THEORY X AND THEORY Y

Theory X and Theory Y are theories of motivation developed by Douglas McGregor in 1960s. They are like two sides of a coin that tell about the understanding the managers have towards their employees.

Theory X

Theory X managers believe that the workers are lazy and that they wait for the opportunity to slack off. They perform well below their true potential. Without strict rules and coercion they cannot be managed. One important feature of theory X management is that whenever a problem arises employees are blamed first without analyzing the issue.

Theory Y

Theory Y managers in contrast believe that most of the employees are striving hard to improve the productivity. Here the manager gives freedom and trusts the employees, which acts as a motivation to the them. Whenever a problem arises the managers and employees come together as a team and sort out the issue.

My perception

It is always a better idea to approach management from theory Y perspective. Managers need to give credits to the employees and believe that they are working hard genuinely. If a problem arises the manager should examine various factors and take actions with positive attitude.If the problem still continues and the manager notices that the employees avoid work deliberately then it is the right time to adopt theory X approach. It does not mean that the manager should abuse the employee but he should take necessary actions to make the employee work. So, to be precise a manager should not cling to one style all the time but should analyze the situation and adapt to required style of management.