Social psychologist Douglas McGregor of MIT expounded two contrasting theories on human motivation and management in the 1960s: The X Theory and the Y Theory.The theories look at how a manager's perceptions of what motivates his or her team members affects the way he or she behaves.
Theory X assumes that employees are naturally unmotivated and dislike working, and this encourages an authoritarian style of management. According to this view, management must actively intervene to get things done. This style of management assumes that workers avoid responsibility and need to be controlled, forced, and threatened to deliver what's needed.
Theory Y expounds a participative style of management that is de-centralized. It assumes that employees are happy to work, are self-motivated and creative, and enjoy working with greater responsibility.
click to watch the video.
It will be too soon to judge the two different styles without testing them under following different conditions.
1. Theory X Manager assume LAZY workers as LAZY and make them work
2. Theory X Manager assume NOT LAZY workers as LAZY and make them work
3. Theory Y Manager assume LAZY workers as NOT LAZY and make them work
4. Theory Y Manager assume NOT LAZY workers as NOT LAZY and make them work
Condition 1. Theory X Manager assume LAZY workers as LAZY and make them work
in this situation, there are chances that the workers will be stretched out of their comfort zone but the workers are less likely to resort to mutiny. Ultimately it will be good for organization. Risk to the organization are minimum because the workers were already demotivated and dejected from their work.
Condition 2. Theory X Manager assume NOT LAZY workers as LAZY and make them work
this situation might result in confrontation between manager and workers. organization is carrying huge risk of loosing good talent and well fashioned employees. In spite of that risk there are healthy chances that the goal of the organization is still within reach.
Condition 3. Theory Y Manager assume LAZY workers as NOT LAZY and make them work
this is undoubtedly would be the worst combination from organization's point of view. deliveries will be delayed and the organization will sink into darkness of inefficiency and ineffectiveness.
condition 4. Theory Y Manager assume NOT LAZY workers as NOT LAZY and make them work
this combination represents a culture of excellency in an organization. there is really no limit of prosperity to such organization.
to summarize the above discussion, effectiveness of management style is always subjected to situations. where style Y represents a good and positive choice for most of the organizations in most of the situations, style X can't completely be discounted only because of it's negative perception about things.
Interesting Theory.... Good video..
ReplyDelete