Douglas McGregor developed a philosophical view of humankind with his Theory X and Theory Y in 1960. These are two opposing perceptions about how people view human behavior at work and organizational life.
THEORY X
With Theory X assumptions, management’s role is to coerce and control employees.
* People have an inherent dislike for work and will avoid it whenever possible.
* People must be coerced, controlled, directed, or threatened with punishment in order to get them to achieve the organizational objectives.
* People prefer to be directed, do not want responsibility, and have little or no ambition.
* People seek security above all else.
THEORY Y
With Theory Y assumptions, management’s role is to develop the potential in employees and help them to release that potential towards common goals.
* Work is as natural as play and rest.
* People will exercise self-direction if they are committed to the objectives (they are NOT lazy).
* Commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their achievement.
* People learn to accept and seek responsibility.
* Creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are widely distributed among the population. People are capable of using these abilities to solve an organizational problem.
* People have potential.
Which theory do you subscribe to? Although I’m personally 100% “Y”, I don’t think there is an absolute right or wrong answer…as long as you are open about the kind of environment you expect build and hire and manage appropriately (and consistently).
My Experience at salesforce.com The tele-prospecting team’s enduring success at salesforce.com is due in large part to its “Y culture”, which rewarded contribution and ingenuity. The reward was usually in recognition, praise and encouragement by the team, not dollars. The culture helped make the team self-sustainable, because it didn’t depend on any one person. When I was promoted out of sales and into corporate development, the team didn’t miss a beat! And some might say it became even more productive 🙂
Douglas McGregor’s book, “The Human Side of Enterprise”
http://www.codysbooks.com/product/info.jsp?isbn=0071462228
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