Use of Douglas McGregor’s Motivation Theory in Management

 

McGregor’s Theory

The core assumptions of leadership proposed by Douglas McGregor (Theory X and Theory Y) help the leaders to analyze the underlying perceptions and assumptions about the people (Dartey-Baah, 2009). For organizational behavior analysis, organizational communication improvement, human resource management, and organizational development, Theory X and Theory Y have been used. They express diverse opinions on workforce motivation (Hattangadi, 2015).

Theory X

Theory X and Y models separate employees into two categories based on two assumptions. People are viewed negatively in Theory X assumptions: Some people may "inherent dislike for work and avoid it at all costs; as a result, they must be coerced, controlled, directed, and threatened with punishment to work." They prefer being directed, steer clear from responsibility, have low ambition, and seek security" (Badubi, 2017).

Theory Y

The assumptions of Theory Y are the opposite of theory X. Some people may exert mental and physical efforts for work equal to amounts exerted at rest or play. Their motivations may not be influenced only by external factors or external threats to exert such effort. They can exercise caution, determination and discipline to achieve objectives, but their hunger or the desire to commit to goals is determined by the size of the rewards associated with that type of achievement (Badubi, 2017). According to Theory Y, humans are active shapers of themselves and their environments instead of being passive. They yearn to mature and take on more responsibilities (Aithal and Kumar, 2016).

Significant aspects in Management Approaches

According to Theory X and Y, the average human being is lethargic and idle, self-centered, lacks vision, rejects adapting to change, and need to be directed (Dartey-Baah, 2009). A managerial approach may places considerable emphasis on total control. However, changes in technology and environment, changes in business models, automation of production processes, and changes in people's thinking patterns are transforming small organizations into global entities in the twenty-first century, so that applying rational theories in organizations are vital for effective work output from human resources (Aithal and Kumar, 2016).

Comparison between Theory X & Y

A comparison between Theory X and Theory Y are shown in figure 1.

               Figure 1: Contrast between Theory X and Theory Y (Sorensen & Minahan, 2011)

McGregor distinguishes between two management philosophies and contrasts them to demonstrate their differences. Theory X explains how workers are like and what sort of steps organizations must take to get the best out of them. This management theory is founded on three pillars (Ananaba, 1981):

1. The majority of people dislike working

2. A club must be waved above heads to ensure that they work

3. Rather than having to think for himself, the average man would prefer to be told what to do

For innovation to purpose, management strategies must be adapted to Theory Y variety, by laying the groundwork for Herzberg's theory to be implemented. The best effectiveness can be achieved when a person is aware of his or her skills and strong/competent areas and when they are employed in a work environment which constantly challenges them, resulting in improvement in skills, an expansion of competence, best outcomes, and a sense of accomplishment (Ananaba, 1981).

Case Studies on Douglas McGregor’s Theory

Many studies on Theory X and Theory Y show that the best organizational approach must be determined by the nature of the work and the working environment and the structure, because there can be no single best organizational approach.

Undertaking highly anticipative tasks outperform the classical approach's highly formal operations and management strategies. On the other hand, organizations with highly undetermined tasks that require more extensive critical thinking and problem solving, are less formalized. Employee of such organizations have greater abilities of self-control and creativeness, while they actively participate in effective decision making processes. In essence, these newer studies show that flexibility must be shown by managerial level in delegating and guiding the employees (Hattangadi, 2015).

 

 

References

 

·         Aithal, P.S. and Kumar, P.M. (2016) Organizational Behaviour in 21st Century – ‘Theory A’ for Managing People for Performance. SSRN Scholarly Paper 2816887. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2816887.

·         Ananaba, T. 0. J., 1981. Management by Motivation. Engineering Management International, 1(1), pp. 63-71.

·         Badubi, R. M., 2017. Theories of Motivation and Their Application. International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, 3(3), pp. 44-51.

·         Dartey-Baah, K., 2009. Douglas McGregor’s Theoretical Models: Their Application in assessing Leadership Styles. Academic Leadership: The Online Journal, 7(4).

·         Hattangadi, D. V., 2015. Theory X & Theory Y. International Journal of Recent Research Aspects, 2(4), pp. 20-21.

·         Sorensen, P. F. & Minahan, M., 2011. McGregor's legacy: the evolution and current application of Theory Y management. Journal of Management History, 17(2), pp. 178-192.