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McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
How do you think your teacher views you? Do you think s/he thinks you are lazy and don't want to work, or does s/he think that you are creative, lively and want to work?
This is the question that Douglas McGregor (1906 - 1964) posed about the approach of different managers to their workers. If managers took the view that their staff were lazy and didn't want to work, the way that they were treated and motivated would be quite different to that if the belief was that they were willing to work, creative, committed and want to take on responsibility.
McGregor did not believe that employees were either one or the other but wanted to show that the way that a manager viewed staff did have a bearing on the way that mangers might use different motivation methods. He labelled the two views Theory X and Theory Y.
Theory X
Humans have a basic dislike of work and dislike the idea of being given and taking responsibility. In order to get them to complete tasks, the manager has to make sure that they direct staff and avoid giving them responsibility. To motivate them, a 'carrot and stick' approach is necessary, along with the threat of punishment if the task is not carried out appropriately.
Image copyright: Marinka van Holten, from stock.xchng.
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Theory Y
This assumes that most humans enjoy putting effort into their work. They like taking responsibility and enjoy work. Given that they enjoy work, most humans have the self-discipline and self-motivation to work towards the organisation's objectives. They will gain satisfaction from the effort they are putting in and as a result, are creative and like to use their initiative. This would assume that the average person in the workplace is not stretched to their full potential in many cases.
Image copyright: Constantin Kammerer, from stock.xchng.
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Task:
- Get together in a pair. Look at the two models of human behaviour as identified by McGregor. Get a piece of large paper and divide it into two halves. At the top of one put 'Theory X Manager' and at the top of the other put 'Theory Y Manager'.
- Imagine that you are a Theory X manager, that you believe workers are basically lazy. Try to list as many different ways that you can think of to get people to do the jobs you need doing.
- Now put your Theory Y manager's hat on and try and think about what motivation strategies you could use if you believe workers enjoyed work and wanted to do their jobs without threat.
- Compare your answers to those in the rest of your class.
- Look at the results of the survey that you carried out earlier in this resource. Given the results of that survey, do you think the people you asked fit with the model of human behaviour that is theory X or that which describes people as theory Y?
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