McGregor's Theory Y example essay topic

A common problem today among managers is how to effectively motivate their employees. During the management boom over the last two decades, there has been an emergence of theories to successfully manage employees towards the goals of the organization (Drucker, 1973). One such theory is that of Douglas McGregor, Theory Y. Theory Y portrays managers as collaborative and trustful of people (Bennis, 1998). It deviates from the traditional form of controlling management to an integration of management and it's subordinates for the shared objective of a successful organization.

In McGregor's own words: "the key question for top management is what are your assumptions about the most effective way to manage people? The assumption management holds about controlling its human resources determines the whole character of the enterprise (Bennis, 1998)". The assumption that for the average person, work is as natural and desired as rest or play; most people will exercise self-control, display initiative, and actively seek responsibility when they feel committed to a set of objectives (Drucker, 1973). Theory Y assumes fundamentally that people want to be treated as mature adults, and not as juvenile individuals. McGregor's Theory Y argues people are not parts of machines, but individuals with purpose and objectives (Dearlove, 2000). It is that human behavior is seldom a direct response to objective reality, but is rather a response to the individual's perception of that reality.

The success or failure of an organization does not rely on the method of doing, but the people behind the doing (Managing Human, 2000). The three dimensions of a manager's style, described by Albrecht (1978), portrays the positive interactions of McGregor's Y, such dimensions being the integration of autonomy, incentive, and the utilization of participative management. McGregor (1960) presented four steps in which to integrate the employee. Clarify the broad requirements of the job, establish specific "targets" for a limited time period, define the management process during the target period, and appraise the results (McGregor, 1960). McGregor (1960) intended in each of these steps the manager be available for guidance, however the majority of the completion of these steps be from the primary effort of the subordinate. Through the added responsibility on the employee, he / she should be able to better evaluate their position and aspirations that will ultimately be fulfilled with the completion of prescribed goals of the organization.

Generally, McGregor's point was not to confuse managers with choosing which style or theory they will fall under, but to make them aware of the assumptions to effectively manage the workforce. That man is by nature motivated, his / her behavior is affected not only by external forces but by intrinsic ones. Theory Y points to the possibility of lessening the emphasis on external forms of control to the degree that commitment to organizational objectives can be achieved. Its underlying assumptions emphasize the capacity of human beings for self-control, and the consequent possibility of greater managerial reliance on other means of influence. The assumptions of Theory Y do not deny the appropriateness of authority, but they do deny that it is appropriate for all purposes and under all circumstances. In respect to the healthcare field, with high turn over rates, decreased job satisfaction, and the upcoming evolution of shared governance (Gray, 1997).

McGregor provided considerable applications of his Theory Y to cultivate successful management for today's healthcare industry.

Bibliography

Albrecht, K. (1978).
Successful management by objectives. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Bennis, W. (1988).
Maslow on management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Bitter, L.R. (1984).
Leadership the key to management success. New York: Franklin Watts. Dearlove, D. (1974).
Dimensions in modern management. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Drucker, P. (1973).