Wednesday, January 18, 2006
McGregor Article Summary - Theory X & Y
The Human Side of Enterprise
by Douglas Murray McGregor
aka: (Theory X and Theory Y)
Theory X
Three propositions:
Management:
- is reponsible for organization and productivity.
- directs, motivates, controls, modifies behaviour to fit needs of organization.
- without managment intervention, people are passive and need rewards and punishments.
Beliefs:
- People work as little as possible.
- People lack ambition, dislike responsibility and prefer to be led.
- People are self-centred and gullible.
Management can be "hard" or "strong" (coercion, close supervision)
- Leads to counter forces, antagonism, sabotage of management objective
"Soft" or "weak"management (satisfy demands, permissive)
- Leads to indifferent performance, people expect more but give less, no motivation.
Both approaches fail because the motivators are irrelevant to the situation.
If deprived of opportunities, behaviour reflects that: passive, resistant, unreasonable.
Conventional Approach to Management:
capstone: Self-fulfillment Needs - needs for realizing potential
Ego Needs - needs for independence, achievement
Social Needs - needs for belonging, acceptance
Safety Needs - needs for protection against danger
base: Physiological Needs - when one need is satisfied, another replaces it!!
Management and Motivation:
- deprivation of physiological needs has behavioral consequences (hostility, passivity)
- opportunities need to be provided at work to satisfy higher-level needs or behaviour will reflect deprivation (??? Masters provides Social, Ego and Self-fulfillment needs.)
The Carrot-and-Stick Theory of Motivation:
- The means for satisfying physiological and safety needs can be provided or withheld by management. (doesn't work once motivated by higher needs, not a good device for directing behaviour)
Theory Y - A New Management -
Management is responsible for elements of production (money, materials, equipment, people).
People are not passive or resistant by nature. They become so because of experiences.
Motivation, personal development, responsibility opportunities, are present in people. Management must make it possible to recognize and develop them.
Management's task: arrange organizational conditions and methods of operation so people can achieve goals
Theory Y - creates opportunities
- releases potential
- removes obstacles
- encourages growth
- provides guidance
Theory X
- places reliance on external control of human behaviour
Theory Y
- relies on self control and self direction
Examples of successful implementation of Theory Y:
- increase number of people reporting to a manager
- job enlargement: responsibility at bottom of organization
- participative/consultative management: encouragement, give voice
- performance appraisal/self-evaluation/goal-setting
For success of Theory Y, management must have confidence in their staff, be directed toward organizational objectives rather than personal power.
Critique:
This article was published in 1957, therefore its suggestions are already dated because they have already been implemented and are quite evident in today's society. (Pro-d, conferences, consulting firms, workshops)
Questions for discussion:
Since many of these ideas are already evident in today's society, what can be added to Theory Y to make it more current, relevant and effective?
Are aspects of Theory X evident today? If so, where?
Is Theory Y or Theory X more prevalent in your school? Explain.
What needs does the Masters program provide?
by Douglas Murray McGregor
aka: (Theory X and Theory Y)
Theory X
Three propositions:
Management:
- is reponsible for organization and productivity.
- directs, motivates, controls, modifies behaviour to fit needs of organization.
- without managment intervention, people are passive and need rewards and punishments.
Beliefs:
- People work as little as possible.
- People lack ambition, dislike responsibility and prefer to be led.
- People are self-centred and gullible.
Management can be "hard" or "strong" (coercion, close supervision)
- Leads to counter forces, antagonism, sabotage of management objective
"Soft" or "weak"management (satisfy demands, permissive)
- Leads to indifferent performance, people expect more but give less, no motivation.
Both approaches fail because the motivators are irrelevant to the situation.
If deprived of opportunities, behaviour reflects that: passive, resistant, unreasonable.
Conventional Approach to Management:
capstone: Self-fulfillment Needs - needs for realizing potential
Ego Needs - needs for independence, achievement
Social Needs - needs for belonging, acceptance
Safety Needs - needs for protection against danger
base: Physiological Needs - when one need is satisfied, another replaces it!!
Management and Motivation:
- deprivation of physiological needs has behavioral consequences (hostility, passivity)
- opportunities need to be provided at work to satisfy higher-level needs or behaviour will reflect deprivation (??? Masters provides Social, Ego and Self-fulfillment needs.)
The Carrot-and-Stick Theory of Motivation:
- The means for satisfying physiological and safety needs can be provided or withheld by management. (doesn't work once motivated by higher needs, not a good device for directing behaviour)
Theory Y - A New Management -
Management is responsible for elements of production (money, materials, equipment, people).
People are not passive or resistant by nature. They become so because of experiences.
Motivation, personal development, responsibility opportunities, are present in people. Management must make it possible to recognize and develop them.
Management's task: arrange organizational conditions and methods of operation so people can achieve goals
Theory Y - creates opportunities
- releases potential
- removes obstacles
- encourages growth
- provides guidance
Theory X
- places reliance on external control of human behaviour
Theory Y
- relies on self control and self direction
Examples of successful implementation of Theory Y:
- increase number of people reporting to a manager
- job enlargement: responsibility at bottom of organization
- participative/consultative management: encouragement, give voice
- performance appraisal/self-evaluation/goal-setting
For success of Theory Y, management must have confidence in their staff, be directed toward organizational objectives rather than personal power.
Critique:
This article was published in 1957, therefore its suggestions are already dated because they have already been implemented and are quite evident in today's society. (Pro-d, conferences, consulting firms, workshops)
Questions for discussion:
Since many of these ideas are already evident in today's society, what can be added to Theory Y to make it more current, relevant and effective?
Are aspects of Theory X evident today? If so, where?
Is Theory Y or Theory X more prevalent in your school? Explain.
What needs does the Masters program provide?
# posted by Angelina @ 5:21 PM 
Comments:
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Try to comment, but said I wasn't a team member. I'll try again before I write anything profound.
Judy
Judy
Anelina,
So...here's my original comment. Do we need to write a summary and critique for each of our season's assigned readings? If this is so than the workload doesn't seem fair since the winter group was only assigned the Fullan article. Or are you just doing the writing to help yourself remember (and your group members)?
Judy
So...here's my original comment. Do we need to write a summary and critique for each of our season's assigned readings? If this is so than the workload doesn't seem fair since the winter group was only assigned the Fullan article. Or are you just doing the writing to help yourself remember (and your group members)?
Judy
I'm writing it so I can remember:), but if this will clog up the Spring blog, I'll just post them on my personal blog.
Angelina
Angelina
No problem, I like to see what the rest of the group's doing. I had been reading but hadn't written anything, your comments got me moving that way. Don't think I'll do it for all the articles but will do it for our groups' assigned ones.
Judy
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Judy
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