Mcgregor'S Theory X and Theory Y

McGregors Theory
X and Theory Y
By: Douglas McGregor
History
McGregor developed a philosophical view of

humankind with his Theory X and Theory Y in
1960. His work is based upon Maslow's Hierarchy
of Needs, where he grouped the hierarchy into
lower-order needs (Theory X) and higher-order
needs (Theory Y). He suggested that management
could use either set of needs to motivate
employees, but better results would be gained by
the use of Theory Y, rather than Theory X. These
two views theorized how people view human
behavior at work and organizational life.
Understanding the
Theories
Your management style is strongly

influenced by your beliefs and assumptions
about what motivates members of your
team: If you believe that team members
dislike work, you will have an authoritarian
style of management; On the other hand, if
you assume that employees take pride in
doing a good job, you will tend to adopt a
more participation style.
Theory X
- 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:
Dislike working.
Avoid responsibility and need to be directed.
Have to be controlled, forced, and threatened to deliver what's needed.
Need to be supervised at every step, with controls put in place.
Need to be enticed to produce results; otherwise they have no ambition

or motivation to work.
Theory X Continued
X-Type organizations tend to be top heavy,

with managers and supervisors required at
every step to control workers. There is little
delegation of authority and control remains
centralized.
McGregor recognized that X-Type workers are

in fact usually the minority, and yet in large
scale production environment, X Theory
management may be required and can be
unavoidable.
Theory Y
Theory Y shows a participation 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. It assumes that workers:
Take responsibility and are motivated to fulfill the goals

they are given.
Seek and accept responsibility and do not need much

direction.
Consider work as a natural part of life and solve work

problems imaginatively.
Theory Y Continued
This management style tends to be more

widely appropriate. In Y-Type organizations,
people at lower levels of the organization
are involved in decision making and have
more responsibility.
Comparing Theory X and Theory Y
Motivation
Theory X assumes that people dislike work; they
want to avoid it and do not want to take
responsibility. Theory Y assumes that people are
self-motivated, and thrive on responsibility.
Management Style and Control

In a Theory X organization, management is
authoritarian, and centralized control is retained,
while in Theory Y, the management style involves
employees in decision making, but retains power to
implement decisions.
Work Organization
Theory X employees tend to have specialized and often
repetitive work. In Theory Y, the work tends to be organized
around wider areas of skill or knowledge; Employees are
also encouraged to develop expertise and make suggestions
and improvements.
Rewards
Theory X organizations work on a carrot and stick basis,
and performance is part of the overall mechanisms of
control. In Theory Y organizations, appreciation is also
regular and important, but is usually a separate mechanism
from organizational controls. Theory Y organizations also
give employees frequent opportunities for promotion.
Application
Although Theory X management style is widely accepted

as poor to others, it has its place in large scale production
operation and unskilled production-line work. Many of the
principles of Theory Y are widely adopted by types of
organization that value and encourage participation.
Theory Y-style management is suited to knowledge work
and professional services. Professional service
organizations naturally evolve Theory Y-type practices by
the nature of their work; Even highly structure knowledge
work, such as call center operations, can benefit from
Theory Y principles to encourage knowledge sharing and
continuous improvement.
Conclusion
Understanding your assumptions about

employees motivation can help you learn to
manage more effectively.

Mcgregor'S Theory X and Theory Y

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What are the main assumptions of Theory X and Theory Y?

What are the main assumptions of Theory X and Theory Y?

How do Theory X and Theory Y differ in their views of employee motivation?

How do Theory X and Theory Y differ in their views of employee motivation?

McGregors Theory

McGregor developed a philosophical view of

Your management style is strongly

Avoid responsibility and need to be directed.

Have to be controlled, forced, and threatened to deliver what's needed.

Need to be supervised at every step, with controls put in place.

Need to be enticed to produce results; otherwise they have no ambition

X-Type organizations tend to be top heavy,

McGregor recognized that X-Type workers are

Theory Y shows a participation style of management that

Take responsibility and are motivated to fulfill the goals

Seek and accept responsibility and do not need much

Consider work as a natural part of life and solve work

This management style tends to be more

Comparing Theory X and Theory Y

Management Style and Control

Although Theory X management style is widely accepted

Understanding your assumptions about

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