Mc Gregors Theory X and Y

Charles M. Carson, (2005),"A historical view of Douglas McGregor's Theory Y", Management Decision, Vol. 43 Iss 3 pp. 450 - 460

Theory X & Y was officially expounded (and named) by Douglas McGregor, a social psychologist at MIT in the 1960s. His idea was that there are two fundamentally different styles of management. Theory X is an authoritarian concept where one assumes that individuals work reluctantly, without motivation. On the other hand, Theory Y is a libertarian concept where one assumes that people will perform beyond their duties if they are motivated and are dedicated to the overall goals set forth for them.

I will be clarifying how reading "Theory X, Y, Z" and watched the media piece, "Theory," affected my definition of theory. I will be explaining the reasons why it might be useful to make a connection between actual management situations and theory. I will also explain how theory can inform the actual practice of management. I will provide an example of my own supported observation to maintain my statements. In Conclusion, I will explain which of management theories presented in Day 4 Readings seem to be the most useful and why (Walden, 2014).

Frederick Taylor’s fundamental thoughts on scientific management dated back to early 1880s when he was employed at Midvale Steel Company and observed his coworkers “soldiering” at work. In the following two decades, he moved around different companies while developing his management theory

When managing people, McGregor’s model, indicated below, shows to styles of management. Theory X is directive, whereas Theory Y is enabling, and looks at employee engagement/ teamwork in order to achieve the

Theory Y, adopts the participative management style, which operates on the idea that people are inherently motivated to work if they find the job fulfilling

Theory X and Theory Y, developed by Douglas McGregor, grew out of opposition towards classical management methods. Classical management theorists, such as Fredrick Taylor, focused on scientific training and efficiency and did not account for personal and behavioral issues, such as management styles or job satisfaction. McGregor saw these deficiencies in the classical school of management which lead him to develop a theory of management that would factor the importance of the individual worker. If a manager could tap into the feelings and attitudes of their workers, then the manager would be able increase their employee’s motivation which would then increase production. McGregor’s theory viewed the employee as a person and not as a machine

On the other hand, here comes to the theory Y. On the contrary, it based on positive assumptions, and also more positive view of workers and the possibilities that create. For instance, they assumed that employees are ambitious, self-motivated and anxious to accept greater responsibility. Employees exercise self-control, self-direction, autonomy and empowerment, also exercise creativity and become forward looking. So, once the managers are adopted this theory, they believes that people want to do well at work, have a pool of unused creativity and that the satisfaction of doing a job

The twentieth century has brought in a number of management theories which have helped shaped our view of management in the present business environment. These emerging theories have enabled managers to appreciate new patterns of thinking, new ways of organising and new ways of managing organisations and people. Over the years these different theories have enabled the study

Management theories are utilized in various organizations in an effort to increase organizational effectiveness and service delivery. The management theory that an organization decides to adhere to will vary based on the type of organization, as well as, the services and/or products that it offers. Therefore, it is not uncommon for an organization to use multiple theories when implementing strategies in the workplace.

Theory X describes a results-driven manager who issues deadlines and ultimatums, is elitist, does not build teams, is a one-way communicator and a poor listener, and a whole host of other negative traits. This is the "authoritarian" style, and while MacGregor's (Chapman, n.d.) treatment of this manager is overwhelmingly negative, these types of people often become managers because they deliver results. Theory Y managers, by contrast, as known as "participative" and are characterized by a host of positive adjectives.

With those evocative words, Frederick W. Taylor had begun his highly influential book; “The Principles of Scientific Management” indicating his view regarding management practices. As one of the most influential management theorists, Taylor is widely acclaimed as the ‘father of scientific management’. Taylor had sought “the ‘one best way’ for a job to be done” (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2003, p.39). Northcraft and Neale (1990, p.41) state that “Scientific management took its

There are a number of management theories that have changed the management business environment in the twentieth century. The theories have assisted managers to come up with better ways of management and organization of people. Managers have been able to increase profits, reduce costs and maximize efficiency. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the contributions of scientific management and the human relations movement to the modern management. This essay will use Frederick Winslow Taylor’s theory on scientific management and Elton Mayo’s human relations theory. These two movements have been proven to increase productivity in the workplace (Mullins, 2005).

Managing resources efficiently and effectively is the most fundamental goal for organisation which aims to maximise individual and social prosperity. Therefore, the management theory is constantly developing. In 20th century, there were several management theories proposed such as scientific management, administrative management, behavioural management, etc. as increasingly aware of human are crucial element of the organisation and vital in influencing overall organisational performance, Douglas McGregor who studied about how workers’ behaviour effect the manager’s leadership, proposed Theory X and Y (Waddell et al. 2007). It is no doubt this conventional concept still correct in 21st century, however, business environment is significant

There have been many different approaches to management theory. Each theory has made an important contribution to the way managers operate in different organizations. Douglas McGregor is perhaps one of the most interesting theorists in my opinion because he chose to approach management from two different perspectives. Douglas McGregor created two distinct assumptions about the employee. He called his assumptions Theory X and Theory Y. Douglas McGregor wrote a book, The Human Side of Enterprise, which was published in 1960. In this book McGregor goes into great detail describing his management theories, which have been impacting management styles for over 50 years.