Theory x and theory y are theories of human work motivation and management. In his 1960 management book, the human side of enterprise, douglas mcgregor made his mark on the history of organizational management and motivational psychology when he proposed the two theories by which managers perceive employee motivation. As you would expect, theory y sees motivation in the opposite manner of theory x. Mcgregor s work had a huge effect on administrative thought. Theory x and y created by mcgregor has been a valid basic principle from which to develop positive management style and techniques. According to mcgregor, theory x seeks to promote engagement by directing, monitoring. Mcgregor s theory x and theory y the idea that a managers attitude has an impact on employee motivation was originally proposed by douglas mcgregor, a management professor at the massachusetts institute of technology during the 1950s and 1960s. Many managers tend towards theory x, and generally get poor results. Motivation, theory x and y, classroom, management manager and organisation introduction douglas mcgregor, an american social psychologist, proposed his famous theory x and y in his book the human side of enterprise in 1960.
Douglas mcgregor 1906 1964 was a lecturer at harvard university and became the first sloan fellows professor at mit his theory x and theory y was detailed in the human side of enterprise, published in 1960. Read this article to learn about mcgregors theory of x and theory y. These theories describe two contrasting models of workforce motivation in human resource. Douglas mcgregor work is established in motivation theory. His work showed that thoughts and beliefs might influence behavio. Douglas mcgregor introduced two theories called as theoryx and theoryy based on the distinct views of human beings. Theory x assumptions believe that workers must be controlled and threatened with punishment allio, 2009. Introduced by douglas mcgregor, theory x and theory y talk about the diverging views that exist about how organizations function. Theory x management style generally get poor results compare with managers use theory y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop. Read this article to learn about mcgregor s theory of x and theory y.
My boss asks me politely to do things, gives me reasons why, and invites my suggestions. Dogan unlucan mcgregor theories x and theory y student. Mcgregors theory is also from are one of those theories that comprise much influence on both the management and the employee. Theory x and theory y team management training from. Douglas mcgregors theory x vs theory y lucidchart blog. Both theories x and y are proposed by mcgregor which describe the workforce models which are contrasting in nature and which are used by reporting managers in organizational behaviour and human. It is to mcgregor s thorough research and curiosity in behavior and incentive that we owe our current understanding of theory x and theory y.
The relationship between mcgregors xy theory management. Mcgregor argued that these assumptions fall into two broad categories theory x and theory y. In contrast to the principles of conventional management mentioned as theory x, the advocated theory y illuminated a cluster of new or redefined concepts such as selffulfilling prophecy and responsibility. In the 1960s, douglas murray mcgregor, a famous mit professor of management wrote a book named the human side of enterprise in which he analyzed the various behaviors of professionals at work. Evaluating mcgregors theory as an approach to management. They can only be made to get results at work by the application of. Mcgregors theoryx and theoryy what is human resource.
According to mcgregor, the function of motivating people involves certain assumptions about human nature. Perception of management toward the employees in the banking industry of bangladesh. You might, for instance, have a tendency to micromanage or, conversely, you may prefer to take a more handsoff approach. In the 1960s, social psychologist douglas mcgregor developed two contrasting theories that explained how managers beliefs about what motivates their people. Managers generally have one of two perspectives regarding their employees. Mcgregor postulated 2 theories on human management and leadership which are theory x and theory y. Mcgregor theory x and theory y for staff and employees. In 1960, douglas mcgregor developed a leadership theory mcgregor theory x and theory y about organization and management in which he represented two opposing perceptions about people. Jun, 2017 one topic you can expect to see at least once on the pmp exam is mcgregors theory x and theory y. It contains assumptions which he believed could lead to greater motivation and better fulfillment of both individual needs and organizational goals.
Sep 09, 2016 douglas mcgregor wrote about theory x and theory y in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Mcgregors theory x and theory y are theories about human behavior and motivation in the organization that was published in 1960 by douglas mcgregor. Social psychologist mcgregor s theoryx and theory yof mit expounded two contrasting theories on human motivation and management in the 1960s. Mcgregors theory x and theory y free download as pdf file. The two theories are sets of propositions and beliefs about human nature. Features of mcgregors theory x and theory y of motivation. Mcgregor promoted theory y as the basis of good management practice, pioneering the argument that workers are not merely cogs in the company machinery, as theory xtype organizations seemed to believe. The purpose of this paper is to trace douglas mcgregor s theory y thinking back from pre. Mcgregor recognized that x type workers are in fact usually the minority, and yet in mass organizations, such as large scale production environment, x theory management may be required and can be unavoidable. Theory x advanced the view that human beings have an innate dislike for work. They were created by douglas mcgregor while he was working at the mit sloan school of management in the 1950s, and developed further in the 1960s. A powtoon video highlighting the advantages of mcgregor s theory x and y while highlighting the disadvantages of the other 3 theories. What is the difference between mcgregors theory x and.
Theory x and theory y management oxford bibliographies. Do you care about the goals of the organization that you work for, or do you focus more on getting a regular paycheck to bring home. There are two alternative sets of assumptions which mcgregor has described. Theory x and theory y assumptions, merits and demerits. Mcgregor s theory x and theory y he was the first full time professor of psychology at mit university.
Many years ago a professor named mcgregor dubbed these perspectives theory x and theory y. These theories are based on human behaviour in management. Kopelman and others published theory x and theory y published in the sage encyclopedia of management theories find, read and cite all the research you need on. Mcgregor holds the opinion that theory x assumptions about organisation, management, and man are obstacles to performance, and productivity. Douglas mcgregor, one of maslow s students, influenced the study of motivation with his formulation of two contrasting sets of assumptions about human nature theory x and theory y the theory x management style is based on a pessimistic view of. In mcgregor 1957b, he further develops his thinking in terms of theory x and theory y as it relates to performance appraisal.
They were created by douglas mcgregor while he was working at the mit. The three prior studies that have made this distinction were recently conducted solely to develop constructvalid measures of both. First, there has been a failure to distinguish between theory x y attitudes and theory x y behaviors. Theory x holds a negative traditional view of the workers while theory y holds a much refined and.
Mcgregor s theory x and theory y are theories about human behavior and motivation in the organization that was published in 1960 by douglas mcgregor. The human side of enterprise, mcgregor, 1957 and were expanded upon. From this he formulated two models of management based on hierarchy into lowerorder needs theory x and higherorder needs theory y. History mcgregor developed a philosophical view of humankind with his theory x and theory y in 1960. Theory y theory y expounds a participative style of management that is decentralized. I knew instinctively that mcgregor s assessment of the traditional view management, which he names theory x, was true because i had worked in x environments for years, trying to run y divisions. He avoided descriptive labels and simply called the theories theory x and theory y. He was a strong supporter of theories x and y, and he put theory y that people want to work, achieve and take. Social psychologist mcgregors theoryx and theoryyof mit expounded two contrasting theories on human motivation and management in the 1960s. Theory y focuses on a participative leadership style that is decentralized. Theoryx and theoryy management applicationbusiness implications for workforce motivation. Mcgregor s x y theory is a natural rule for managing people.
Mcgregor s work was rooted in motivation theory alongside the works of abraham maslow, who created the hierarchy of needs. He did not imply that workers would be one type or the other. Theory x and theory y are still referred to commonly in the field of management and motivation, and whilst more recent studies have questioned the rigidity of the model, mcgregor s x y theory remains a valid basic principle from which to develop positive management style and techniques. Mcgregor s ideas suggest that there are two fundamental approaches to managing people. Apr 07, 2017 mcgregor s theory x and theory y from wiki theory x in this theory, management assumes employees are inherently lazy, dislike work, and will avoid it if they can. Theory x and theory y are considered as theories of human motivation at the workplace. Theory x and theory y were initially presented in the early work of douglas mcgregor. Mcgregor s theory x and theory y douglas mcgregor s in his book the human side of enterprise published in 1960, explained two different kinds of theories or assumptions about human behavior. Mcgregors theory x and y douglas mcgregor wrote the book the human side of enterprise in 1960 he examined individuals behaviour at work. Either theory x or theory y assumptions may be appropriate in a particular situation. Theory x gives importance to supervision, while theory y stresses on rewards and recognition. You may, however, find that you naturally favor one over the other. Theory x and theory y framework proposed by mcgregor in his classic book the human side of enterprise 1960 consists of two alternative set of assumptions. Theory y put forward the idea that management by objectives and involving workers in the decisionmaking process would lead to the creation of a satisfied and more productive workforce.
This article describes the theory x and theory y of douglas mcgregor. Mcgregor s x y theory is a salutary and simple reminder of the natural rules for managing people, which under the pressure of daytoday business are all too easily forgotten. Douglas mcgregors theory x and theory y of motivation. This was followed in 1960 by the human side of enterprise, a book in which he presents a more comprehensive description of theory x and y and provides a number of theory y management practices mcgregor 1960. Pdf theory x and theory y published in the sage encyclopedia. Introduction theory x and theory y are theories of human motivation created and developed by douglas mcgregor in the 1960s. Theory x managers assume that workers are lazy, will avoid responsibility, and prefer to just get by.
What might be less immediately understandable are the differing effects of theory x and y. Douglas mcgregor s theory x and theory y shubhabrata bose iiswbm mbaday sec. Thus, when two literatures are examined conjointly, a relationship between theory x and y management styles and lmx is expected kopelman et al. He is best known for his development of the theory x and theory y, a leadership theory on two different leadership styles biography douglas mcgregor.
Mcgregors ideas about theory x and theory y were first articulated in his article. Most managers will likely use a mixture of theory x and theory y. He has given two pairs of assumptions about human beings which were implied by the actions of managers in the organization. As a former tester i can assure you that having a strong grasp of this theory will give you at least one correct answer on the exam. Rather, he saw the two theories as two extremes with a whole spectrum of possible behaviours in between. The idea behind using letters x and y, perhaps seems to be using a.
Theory x and theory y, given by mcgregor, are explained below with the main assumptions of each theory. Mcgregor promoted theory y as the basis of good management practice, pioneering the argument that workers are not merely cogs in the company machinery, as theory x type organizations seemed to believe. Created and developed by douglas mcgregor in the 1960s, these theories describe. He referred to these opposing motivational methods as theory x and theory y management. This theory divides workers and managers in the organization in two typical groups according to how managers lead their subordinates and respectively how subordinates behave. Mcgregors theories x and y introduction to business. Comparative analysis of theory x, theory y, theory z, and theory. Theory x and theory y, introduced in the book and are known for management and human motivation. However, beyond this commonality, the attitudes and assumptions they embody are quite different. Douglas mcgregor is the one who constructed theory x and y in the 1960s.
Mcgregor considered theoryx and theoryy as two perspectives of administration action. Theory x and theory y published in the sage encyclopedia of management theories. Mcgregors theory x and theory y theory motivation scribd. Mar 01, 2005 the purpose of this paper is to trace douglas mcgregors theory y thinking back from pre. After reading you will understand the background and the practical basics of these leadership styles what is theory x and theory y.
Under this theory, the employees are highly selfmotivated, and they need little encouragement from upper management to deliver quality results on a day to day basis. They are inadequate to realize all the human potentialities. Theory into practice abraham maslow viewed mcgregor as a mentor. Theory x percieves employees to be lazy, irresponsible and untrustworthy, while according to theory y employees are approached as one of the most valuable assets of the company. X and consider using the techniques suggested by theory y. Mcgregor recognized that in many organizations x type workers are usually found in the minority, but even then in mass organizations, like large scale production environment, theory x management or leadership style may be required and can be unavoidable.
For those managers faced with the challenge of douglas mcgregors landmark book. Mcgregor s six assumptions of theory y and his ideas of integrating individual and organization goals are congruent with the main planks in. After studying managers dealing with employees, mcgregor concluded that the managers views the nature of human beings are based on certain assumptions. Theory x and theory y of management represent two fundamental approaches to employee engagement carson, 2005. Both the theories, which are very different from each other, are used by managers to motivate their employees. Pdf leadership style and organizational performance have been researched extensively. In actual practice, most managers today practice a combination of theory x and theory y styles of management. How are mcgregor s theories x and y and ouchis theory z used to explain worker motivation. Furthermore, there is a call for the investigation of the relationship between theory x and y management styles and lmx. Douglas mcgregor has developed a theory of motivation of the basis of hypotheses relating to human behaviour.
Pdf theory x and theory y type leadership behavior and its. In this essay i will elaborate more on the douglas mcgregors theory x and y as well as how the theory has added value in the methods of the management that managers today use to reach organizational goals. Difference between theory x and theory y with comparison. Application of theory x and y in classroom management by. Xy theory questionnaire score the statements 5 always, 4 mostly, 3 often, 2 occasionally, 1 rarely, 0 never to indicate whether the situation and management style is x or y. Theory x and theory y of motivation theory x and theory y of motivation by mcgregor s. Pdf application of mcgregors theory x and theory y. Motivation theory x and theory y free management books. A historical view of douglas mcgregors theory y emerald. Douglas mcgregor has developed two sets of assumptions about human behaviour. He was a strong supporter of theories x and y, and he put theory y that people want to work, achieve and take responsibility into practice in a californian electronics factory. Pdf douglas mcgregors landmark book, the human side of enterprise, changed the path of management thinking and. Theory x and theory y of motivation explain with examples. The first being theory y mangers and theory x managers waddell, jones, george 2010, p.
So, in place of theory x mcgregor proposed a new theory broadly recognized as theory. Abstract what motivates you to do a great job when you go to work. Get an answer for what is the difference between mcgregors theory x and theory y and maslows hierarchy of needs. First, there has been a failure to distinguish between theory xy attitudes and theory xy behaviors. Many theorists support that mcgregor s theory considers the field of management from a new angle, indicating a strong influential value. There is no evidence to confirm that either set of assumptions is valid. Theory x and theory y are part of motivational theories. Douglas mcgregor 1906 1964 was a famous management professor in the field of personal development and motivational theory. Nov 25, 2019 theory x and theory y of motivation theory y. Theory x and theory y 875 assumptions about human behavior in organiza importance. Mcgregor developed two theories of human behaviour at work. In 1960, douglas mcgregor formulated theory x and theory y suggesting two aspects of human behaviour at work, or in other words, two different views of individuals employees.
Theory x and theory y in his 1960 book, the human side of enterprise, douglas mcgregor proposed two theories by which to view employee motivation. Mcgregor 1960 famously argued that there are two types of managers. It is important to understand the two terms, internal motivation and external motivation is made up of the forces which exist within an individual, i. Mcgregor himself held to the belief that theory y assumptions were more valid than theory x. It showed up when the behavioral sciences were assuming an expanding part in how managers considered their work. Theory x is propounded by mcgregor, which indicates a set of assumptions, that an average worker is motivated to satisfy their own needs and not to contribute to the fulfilment of organisational goals.
The theory x and theory y are the theories of motivation given by douglas mcgregor in 1960s. The human side of enterprise, where he identifies and develops his enowned theory x and theory y. Although nearly 50 years have passed since mcgregor s initial formulation of theory x and theory y, the substantive validity of his theorizing on the effects of individual differences in. This theory was developed by douglas mcgregor in 1950s at mit. Mcgregor s theory x and theory y from wiki theory x in this theory, management assumes employees are inherently lazy, dislike work, and will avoid it if they can. Many managers tend towards theory x, and generally get poor.
Mcgregors theory x and theory y theory of motivation. The points given below are substantial, so far as the difference between theory x and theory y is concerned. Mcgregor s x y theory remains a valid basic principle from which to. These theories are based on the premise that management has to assemble all the factors of production, including human beings, to get the work done. Theory x and theory y type leadership behavior and its. Theory y is mcgregors other modem view of the nature of man. Therefore, psychological contract fulfillment is closely related to theory y managements style. Mcgregors theory x and theory y douglas mcgregor proposed two distinct views of human beings. Critically evaluate mcgregors theroy x and theory y.
333 314 1327 879 24 62 1170 1213 15 668 1113 734 487 855 1130 541 229 13 195 1398 707 1033 116 1487 335 870 1033 414 432 1267 163 290 455 117 526 889 908