Douglas Mcgregor's Theory X And Theory Y Essay

Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y

The work of Douglas McGregor, the renowned social psychologist at MIT's Sloan School of Management who studied the theoretical foundations of human motivation in the 1960's, was premised on a binary conception of managerial perception known as Theory X and Theory Y According to McGregor, managers practicing Theory X operate under the assumption that employees are inherently lazy and unwilling to pursue greater responsibility, while managers who adhere to Theory Y assume that their workers are ambitious in the self-motivated pursuit of personal goals, and these contrasting approaches viewing a workforce necessarily informs management's choice of leadership style. Under the working conditions fostered by Theory X, management must develop strict organizational controls to assure even minimal levels of efficiency, with managers providing close supervision to assure compliance, and punitive measures used as a threat-based incentive. Conversely, the liberated style of Theory Y management empowers employees to contribute creatively, with relatively loose institutional controls creating a workplace in which members largely provide their own motivation while accomplishing organizational objectives. While the merits of applying Theory X to modern workplaces, including offices, factories, and other complex organizations, have been roundly discredited in the decades after McGregor's groundbreaking work, there are still many occupations which are constrained by this authoritarian style of management. After completing the "X-Y Theory Questionnaire" on www.businessballs.com, I am now better informed as to whether or not my own superiors at work view my employment there through the perspective of Theory X or Theory Y

Q1: How do your two scores relate to your experience at work?

The first part of the "X-Y Theory Questionnaire" gauged the tendency of my managers at work to engage in Theory X or Theory Y motivational practices, based on my response to a number of survey questions regarding my relationship with my boss,…