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11.28.2008

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y, Theory Z., Expectancy Theory

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y.

Douglas McGregor’s theories focus less on employee needs and more on the nature of managerial behavior. These theories are based on the assumption that a supervisor’s perceptions of her employees will strongly influence the way in which she attempts to motivate her employees. McGregor created two theories based on his studies, called Theory X and Theory Y.

In the case of Theory X, a supervisor assumes that her employees are adverse to work and will do everything they can to avoid it. Acting on this assumption, the supervisor will exert tight control over employees, monitor their work closely, and hesitantly delegate authority.

In this case of Theory Y, a supervisor assumes that, contrary to Theory X, workers are willing to work and would be willing to accept increased responsibilities. In light of these assumptions, the supervisor will provide employees with more freedom and creativity in the workplace and will be more willing to delegate authority.

Managers will seek to motivate their employees based on their perceptions of the employees’ interests. This theory brings to light the variation in practice that can exist depending on the assumptions that managers make about their employees.

Theory Z.

Theory Z emerged in the 1980s. It attempts to motivate workers by giving them more responsibility and making them feel more appreciated. It was developed, in part, in the light of Japanese management practices, which allowed for more worker participation in decision making and provided for less specialized career paths.

Expectancy Theory.

Developed by Victor Vroom, this concept assumes that the quality of employees’ efforts is influenced by the outcomes they will receive for their efforts. They will be motivated to the degree that they feel that their efforts will result in an acceptable performance, that that performance will be rewarded, and that the value of the reward will be highly positive. In order for managers to practically apply the theories associated with expectancy theory, they need to define the desired behaviors clearly. Once this is accomplished, the manager should think about rewards that could serve as possible reinforcers and how these rewards will have different values for different individuals. Employees must then be informed about what must be done to receive these rewards, and managers need to provide feedback on employee performance. If a desired behavior is achieved, the reward must be given immediately.

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