, have no interest in organizational goals, resist change, etc.creating, in effect, a self-fulfilling prophecy. 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. [7] The hard approach depends on close supervision, intimidation, and immediate punishment. 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. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, used to bring an empty chair to meetings to signal and remind participants of the most important people that did not have a seat at the table: the customers. As we have noted, the terms leader and manager are not synonymous. Hence, both theories used in moderation are key to good organization. Yoko is a Theory Y manager, and when I say Y here, think 'why not.' He would try to constantly control the employees, leading to resentment and exhaustion in the employees, leading to a turnover. In fact, most work groups contain at least one informal leader. This judgement could say a lot about your style of management. This generally involves a more 'hands-on' approach and inevitably micromanaging your team's workload to ensure it is done to . People are self-motivated and embrace responsibility. Theory Y managers believe employees would be motivated to meet goals in the absence of organizational controls, given favorable conditions. The answer often is that a leaders social influence is the source of his power. Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y. So they must be controlled and coerced to get the job done. 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. When this persons role is sanctioned by the formal organization, these team leaders become formal leaders. Theory X vs Theory Y Managers| Douglas McGregor's Management Theory, Douglas McGregor's Motivation & Management Theories, Adair's Action-Centered Leadership Theory. The hard approach to motivation relies on coercion, implicit threats, micromanagement, and tight controls essentially an environment of command and control. In sum, one key to effective leadership, especially as it pertains to the exercise of social and interpersonal influence, relates to the type of power employed by the leader. 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. Here, managers see employees as lazy and not proactive towards their work. What might be less immediately understandable are the differing effects of Theory X and Y on resulting behavior and productivity. Managers who choose the Theory X approach have an authoritarian style of management. 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. Theory X management hinders the satisfaction of higher-level needs because it doesn't acknowledge that those needs are relevant in the workplace. Theory Y is based on positive assumptions regarding the typical worker. Why were U.S. consumers clambering forcars, televisions, stereos, and electronics fromJapan? Back in the 1950s and 60s, MIT School of Management student Douglas McGregor published a theory on different types of workers. Some critics believe that current methods of measuring unemployment are inaccurate in terms of the impact of unemployment on people as these methods do not take into account the 1.5% of the available working population incarcerated in US prisons (who may or may not be working while they are incarcerated); those who have lost their jobs and have . The employee dislikes working, is not motivated enough and thus avoids working, whenever there is an opportunity. 277. Why not assume the best in people? Vassiliou, Marius, and David S. Alberts (2017). The impression that a manager makes a personal assumptions of employees attitudinal bias concerning their involvement in work activities is out of place. Self-determination Theory Self-determination theory suggests that people are motivated to grow and change by three Which of the following is a behavior that would most likely b All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Unlike Theories X and Y, Theory Z recognizes a transcendent dimension to work and worker motivation. [11], For McGregor, Theory X and Theory Y are not opposite ends of the same continuum, but rather two different continua in themselves. The permissive democratic approach to leadership is characteristic of leadership in high-involvement organizations. You might, for instance, have a tendency to micromanage or, conversely, you may prefer to take a more hands-off approach. People need more than monetary rewards or the threat of punishment to do their jobs. The benefits of Theory Z, Ouchi claimed, would bereduced employee turnover, increasedcommitment, improvedmorale and job satisfaction, and drastic increases in productivity. 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. Another assumption is that workers expect reciprocity and support from the company. An individual who was self- motivated was best left alone in a. Work in organizations that are managed like this can be repetitive, and people are often motivated with a "carrot and stick" approach. However, one person who seemed to be unafraid of self-inflicted explosions was Douglas McGregor, a behavior management theorist who was heavily influenced by both Abraham Maslow and the Hawthorne Studies. This website helped me pass! The theory X and Y leadership model was developed 50 years ago and has been validated by modern research. Managerial Functions in the International Organization. A lot of young entrepreneurs do not keep hierarchical within their company and believe in the willingness and interest of their employees. I think there is a little misconception here. To McGregor, a steady supply of motivation seemed more likely to occur underTheory Y management. is based on negative assumptions regarding the typical worker. Using this theory in these types of work conditions allows employees to specialize in particular work areas which in turn allows the company to mass-produce a higher quantity and quality of work. They also dislike change and tend to resist it at all costs. They can be motivated internally to complete their tasks and not always need supervision or micromanaging. Many consider such actions necessary for self-managing work teams to succeed. [14] Mission Command, for example, is a command philosophy to which many modern military establishments aspire, and which involves individual judgment and action within the overall framework of the commander's intent. Theory Y managers, on the other hand, are more optimistic. 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. 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. Theory X is a common management method that focuses on supervision and strict monitoring of employees. [7] Implementing a system that is too soft could result in an entitled, low-output workforce. Managers let employees use self-direction and self-control to do their jobs instead of coercing or forcing them. Theory Zalso makes assumptions about company culture. Theory X managers tend to take a pessimistic view of their people, and assume that they are naturally unmotivated and dislike work. [3] According to Maslow, a human is motivated by the level they have not yet reached, and self-actualization cannot be met until each of the lower levels has been fulfilled. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. employees are motivated mainly by the chance for advancement and recognitionc. An error occurred trying to load this video. People must be constantly directed, prompted, rewarded, or punished in order to complete their work. It views job rotations and continual training as a means of increasing employees knowledge of the company and its processes while buildinga variety of skills and abilities. It is to McGregors thorough research and curiosity in behavior and incentive that we owe our current understanding of Theory X and Theory Y. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, everyone can work visually and collaborate in real time while building flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, and more. succeed. are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written Organizations have two kinds of leaders: formal and informal. Because managers and supervisors are in almost complete control of the work, this produces a more systematic and uniform product or work flow. b.employees are motivated mainly by the chance for advancement and recognition. This is a participative management style that gives rise to a more collaborative work environment, whereas theory X leads to micromanaging. The capacity for creativity spreads throughout organizations. Here, managers see employees as responsible and proactive. Theory X managers are likely to believe that: A.the average person dislikes work and will seek to avoid it when possible. They can have creativity, innovation and potential skills that they can use to solve problems or to perform effectively. As a result, they think that team members need to be prompted, rewarded or punished constantly to make sure that they complete their tasks. 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. They also dislike change and tend to resist it at all costs. I feel like its a lifeline. Micro-managers believe that they must oversee every single task assigned to the employee, and they believe employees will try . Theory X management, defined by Douglas McGregor in 1960, is a behavioral style for workplace management. Grace Hopper, retired U.S. Navy admiral, draws a distinction between leading and managing: You dont manage people, you manage things. Most people are self-centered. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . When I say X, I don't mean the type that marks a treasure - in fact, quite the opposite is true. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Goal-Setting Theory in Management: Definition & Examples, Five Dimensions of Trustworthy Leadership, Herzberg Two-Factor Theory | Hygiene Factors & Motivation. Research indicates that people are unlikely to follow individuals who, for example, do not display drive, self-confidence, knowledge of the situation, honesty, and integrity. Theory Y managers believe that _____. McGregors Theory X and Theory Y posits two different sets of attitudes about the individual as an organizational member.36 Theory X and Y thinking gives rise to two different styles of leadership. [4] The workplace lacks unvarying rules and practices, which could potentially be detrimental to the quality standards of the product and strict guidelines of a given company. D.job satisfaction is primarily related to higher order needs. It would be beneficial to use both theories in moderation to ensure productivity and discipline in an organization. In general, Theory X style managers believe their employees are less intelligent, lazier, and work solely for a sustainable income. Ouchis Theory Z makes certain assumptions about workers. Are inherently lazy, lack ambition and prefer to be directed on what to do rather than assume responsibility on their own. Emergent leaders, on the other hand, arise from the dynamics and processes that unfold within and among a group of individuals as they endeavor to achieve a collective goal. They tend to blame employees in most situations, without questioning the systems, policy, or lack of training which could be the real cause of failures. CRC Press; New York; pp. Question: QUESTION 17 Theory X managers are likely to believe that: a. the average employee dislikes work and will seek to avoid it when possible. One of the critical difference between theory Y and theory X is that employees in theory X are associated with adverse traits while employees under theory Y are associated with positive characteristics. People come to leadership positions through two dynamics. This is much more likely to happen when the leaders influence flows out of intrinsic such as rationality, expertise, moralistic appeal, and/or referent power. 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