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 X is a common management method that focuses on supervision and strict monitoring of employees. He mentioned Theory X and Theory Y in his book, The Human Side of Enterprise, published in 1960. 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 She also holds three degrees including communications, business, educational leadership/technology. A variation on this theme is the concept of situational leadership, which advocates using different styles of management in different circumstances. When this persons role is sanctioned by the formal organization, these team leaders become formal leaders. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. However, beyond this commonality, theattitudes and assumptionsthey embody are quite different. It is also used in unskilled labor organizations or production firms. Most people are gullible and unintelligent. So they must be controlled and coerced to get the job done. Theory X. 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. People will use work to satisfy their lower needs and seek to satisfy their higher needs during their leisure time. 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. The employees could prefer responsibility and show willingness, depending on their traits. The idea that a managers attitude has an impact on employee motivation was originally proposed by Douglas McGregor,a management professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the 1950s and 1960s. This led them to use rewards and punishment as their primary means to motivate employees. Here, managers see employees as responsible and proactive. B employees are primarily motivated by opportunities for advancement and recognition. This theory supports threatening supervisory power. According to Theory Z, people want tomaintain a work-life balance, and they value a working environment in which things like family, culture, and traditions are considered to be just as important as the work itself. Power, then, essentially answers the how question: How do leaders influence their followers? [8] This approach is derived from Fred Fiedler's research over various leadership styles known as the contingency theory. Todays digital workplace, however, is a place of collaboration. Individuals attracted to high-involvement organizations, however, want to make their own decisions, expect their leaders to allow them to do so, and are willing to accept and act on this responsibility. McGregor acknowledged both types of managers as being a legitimate means of motivating employees, but he felt that you would get much better results through the use of Theory Y rather than Theory X. Enlightened managers use Theory Y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop. How do the theories of Tannenbaum and Schmidts leadership continuum and McGregors Theory X and Theory Y attempt to define leadership? Managers give employees some free space and flexibility to work. The result was Theory Za developmentbeyond Theory X and Theory Y thatblended the best of Eastern and Western management practices. I feel like its a lifeline. Consider these assumptions from the different managerial styles: Most people find happiness in hard work under the right conditions. In other words, employees have a strong desire for affiliation. D. Job satisfaction is mostly related to higher order needs. Several assumptions form the basis for this theory. Also, participative decision-making may not always be feasible or successful due to the nature of the work or the willingness of the workers. The company usesmonetary rewards and benefits to satisfy employees lower-level needs. As such, McGregor acknowledged both types of managers as being a legitimate means of motivating employees, but he felt that you would get much better results through the use of Theory Y rather than Theory X. Douglas McGregor believed that there were two types of managers: Theory X and Theory Y. 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. This approach is usually taken by managers working in older companies and firms. Hence, both theories used in moderation are key to good organization. McGregor (1960) proposed two models "Theory X and Theory Y", which he devised to describe two contrasting beliefs that managers hold about their paid workers. 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. They need an interactive and safe environment with opportunities for growth, learning and creativity. The power base in many organizations shifted to marketing as competition became a game of advertising aimed at differentiating products in the consumers mind. A ) McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y is about judging the needs and character of your people. 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 represents a negative view of human nature that assumes individuals generally dislike work, are irresponsible, and require close supervision to do their jobs. Theory Y managers, on the other hand, are more optimistic. Creative Commons Attribution License workers must be controlled in order to achieve a company's goalsb. The worker is assumed to be immature and viewed as being very gullible. C. employees are motivated mainly by the chance for advancement and recognition. The impression that a manager makes a personal assumptions of employees attitudinal bias concerning their involvement in work activities is out of place. Reward and legitimate power (that is, relying on ones position to influence others) produce inconsistent results. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Learn about motivation in the workplace . All rights reserved. Its assumptions about the value of individual initiative make it more a Theory-Y than a Theory X philosophy.[15]. The two theories proposed by McGregor describe contrasting models of workforce motivation applied by managers in human resource management, organizational behavior, organizational communication and organizational development. Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human work motivation and management. Most people can handle responsibility because creativity and ingenuity are common in the population. Do you agree with Riya or Joseph? People will be committed to their quality and productivity objectives if rewards are in place that address higher needs such as self-fulfillment. Think about a conveyor belt of automotive parts with workers and machines lined side by side, each tasked with applying a specific skill to the production processtightening a bolt, applying a hinge, taping up a box to be shipped, etc. [1] McGregor's work was rooted in motivation theory alongside the works of Abraham Maslow, who created the hierarchy of needs. Theory X managers tend to take a pessimistic view of their people, and assume that they are naturally unmotivated and dislike work. | 10 Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Some people prefer micromanaging and leading, and some people prefer giving space. He believed that workers who were continuously being treated as robots with no thinking ability, at one point eventually start behaving like robots. Accountability from employees is needed (Theory X) and flexibility and creativity is needed as well (Theory Y). 9899. As a result, they must be closely controlled and often coerced to achieve organizational objectives. An individual who was self- motivated was best left alone in a. 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. These managers tend to be more present in entry-level jobs where productivity and process are favored over independence or innovation, but they may show up at any company level and in any industry. and you must attribute OpenStax. "C2 Re-Envisioned: the Future of the Enterprise." Very few practice either being autocratic or democratic completely. If you agree with Joseph, you will likely agree with Theory X, which refers to a more authoritarian style of managing. People need more than monetary rewards or the threat of punishment to do their jobs. [4], McGregor also believed that self-actualization was the highest level of reward for employees. Managerial Functions in the International Organization. Leaders hold a unique position in their groups, exercising influence and providing direction. They can use self-direction and self-control in this aspect. [2] It is important to note, however, that before an employee carries out their task, they must first obtain the manager's approval. 5. The permissive democratic approach to leadership is characteristic of leadership in high-involvement organizations. Theory Xmanagement hinders the satisfaction of higher-level needs because it doesnt acknowledge that those needs are relevant in the workplace. 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. It is believed that managers who adopted theory X produce poor results while managers who take theory Y are likely to deliver better . Dec 12, 2022 OpenStax. 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. Theory Y, on the other hand, holds an optimistic opinion of employees. Ouchis Theory Z makes certain assumptions about workers. Known as an influential figure in management theory, organizational communication, and organizational studies, Douglas McGregor was a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a vocal advocate of the human relations approach. Many workplaces originally utilized Theory X, which believes that employees are lazy and unproductive. 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. In this capacity, leadership can be seen as a differentiated role and the nucleus of group activity. Different situations call for different configurations of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Leaders who rely solely on their legitimate power and authority seldom generate the influence necessary to help their organization and its members succeed. What is the role of the leader and follower in the leadership process? Work is changing. In fact, when proper motivations and rewards are in place, employees are not only willing but purposely driven to seek out responsibility and challenges on their own. [12] On the contrary, managers who choose the Theory Y approach have a hands-off style of management. Two reasons: (1) high-quality products and (2) low prices. The manager provides incentives and appraisals, but they are given as acknowledgement and appreciation of the employees performances, and not to control them. Once you complete this lesson you'll be able to understand the two different types of managers as theorized by Douglas McGregor. People will be self-directed and creative to meet their work and organizational objectives if they are committed to them. They are self-centered and care only about themselves and not the organization or its goals, making it necessary for a manager to coerce, control, direct or threaten with punishment in order to get them to work towards organizational goals. Discover each theory and the respective qualities of each, as well as how self-fulfilling prophecies come into play for managers. Theory X. Make team leaders aware of the negative consequences of the Theory X management style and the positive consequences of the Theory Y management style. How do leaders influence and move their followers to action? According to the Theory of X and Y, there are 2 categories of managers . 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. In fact, when the proper motivations and rewards are in place, employees are not only willing but purposely driven to seek out responsibility and challenges on their own. Douglas McGregor was a management professor at Massachusetts IT university, Cambridge in the 1950s, and published a few articles and books as well. [6] Theory X is a "we versus they" approach, meaning it is the management versus the employees. The two theories divide employees; those that inherently dislike work and those that inherently do like work. 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. As soon as that need is satisfied, the employees have no additional motivation for coming to work. They typically allow organizational members significant amounts of discretion in their jobs and encourage them to participate in departmental and organizational decision-making. Theory X managers and supervisors are sometimes called micro-managers. Back in the 1950s and 60s, MIT School of Management student Douglas McGregor published a theory on different types of workers. The employee must be supervised or looked upon so that he or she works appropriately. This is a positive view of the nature of workers. As a Theory Y manager, Yoko believes her employees: Yoko assumes that her employees are full of potential and that it is her role as a manager to help develop that potential so that the employee can work towards a common organizational goal. Managers following Theory X can be pessimistic and orthodox in their approach and be prone to assume that employees are not interested in their work and need to be pushed. Once those needs have been satisfied, the motivation disappears. The theory X and Y leadership model was developed 50 years ago and has been validated by modern research. [2], McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y and Maslow's hierarchy of needs are both rooted in motivation theory. The employee is not responsible and hence must be supervised or directed towards the goal of the organization. B. most workers know more about their job than the boss. Be able to understand the two theories divide employees ; those that inherently do like.. 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