Running head: THEORY X vs THEORY Y: A MANAGER’S CHOICE
Theory X vs Theory Y: A Manager’s Choice
Dawn Atkinson Spaccio
Eastern Florida State College at Melbourne
THEORY X vs THEORY Y: A MANAGER’S CHOICE
Theory X vs Theory Y: A Manager’s Choice
Beliefs and assumptions about what motivates members of a team strongly influence a
management style. An authoritative style of management is geared towards the belief that team
members dislike work; On the other hand, when employees take pride in doing a good job,
management will tend to adopt a more participative style (mindtools.com, 2015). These two
management styles are formulated by Theory X and Theory Y respectively. These theories
resulted from an idea devised by Douglas McGregor and were noted in his 1960 book “The
Human Side of Enterprise.” The book covers a fundamental clarification between the two
management styles and has developed the basis of future analysis on the subject (economist.com,
2008).
Theory X can best be ascribed to Sigmund Freud, who portrayed he was no lover of
people, and that of a pessimistic (dheise.andrews.edu). In Theory X, an authoritarian style of
management is encouraged by assumptions that employees are naturally unmotivated and dislike
working. This management style also assumes that workers avoid responsibility and need to be
directed. These types of workers need to be controlled, forced and threatened to deliver what is
needed. Supervision is required for every step with controls put in place. There is also a need to
be enticed to produce results; otherwise they have no ambition or incentive to work. According
to this view, management must continually intervene to get things accomplished (mindtools.com,
2015).
The principals of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outline our behavior and actions as being
driven by a ‘hierarchy’ of needs; lower level needs, like survival, must be satisfied before
motivation moves on to meet higher level needs, such as ‘connection feeling’ and self-
actualization (iwise2.com, 2012).
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THEORY X vs THEORY Y: A MANAGER’S CHOICE
Theory X merely satisfies lower-level physical needs which therefore results in limiting
productiveness. “Man is a wanting animal,” wrote McGregor, “as soon as one of his needs is
satisfied, another appears in its place” (economist.com, 2008).
In this Theory, when the physiological, safety, and social needs are all reasonably
provided, the employee’s needs become satisfied, thus rendering them stagnant and without
further motivational fuel, and the organizational motivation dampens.
Theory Y is a total contrast to Theory ‘X’. McGregor believed that people desire to learn
and that work is a natural activity to the extent of developing self-discipline and self-
