Managing People: Theory X vs Theory Y Managers

McGregor has demonstrated two famous theories on the topic of motivation of employees. They are referred to as Theory X and theory Y. The former talks about less ambitious workers who don't really like to do the work they're assigned and need to be controlled for completing the tasks.

Conversely, theory Y involves dedicated people who happily carry out the tasks they are assigned. These people work toward their goals responsibly and put in real effort to keep the quality of their products high.

In a company or organization, it can prove to be a lot of trouble if workers are disinterested and lazy. The business may have to suffer huge losses because of the poor quality of workforce it has and consequently, consumers or finish users will tend to dislike the products or services that it delivers. It is also the company's responsibility to know and worth its workers to ensure that they are able to really feel more confident.

A manager with good bonding skills with workers can greatly influence the ability of a teams performance as a unit. A great example of this, explained by Theory Y, is that it can be similar to how a family works, like how a child is cared and looked out for by their parents.

The philosophy of Theory XY was one of Douglas McGregor of the MIT School of Business. His theory presents the belief that companies need to motivate their employees to get them to work. Theory X managers believe that workers do not want to work and are motivated extrinsically, both positively and negatively, that is by salary and awards and by loss of job, demotions. Theory Y managers believe that workers are intrinsically motivated. They believe workers are smart and efficient and don't work with threats. The conclusion of the research showed that no company is exclusively one style of management over the other. All companies seem to have managers of both Theory X and Theory Y.

A company abiding by the Theory X would not offer sufficient training and introduction to its new employees. It'll simply ask them to start operating right from day one and will load them with huge assignments and sharp deadlines. Ultimately, they choose up the leading performers and kick out the underperformers. The Apprentice, a reality show was carved out from such a philosophy.

The environment is much friendlier to work in when the managers belonging to Theory Y give more freedom to their employees. The companies profits will reflect this change in the work habit.

A manager should, ideally, treat new hires equally and also consider their perspective of going about with company. This can help the company tremendously as new hires bring fresh ideas and methods of smart work. This may not only benefit the company's interest, but also motivate the workers by boosting their confidence as their say is valued.

The term 'motivation' can be defined as a willingness to work for a way to fulfill a certain necessity. For instance, it can be said that the people who put in a great amount of effort to get money in order to buy food have motivation, as food is certainly a necessity.

There are two theories, demonstrated by McGregor, which a company might utilize to motivate its employees. The theories are called Theory X and Theory Y. The first theory, that is, Theory X deals with the workers who are less than ambitious. The workers who are less ambitious hesitate to do their assigned work. In order to get the tasks completed, they have to be controlled.

Steve Wilheir is a project management consultant, teaching successful management practices to Fortune 100 companies looking to build a better tomorrow. If you enjoyed learning about employee motivation, be sure to check out these other articles on Douglas McGregor and the Theory X Manager.

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