Theory X and Theory Y of Motivation

Explain the characteristics of Theory X employees and Theory Y employees

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  • Theory X tend to take a pessimistic view of their people, and assume that they are naturally unmotivated and dislike work. As a result, they think that team members need to be prompted, rewarded or punished constantly to make sure that they complete their tasks. Theory Y have an optimistic, positive opinion of their people, and they use a decentralized, participative management style. This encourages a more collaborative , trust-based relationship between managers and their team members.
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  • Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human work motivation and management.Theory X explains the importance of heightened supervision, external rewards, and penalties, while Theory Y highlights the motivating role of job satisfaction and encourages workers to approach tasks without direct supervision.
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  • Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human work motivation and management. ... Theory X explains the importance of heightened supervision, external rewards, and penalties, while Theory Y highlights the motivating role of job satisfaction and encourages workers to approach tasks without direct supervision.
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  • y
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  • Theory X
    Theory X managers tend to take a pessimistic view of their people, and assume that they are naturally unmotivated and dislike work. As a result, they think that team members need to be prompted, rewarded  or punished constantly to make sure that they complete their tasks.
    Work in organizations that are managed like this can be repetitive, and people are often motivated with a "carrot and stick" approach. Performance appraisals  and remuneration  are usually based on tangible results, such as sales figures or product output, and are used to control staff and "keep tabs" on them.
    This style of management assumes that workers:
    Dislike their work.
    Avoid responsibility and need constant direction.
    Have to be controlled, forced and threatened to deliver work.
    Need to be supervised at every step.
    Have no incentive to work or ambition, and therefore need to be enticed by rewards to achieve goals.
    According to McGregor, organizations with a Theory X approach tend to have several tiers of managers and supervisors to oversee and direct workers. Authority is rarely delegated, and control remains firmly centralized. Managers are more authoritarian and actively intervene to get things done.
    Although Theory X management has largely fallen out of fashion in recent times, big organizations may find that adopting it is unavoidable due to the sheer number of people that they employ and the tight deadlines that they have to meet.
    Theory Y
    Theory Y managers have an optimistic, positive opinion of their people, and they use a decentralized, participative management style. This encourages a more collaborative , trust-based  relationship between managers and their team members.
    People have greater responsibility, and managers encourage them to develop their skills and suggest improvements. Appraisals are regular but, unlike in Theory X organizations, they are used to encourage open communication rather than control staff.
    Theory Y organizations also give employees frequent opportunities for promotion.
    This style of management assumes that workers are:
    Happy to work on their own initiative.
    More involved in decision making.
    Self-motivated to complete their tasks.
    Enjoy taking ownership  of their work.
    Seek and accept responsibility, and need little direction.
    View work as fulfilling and challenging.
    Solve problems creatively and imaginatively.
    Theory Y has become more popular among organizations. This reflects workers' increasing desire for more meaningful careers  that provide them with more than just money.
    It's also viewed by McGregor as superior to Theory X, which, he says, reduces workers to "cogs in a machine," and likely demotivates people in the long term.
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