President of
Influenced by Maslow, McGregor clearly favored the more humanistic
Theory Y assumptions. The bias toward Theory Y that came from many of those who
adopted McGregor’s ideas, however, was not so sharply held by McGregor himself.
He still considered traditional management mechanisms to be a part of Theory Y
management, just as
McGregor’s ideas were features in management training courses for a decade or more. His distinction between X and Y are still common today. They influenced the design and implementation of personnel policies and practices. The legacy today permeates the axioms of participative and total quality management and the continued practice of staff appraisal.
|
McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y |
|
|
THEORY X |
THEORY Y |
|
1. Workers must be supervised as closely as
possible, either through direct oversight or by tight reward and/or
punishment systems. |
1.
People usually do not require close
supervision and will, if given a chance to control their own activities, be
productive, satisfied, and fulfilled. |
|
2. Work is objectionable to most people. |
2.
Work is natural and enjoyable unless
it is made offensive by the actions of organizations. |
|
3. Most people have little initiative, have
little capacity for being creative or solving organizational problems, do not
want to have responsibilities, and prefer being directed by someone else. |
3.
People are ambitious, desire autonomy
and self-control, and can use their abilities to solve problems and help
their organizations meet their goals. Creativity is distributed "normally"
across the population, just as is any other characteristic. |
|
4. People are motivated by economic factors
and a need for security. |
4.
People are motivated by a variety
of needs only some of which involve economics or security. |
For more information: BOLA
Douglas McGregor - Theory X and Y