McGregor's theory X and theory Y, two exclusive ways of perceiving human behavior, adopted by managers to motivate employees and obtain high productivity.
Douglas McGregor was an illustrious figure in the management school of human relations that boomed in the middle of the last century, whose teachings, very pragmatic indeed, are still quite applicable today despite having borne the weight of four decades of theories and managerial fashions.
McGregor in his book "The human side of organizations" described two ways of thinking of managers to which he called Theory X and Theory Y. The managers of the first view their subordinates as work animals that only move under the yoke or threat, while the managers of the second are based on the principle that people want and need to work.
Let's take a closer look at the premises of the two positions:
Theory X
It is based on the old precept of the stick and the carrot and the presumption of mediocrity of the masses, it is assumed that individuals have a natural tendency to leisure and that, like the black boy of the batey (the song), work is a form of punishment Or as they say, "working is so bad that you even get paid", which presents two urgent needs for the organization: supervision and motivation.
The premises of theory X are:
- The average human being does not like to work and will avoid doing so at all costs, which gives rise to the second; In simple terms, workers are like horses: if they are not spurred they do not work. People need to be coerced, controlled, directed and threatened with punishment to strive to achieve the objectives of the company; The typical individual will avoid any responsibility, has little ambition and wants security above all else, so it is necessary that he lead.
«This behavior is not a consequence of the nature of man. Rather, it is a consequence of the nature of industrial organizations, their philosophy, policy and management. ”McGregor
Theory Y
The Theory Y managers consider that their subordinates find in their employment a source of satisfaction and that they will always strive to achieve the best results for the organization, thus, companies must release the skills of their workers in favor of said results.
The assumptions that support Theory Y are:
- Physical and mental burnout at work is as normal as at play or rest, the average individual does not dislike work itself; coercion, force, or threats are not necessary for individuals to strive for the Company objectives Workers commit to business objectives to the extent that they are rewarded for their achievements, the best reward is ego satisfaction and can be caused by the effort made to achieve the objectives of the organization. normal, the average human being will learn not only to accept responsibilities but to seek them.Most people have a high degree of imagination, creativity and ingenuity that will allow solving the problems of the organization
Integration. Theory Y is the forerunner of the integration of individual and corporate objectives, based on it, for example, quality circles
Which of the two is better? or which one is more applied in companies? I don't know, what I do know is that I largely identify with the second. The judgment is in your hands.
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Through the following video, from Educatina.com, you will learn more about the principles and implications of McGregor's X and Y theories.
A third theory was born, later, in response to the two proposed by McGregor in the 50s of the last century, it is Theory Z.
