Theory x says that the average human being is lazy and selfcentred, lacks ambition, dislikes change, and longs to be told what to do. Douglas mcgregor 1906 1964 was a lecturer at harvard university and became the first sloan fellows professor at mit his theory x and theory y was detailed in the human side of enterprise, published in 1960. So, in place of theory x mcgregor proposed a new theory broadly recognized as theory y. Theory x percieves employees to be lazy, irresponsible and untrustworthy, while according to theory y employees are approached as one of the most valuable assets of the company. Dislikes work and attempts to avoid it centered and, therefore, does not care about organizational goals resists change act irresponsibly weinbach, 2008 designed to enforce compliance. But the tyrannical behavior of this unprepossessing group arguably owes less to its theory of human nature x than to its beliefs about the noneliminable sources of human conflict t. Douglas mcgregor, an american social psychologist, proposed his famous x y theory in his 1960 book the human side of enterprise. The limitations of theory x and theory y motivation self. Theory z was coined in the early 80s by ouchi from a consideration of both japanese and american management styles, and attempted to address the short comings in theory x and theory y. Douglas mcgregors theory x and theory y of motivation.
May 12, 2014 theory x and theory y is a concept that divides people into two groups based on their assumptions about others. Theory x and theory y of motivation explain with examples. Theory y put forward the idea that management by objectives and involving workers in the decisionmaking process would lead to the creation of a satisfied and more productive workforce. Most managers will likely use a mixture of theory x and theory y. Thus, all workers dislike work, try to avoid work, are born inherently lazy, must be constantly dominated into doing a honest. Both the theories, which are very different from each other, are used by managers to motivate their employees.
Theory x and theory y are part of motivational theories. Difference between theory x and theory y of motivation and. Xy theory questionnaire score the statements 5 always, 4 mostly, 3 often, 2 occasionally, 1 rarely, 0 never to indicate whether the situation and management style is x or y. Understanding of these two alternative set of assumptions about human behaviour is a must for. The limitations of theory x and theory y free download as word doc. This theory divides workers and managers in the organization in two typical groups according to how managers lead their subordinates and respectively how subordinates behave. It propounds that there are ways to make individuals perform other than through control and punishment. Theory x and theory y represent two sets of assumptions about human nature and human behavior that are relevant to the practice of management. What are the criticism of mcgregors theory x and theory y. One criticism of mcgregors theory x is that it creates diseconomies of scale in large applications. Theory x management style generally get poor results compare with managers use theory y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop. Theory y shows the dynamic and modern approach to persons and relies on the assumptions that are realistic. Many theorists support that mcgregors theory considers the field of management from a new angle, indicating a strong influential value.
Douglas mcgregor has developed two sets of assumptions about human behaviour. Theory x assumes that people dislike work and will avoid doing anything they dont have to do. People will exercise selfdirection and selfcontrol if they are committed to the objectives. A study of mcgregorazs theory x and theory y framework. In actual practice, most managers today practice a combination of theory x and theory y. Nov 25, 2019 theory x and theory y of motivation by mcgregors external motivation includes the forces which exist inside the individuals as well as the controlled by the manager, including items such as salaries, working conditions, company policy and job content items, such as recognition. Theory y maintains that human beings are active rather than passive shapers of. The three prior studies that have made this distinction were recently conducted solely to develop constructvalid measures of both. Theory x and theory y team management training from. While theory y might help to explain the findings in the two laboratories, we clearly need something other than theory x or y assumptions to explain the findings in the plants. By examining the effect of leaders theory x and y managerial. Both of these theories begin with the premise that managements role is to assemble the factors of production, including people, for the economic benefit of the firm.
They were not the consequences of investigation or research. Douglas mcgregor theory x theory y pdf programpals. According to mcgregor, the perception of managers on the nature of individuals. Theory x is perhaps visible in low paid or menial work but employees in those situations will move on in search of positions with theory y conditions if they are motivated. Theory x and theory y are still referred to commonly in the field of management and motivation, and whilst more recent studies have questioned the rigidity of the model, mcgregors x y theory remains a valid basic principle from which to develop positive management. Difference between theory x and theory y with comparison. Theory x individuals believe people are untrustworthy, generally try to avoid work. It does not make allowance for employees who need a feeling of selffulfillment. Theory x and theory y essay sample new york essays. In actual practice, most managers today practice a combination of theory x and theory y styles of management.
I think it was a time when people were trying to explain the success of the japanese economy over the us one. Theory x and theory y type leadership behavior and its. Theory x and theory y organization, levels, style, manager, school. Leaders managers who adhere to theory x assume that the average person. In 1960, douglas mcgregor developed a leadership theory mcgregor theory x and theory y about organization and management in which he represented two opposing perceptions about people. Theory x assumes that there is a centralization of authority and very tight control over the employees, but theory y says that the authority should be decentralized and that should be leniency in control. As you would expect, theory y sees motivation in the opposite manner of theory x. Theory x and theory y by mcgregor relevance custom phd. Pdf theory x and theory y type leadership behavior and. Application of theory x and y in classroom management by. Douglas mcgregor, through his wellknown theory x and theory y, drew a distinction between the assumptions about human motivation which underlie these two approaches, to this effect. Given the drawbacks of theory x, mcgregor developed an alternative theory of human behavior called theory y. The major distinct disadvantage of theory x and theory y is that they are put forward as challenging sets of assumptions a supervisor is either motivated by theory x or by theory y.
They have been applied to decisionmaking practices rather than to further the conclusions of research work. As per theory x, it has been inferred that people do not like taking responsibilities and avoids it to the extent possible. Perception of management toward the employees in the banking industry of. Pdf on nov 1, 2017, mohammad saiful islam and others published application of mcgregors theory x and theory y. Theory x says that employees are unambitious, whereas the employees are highly ambitious says theory y. In addition, managers who tend to utilize mcgregors theory x generally receive poor results from their employees. Douglas mcgregors theory x and theory y the work of douglas mcgregor, the renowned social psychologist at mits sloan school of management who studied the theoretical foundations of human motivation in the 1960s, was premised on a binary conception of managerial perception known as theory x and theory y. Aug 24, 2010 critics of theory x generally focus their ire on the controllers. In contrast to the principles of conventional management mentioned as theory x, the advocated theory y illuminated a cluster of new or redefined concepts such as selffulfilling prophecy and responsibility. These assumptions of the theory x employee may lead to various problems, such as a tough management that believes in punishment and tight controls and a soft management who strives for harmony in the workplace, at the xepense of efficiency. The theory x and theory y are the theories of motivation given by douglas mcgregor in 1960s. The theory z is a continuation of this last style, which makes it an even more participative style than the y theory.
Mcgregors theory x and theory y are theories about human behavior and motivation in the organization that was published in 1960 by douglas mcgregor. Despite some criticisms, mcgreg ors theory x and y have long been. Two of the surveys had to be eliminated due to missing information. Challenges and limitations of theory x and theory y. In the 1960s, douglas murray mcgregor, a famous mit professor of management wrote a book named the human side of enterprise in which he analyzed the various behaviors of professionals at work. The x theory is also referred to as hard management style and the y theory as soft or enlightened management style. Theory y assumes that employees basically like to work and view work as something rather natural. Theory x and theory y framework proposed by mcgregor in his classic book the human side of enterprise 1960 consists of two alternative set of assumptions. What are the important limitations of mcgregors theory x. Mcgregors x y theory is a natural rule for managing people. Management implications of theory y motivation leadership. Beyond this point, the two theories of management diverge. First, there has been a failure to distinguish between theory xy attitudes and theory xy behaviors. Theory x and theory y in 1960, douglas mcgregor formulated theory x and theory y suggesting two aspects of human behaviour at work, or in other words, two different views of individuals employees.
This new theory gives a new look to the relationships flanked by human being and management. Difference between theory x and theory y of motivation and its critical appraisal. However, modern revisions including contingency theorists argue that theory y is not essentially a progressive alternative to a dull theory x. If theory y embraces, the organisation can accurately perform several elements to attach the motivational dynamism of its employees. Pdf purpose the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of leaders. You may, however, find that you naturally favor one over the other. Theory x and y were created and developed by douglas mcgregor in the 1960s. Theory x assumes that people dislike work and must be coerced, controlled, and directed toward organizational goals. A theory y manager will eventually figure out that a theory x worker believes people are unmotivated because the worker himself is unmotivated. This 2 minutes clip will give you an insight about. Explain the implications of theory x, theory y, and theory z for employee management mcgregors theory x and theory y 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. The major distinct disadvantage of theory x and theory y is that they are put forward as challenging sets of assumptions a supervisor is. X and consider using the techniques suggested by theory y.
Mcgregor developed a philosophical view of humankind with his theory x and theory y in 1960. 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. Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play. Theory x holds that humans generally dislike work, are irresponsible and require close supervision to do their jobs. Theory x managers and theory y managers often see their perceptions of people confirmed. This article describes the theory x and theory y of douglas mcgregor. From this he formulated two models of management based on hierarchy into lowerorder needs theory x and higherorder needs theory y. Motivation, theory x and y, classroom, management manager and organisation introduction douglas mcgregor, an american social psychologist, proposed his famous theory x and y in his book the human side of enterprise in 1960. The idea behind using letters x and y, perhaps seems to be using a neutral terminology, which does not convey any sense of badness or goodness associated with these theories. Jul 11, 2017 many years ago a professor named douglas mcgregor dubbed these perspectives theory x and theory y. These criticisms are important enough to require a reevaluation of the foundations.
Thus, it is better for work teams to be all x or all y. Before he died, mcgregor began to develop a further theory which addressed the criticisms made of theories. One criticism of mcgregors theory y is that it may not be possible for the superior. Pdf comparative analysis of theory x, theory y, theory z. Mcgregors theory x and theory y introduction human beings have been studied systematically and objectively for many years to determine if they are resistant to work or selfgoverning. Mar 21, 20 theory x and theory y framework proposed by mcgregor in his classic book the human side of enterprise 1960 consists of two alternative set of assumptions. Critics of theory y, conversely, complain mostly about the freedom lovers. Comparative analysis of theory x, theory y, theory z, and theory a for managing people and performance article pdf available june 2016 with 8,355 reads how we measure reads. Challenges and limitations of theory x and theory y motivation. The purpose of this paper is to apply mcgregors theory x and theory y to study teacher motivation in higher education. Theory into practice abraham maslow viewed mcgregor as a mentor.
You might, for instance, have a tendency to micromanage or, conversely, you may prefer to take a more handsoff approach. Pdf application of mcgregors theory x and theory y. It helped to crystallise and put into right perspective the findings of the hawthorne experiments. One criticism of mcgregors theory y is that it may not be possible for the superiorsubordinate relationship to flower organically. He was a strong supporter of theories x and y, and he put theory y that people want to work, achieve and take responsibility into practice in a californian electronics factory. Theory y denotes a positive view of human nature and assumes. Theory x and theory y behavior scale kopelman, prottas, and falk, 2008. That history will explain why theory ys view of human nature is incomplete. Theory x gives importance to supervision, while theory y stresses on rewards and recognition.
Theory x, theory y, and theory z introduction to business. May, 2016 many theorists support that mcgregors theory considers the field of management from a new angle, indicating a strong influential value. Introduction to the topic through reading and studying the textbook and the websites from the course materials i have gained greater understanding and appreciation for leaderships relation to trust, the managerial viewpoints behind theory x and theory y, and the relationship of types of power to leadership within organizational development. Mcgregors theory x and y douglas mcgregor wrote the book the human side of enterprise in 1960 he examined individuals behaviour at work. These theories are based on the premise that management has to assemble all the factors of production, including human beings, to get the work done. In 1960, douglas mcgregor formulated theory x and theory y suggesting two aspects of human behaviour at work, or in other words, two different views of individuals employees. Third is a criticism of theory y followed by the concluding section, theory x and theory y in the twentyfirst century. Many have categorized theory x as an autocratic type of leadership and theory y as democratic style. Theory y holds that humans are generally industrious, creative and able to assume responsibility enotes, 2006. Under this theory, the employees are highly selfmotivated, and they need little encouragement from upper management to deliver quality results on a day to day basis. Mar 05, 2017 mcgregor formulated 2 distinct views based on 2 different assumptions about people employees in particular. Older, strictly hierarchical conceptions of c2, with narrow centralization of decision rights, highly constrained patterns of interaction, and limited information distribution tend to arise from cultural and organizational assumptions compatible with theory x.
Theory x and theory y also have implications in military command and control c2. My boss asks me politely to do things, gives me reasons why, and invites my suggestions. According to this theory the management is responsible for coordinating the activities in an organisation and for accomplishing its purposes. Designmethodologyapproach an empirical study was conducted through. It was in 1957 that douglas mcgregor first proposed the concept of theory x and theory y in the human side of. Mcgregors xy theory is a natural rule for managing people.
Implications of theory x and theory y on management. In contrast, theory y is a diametrically opposite approach to theory x. Decentralization and allocation if organizations decentralize control and moderate the quantity of levels of management. The relationship between mcgregors xy theory management. Theory x assumes that an employee dislikes work, while theory y presupposes that work is natural for employees. This theory divides workers and managers in the organization in two typical groups according to how managers lead their subordinates and respectively how subordinates behave character of the manager or worker corresponding to the theory x. Theory x and theory y, introduced in the book and are known for management and human motivation.
They were created by douglas mcgregor while he was working at the mit sloan school of management in the 1950s, and developed further in the 1960s. Motivation theory x and theory y free management books. Mcgregors theory x and theory y theory of motivation. His work is based upon maslows hierarchy of needs, where he grouped the hierarchy into lowerorder needs theory x and higherorder needs theory y. Theory x and theory y are theories of human work motivation and management. May 15, 2017 the major distinct disadvantage of theory x and theory y is that they are put forward as challenging sets of assumptions a supervisor is either motivated by theory x or by theory y. The democratic approach of theory y makes people feel comfortable as a result of which they commit themselves wholeheartedly to the organization. Theory y mcgregors theory y is the root cause of employee empowerment. The theory x and theory y are not based on a single truth. Nowadays mcgregors theory is seen as outdated, representing two extremes.
Pdf theory x and theory y type leadership behavior and its. He avoided descriptive labels and simply called the theories theory x and theory y. Douglas mcgregors theory x is a conventional procedure of motivating employees based on negative assumptions. Theory x and theory y in his 1960 book, the human side of enterprise, douglas mcgregor proposed two theories by which to view employee motivation.
These labels describe contrasting set of assumptions about human nature. What is the criticism of theory x and theory y answers. Mcgregors work was rooted in motivation theory alongside the works of abraham maslow, who created the hierarchy of needs. Theory x the theory leads to mistrust, highly restrictive supervision, a punitive atmosphere, threat and coercion to gain employees compliance theory x managers feel the sole purpose of the employees interest in the job is money they will blame the person, without questioning whether it. Apparently, theory x contains a set of negative assumptions about human behaviour. Theory x suggests that individuals have an instilled dislike for work and try to avoid it. These theories are based on human behaviour in management.
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