User:Msanche2/Theory X and Theory Y

I am creating this article as a more thorough explanation of Theory X and Theory Y than the one that is already on Wikipedia. This is for my business and technical writing course.

Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human motivation developed by Douglas McGregor in the 1960s.They describe two very different attitudes toward workforce motivation. McGregor felt that companies followed either one or the other approach.

In the earlier part of the 20th century organizational communication was studied with a classical approach in attempts to improve efficiency and productivity in organizations. As theorists continued studying organizations and began to take into account different aspects which had been overlooked new ideas emerged. Out of this came the human relations approach way of thinking, marking its influence from the late 1930s all the way to the 1960s. There were several theories with this approach, including Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y. This  human relations movement came about due to a series of research investigations known as the  Hawthorne studies.

Theory Proposal
Douglas McGregor was a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the strongest advocates of the human relations movement. In his 1960 book, The Human Side of Enterprise, he proposed two theories, Theory X and Theory Y represent the different assumptions that managers hold about organizational functioning. A manager working with respect to Theory X is influences by the most negative aspects of the classical management theories. While a manager on the side of Theory Y, contrastingly believes in the principles of the human relations movement.

Theory X
Theory X has its roots in scientific management with the basis that the most effective way to run an organization is through direction and control by authority. Management is assumed to make most of the decisions alone; there is only downward communication with a very notable lack of feedback or suggestions from those at the bottom of the organization. Management through Theory X results in certain assumptions: Basically this theory views a worker as nothing more than a part of the organization that is motivated by money, implicit threats, close supervision, and tight control. These assumptions are incorrect according to McGregor.
 * The manager believes he is responsible for organizing the elements of productive enterprise including money, materials, equipment, and people in the interest of economic ends.
 * Theory X is seen as a process of directing the efforts of people, motivating them, and modifying their behaviors to fit the needs of the organization.
 * This theory views people as passive to organization needs without the intervention of management.
 * There are several negative assumptions about human nature:
 * The average man by nature works as little as possible.
 * He lacks ambition, is opposed to responsibility, and prefers to be led.
 * He is indifferent to organizational needs and self centered.
 * He is resistant to change.
 * He is not very smart.

Problems with Theory X
Managers who use the theory create climates of distrust, fear, and misunderstanding. Because so little information flows upward the hierarchy (information that does reach is filtered and considerably distorted) decision making is based on only partial and inaccurate data. McGregor bases his theories on Maslow’s Hierarchy, and claims that Theory X only satisfies a lower level of motivation, and man needs more than just the motivation satisfied by money. All other needs are already satisfied by society and therefore leave little to be done with this theory of management.

Theory Y
Theory Y emphasizes more on the social nature of workers. It says that human beings can be meaningfully motivated to work productively only when their higher level needs are fulfilled by the organization. It takes it one step further and contrasts Theory X saying that workers do not like to be driven by a higher power, and rather prefer the opposite, of freedom and responsibility. This theory supports the idea of a more widely directional flow of information. Feedback is important and an atmosphere of trust and confidence is encouraged. This theory suggests that the goal of the worker and the organization are more aligned because of the increased compatibility between the two.

Theory Y Advantages
In some situations exercising authority and giving out orders is the only way that the organization can reach their goals and have direction. On the other hand where it is possible to explain the purpose of the actions being taken will result in a better outcome. Workers that have knowledge of what they are working towards tend to display self-direction and control to accomplish better work than if by carrying out orders. These situations result in a higher motivation of the workers towards their jobs with an increased responsibility and a sense of position in the organization.

Overall, the difference between the two theories is the trust factor. Theory X assumes that humans are inherently lazy and unwilling to work and so more control is imposed upon them, whereas Theory Y believes has a more positive outlook on human behavior and allows them more confidence to do what is necessary. They are both correct because everyone is different, but the key factor to remember is that a person looked upon and treated with respect to Theory X will become a product of Theory X and the same goes for Theory Y.

=References=

Katherine, Miller. 4th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.

http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/mcgregor/

http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm

http://www.envisionsoftware.com/articles/Theory_X.html