Theory X/Y Douglas Mcgregor Formulated Research Paper

The company may not see the benefits of having a fully Theory Y managerial style, or the managers involved may not fully be able to implement such a style as it demands a high level of trust in the employees.

In theory, the survey results should reflect fairly accurately on my work experience. However, the conclusion is that my company has a management style that is skewed towards Theory Y I would actually argue that this is overly generous, that my company is more towards Theory X What I see is that some of the high scores -- for example my boss finding extra responsibility for me or calling me by my first name -- are overly generous in their weighting. These elements do not necessary reflect the openness and trust inherent in a Theory Y organization as they do not reflect management granting more trust to the employees, not even myself. The general sentiment in the daily work is more of a Theory X company. Even with being able to work independently, rest assured if something goes wrong the independence will wane.

Conclusion

McGregor's theories provide a rough understanding of diametric points-of-view on the nature of the worker and the natural managerial responses to that nature. When we attempt to understand a specific job or employment situation in that context, there can be some misinterpretation. In general, however, the theories provide some understanding of the conditions in which we work. They may need some 20th century updating -- it is harder to conceive of a purely Theory X company than it perhaps might have been in 1960 -- but they provide a good foundation for understanding some managerial behaviors, especially ones that seem anachronistic to the modern worker.

References:

McGregor, D. (1960). Theory X and Theory Y Google Scholar. Retrieved September 26, 2011 from http://www.sanandres.esc.edu.ar/secondary/BusinessEconomics/Business/BY9%20Notes%20Motivation%20McGregor.doc

NetMBA. (2010). Theory X and Theory Y NetMBA.com. Retrieved September 26, 2011 from http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/mcgregor/