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Human Relations Contributors

Douglas McGregor

Theory X and Theory Y

Douglas McGregor in his book, "The Human Side of Enterprise" published in 19! has

eamined theories on beha#ior of indi#iduals at $ork, and he has formulated t$o models$hich he calls Theor% & and Theor% '(

Theory X Assumptions

The a#erage human being has an inherent dislike of $ork and $ill a#oid it if he can(

)ecause of their dislike for $ork, most people must be controlled and threatened

before the% $ill $ork hard enough( The a#erage human prefers to be directed, dislikes responsibilit%, is unambiguous,

and desires securit% abo#e e#er%thing(

These assumptions lie behind most organi*ational principles toda%, and gi#e rise

both to "tough" management $ith punishments and tight controls, and "soft"management $hich aims at harmon% at $ork(

)oth these are "$rong" because man needs more than financial re$ards at $ork,

he also needs some deeper higher order moti#ation + the opportunit% to fulfill

himself(

Theor% & managers do not gi#e their staff this opportunit% so that the emplo%ees

beha#e in the epected fashion(

Theory Y Assumptions

The ependiture of ph%sical and mental effort in $ork is as natural as pla% or rest(

ontrol and punishment are not the onl% $a%s to make people $ork, man $ill

direct himself if he is committed to the aims of the organi*ation(

-f a .ob is satisf%ing, then the result $ill be commitment to the organi*ation(

The a#erage man learns, under proper conditions, not onl% to accept but to seek

responsibilit%(

-magination, creati#it%, and ingenuit% can be used to sol#e $ork problems b% a

large number of emplo%ees(

/nder the conditions of modern industrial life, the intellectual potentialities of thea#erage man are onl% partiall% utili*ed(

Comments on Theory X and Theory Y Assumptions

These assumptions are based on social science research $hich has been carried out, anddemonstrate the potential $hich is present in man and $hich organi*ations should

recogni*e in order to become more effecti#e(

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McGregor sees these t$o theories as t$o 0uite separate attitudes( Theor% ' is difficult to

put into practice on the shop floor in large mass production operations, but it can be used

initiall% in the managing of managers and professionals(

-n "The Human Side of Enterprise" McGregor sho$s ho$ Theor% ' affects the

management of promotions and salaries and the de#elopment of effecti#e managers(McGregor also sees Theor% ' as conduci#e to participati#e problem sol#ing(

-t is part of the managers .ob to eercise authorit%, and there are cases in $hich this is theonl% method of achie#ing the desired results because subordinates do not agree that the

ends are desirable(

Ho$e#er, in situations $here it is possible to obtain commitment to ob.ecti#es, it is better

to eplain the matter full% so that emplo%ees grasp the purpose of an action( The% $illthen eert self+direction and control to do better $ork + 0uite possibl% b% better methods +

than if the% had simpl% been carr%ing out an order $hich the % did not full% understand(

The situation in $hich emplo%ees can be consulted is one $here the indi#iduals are

emotionall% mature, and positi#el% moti#ated to$ards their $ork2 $here the $ork issufficientl% responsible to allo$ for fleibilit% and $here the emplo%ee can see her or his

o$n position in the management hierarch%( -f these conditions are present, managers $ill

find that the participati#e approach to problem sol#ing leads to much impro#ed resultscompared $ith the alternati#e approach of handing out authoritarian orders(

3nce management becomes persuaded that it is under estimating the potential of its

human resources, and accepts the kno$ledge gi#en b% social science researchers and

displa%ed in Theor% ' assumptions, then it can in#est time, mone% and effort in

de#eloping impro#ed applications of the theor%(

McGregor reali*es that some of the theories he has put for$ard are unreali*able in

practice, but $ants managers to put into operation the basic assumption that4

Staff $ill contribute more to the organi*ation if the% are treated as responsible and

#alued emplo%ees(

5et 6 7ensis 8ikert

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