Employee Management:
Are You an X or are You a Y?
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
Douglas McGregor, a social psychologist, studied
business managers. Through his research in the 1950s, he described the two
main sets of beliefs that managers had about their employees. These
beliefs then determined what kind of employees the managers hired, how
they supervised the employees, and how the employees reacted to that
supervision. Much of this research, published in his book The Human
Side of Enterprise, is still used in business management seminars
today.
McGregor developed two motivational theories to
describe how managers manage their employees. He called them Theory X and
Theory Y.
Managers following Theory X believe:
- People
don’t want to work and they’ll avoid work as much as possible.
- Employees
are self-centered and they need to be manipulated in order to get them
to work toward company goals.
- Company
goals do not match personal goals.
- Money
is the primary motivator. It’s the main reason employees show up for
work.
- Communication
within the company needs to be one way, from the boss down.
Managers following Theory Y believe:
- Employees
don’t mind work. In fact, working is a vital aspect of their lives.
- By
their own choice, employees will work for the good of the company.
- Company
goals and personal goals can match each other. In fact, the more an
employee’s personal goals match company goals, the more active that
employee will be in the company.
- People
are motivated by higher personal goals such as recognition from
others, happiness, or spiritual fulfillment.
- Communication
within the company is a two way street that includes open conversation
and joint problem solving.
Based on their beliefs, Theory X managers act more
like dictators. They’re more likely to use coercion with employees and
set up tight controls in the company. Employees are treated like parts of
a machine, to be replaced when broken.
By comparison, Theory Y managers delegate more. They
set broad goals within the company and allow more creativity on the part
of employees to accomplish them.
Probably neither theory is exactly right. McGregor
clearly believed that Theory Y was the better management style. But, the
different styles may be more applicable to different kinds of work. For
example, jobs that have a significant need for repetition, and don't
necessarily require regularly having to figure out new methods of work may
need more Theory X input. The stereotypical assembly line would be an
example of this. For these types of jobs, there’s a need to set quotas
and have fairly strict guidelines with little margin for error.
On the other hand, jobs requiring creative,
problem-solving skills such as research and engineering or advertising
work will thrive better under Theory Y managers. Employees in these fields
need more intellectual freedom, more room to make their own decisions.
But from the standpoint of psychological health, all
jobs benefit from a Theory Y approach at least to some extent.
Theory Y managers boost job satisfaction by treating
employees with dignity and respect. A Theory Y manager can even boost job
satisfaction among employees whose jobs are routine and do not present a
high degree of mental challenge. With such employees, a manager can
improve satisfaction by giving them additional responsibilities that make
the work more challenging or by helping them understand how their personal
goals actually match company goals.
For 17 years until the late 1990s, Ford Motor Company
used the marketing slogan, “Quality is job one.” This slogan improved
sales and helped the company maintain its competitive position against the
foreign imports.
But it had another effect as well. It gave Ford
employees a company goal that could match their personal goals. And it
worked. After Ford adopted the slogan, the quality of Ford cars and trucks
actually did improve and kept improving for many years.
So if you want to enhance your management skills, try
leaning a little more toward Theory Y techniques. See if this makes a
difference in employee performance.
------------------------------------
Rich Bayer, Ph.D., is the
CEO of Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a practicing
psychologist.
# # #
For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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