Theory X & Z
“Theory X and Theory Y” of Douglas McGregor :
McGregor, in his book “The Human side of Enterprise” states that people inside the organization can be managed in two ways. The first is basically negative, which falls under the category X and the other is basically positive, which falls under the category Y. After viewing the way in which the manager dealt with employees, McGregor concluded that a manager’s view of the nature of human beings is based on a certain grouping of assumptions and that he or she tends to mold his or her behavior towards subordinates according to these assumptions.
Under Theory X ,the four assumptions held by managers are:
• Employees inherently do not like work and whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it.
• Because employees dislike work, they have to be forced, coerced or threatened with punishment to achieve goals.
• Employees avoid responsibilities and do not work fill formal directions are issued.
• Most workers place a greater importance on security over all other factors and display little ambition.
In contrast to these negative views about the nature of the human beings ,McGregor listed the four positive assumptions that he called Theory Y :
• Physical and mental effort at work is as natural as rest or play.
• People do exercise self-control and self-direction and if they are committed to those goals.
• Average human beings are willing to take responsibility and exercise imagination, ingenuity and creativity in solving the problems of the organization.
• That the way the things are organized, the average human being’s brainpower is only partly used.
On analysis of the assumptions it can be detected that theory X assumes that lower-order needs dominate individuals and theory Y assumes that higher-order needs dominate individuals. An organization that is run on Theory X lines tends to be authoritarian in nature, the word “authoritarian” suggests such ideas as the “power to enforce obedience” and the “right to command.”
McGregor, in his book “The Human side of Enterprise” states that people inside the organization can be managed in two ways. The first is basically negative, which falls under the category X and the other is basically positive, which falls under the category Y. After viewing the way in which the manager dealt with employees, McGregor concluded that a manager’s view of the nature of human beings is based on a certain grouping of assumptions and that he or she tends to mold his or her behavior towards subordinates according to these assumptions.
Under Theory X ,the four assumptions held by managers are:
• Employees inherently do not like work and whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it.
• Because employees dislike work, they have to be forced, coerced or threatened with punishment to achieve goals.
• Employees avoid responsibilities and do not work fill formal directions are issued.
• Most workers place a greater importance on security over all other factors and display little ambition.
In contrast to these negative views about the nature of the human beings ,McGregor listed the four positive assumptions that he called Theory Y :
• Physical and mental effort at work is as natural as rest or play.
• People do exercise self-control and self-direction and if they are committed to those goals.
• Average human beings are willing to take responsibility and exercise imagination, ingenuity and creativity in solving the problems of the organization.
• That the way the things are organized, the average human being’s brainpower is only partly used.
On analysis of the assumptions it can be detected that theory X assumes that lower-order needs dominate individuals and theory Y assumes that higher-order needs dominate individuals. An organization that is run on Theory X lines tends to be authoritarian in nature, the word “authoritarian” suggests such ideas as the “power to enforce obedience” and the “right to command.”