X, Y, Z Theories of ManagementKatherine Dunn

NOT MORE THEORES!

Who created these theories?

Theory X and Theory Y

were created by Douglas McGregor.

Theory Z was created by

William Ouchi.

And who uses them?

Anyone in the Organizational Communication

Field

What is the X Theory of Management?

Theory X is a management approach that “assumes workers are lazy, have little

ambition, and are motivated by coercion and threats.”

ldwnHuh

?

In other words, the manager uses fear and

strict discipline to make sure his/her

employees get done what needs to be

done.

Theory X may cause stress to the employees because the manager may be using harsh threats and

unpleasant tones in order to achieve the overall goal.

It also may not give the employees a chance to take any initiative because the

manager is always telling them what to do before they have a chance to figure it out on their

own.

It may make the work place very dependent on the manager.

What is the Y Theory of Management?

Theory Y is a management approach that

“assumes workers are

motivated by an internal

need to excel and actively

pursue responsibility.”

ldwn

Say What

?

In other words, Theory Y managers trust their employees to get what needs to be

done, done, and they don’t always tell them what to do.

Theory Y can promote a more informal work environment, which

can blur the line between a manager and an employee.

Theory Y managers may have a harder time keeping employees in

line.

What is the Z Theory of Management?

Theory Z is an approach to management “that advocates matching the organization’s culture to that of the larger society and assumes that

involved workers are the key to increased productivity.”

ldwn

I don’t understand

!

In other words, the values of certain cultures affect the way the employees work, and therefore, those values should be taken into consideration when managing employees of a certain business.

ALSO…

BOSS

EMPLOYEE

Another part of this theory is that

Theory Z workers can be trusted to do their jobs to

their utmost ability, so long as

management can be trusted to support them.

If a manager doesn’t trust his employees or the employees don’t trust the manager, this

theory becomes nonexistent..

Why does this

matter?

Knowing how different mangers manage can help…

…promote good office chemistry…

…and increase productivity.

Which one would I choose?

I would want to be a Theory Y manager and a Theory Y employee.

“Would I rather be feared or loved? Um... Easy, both. I want people to fear

how much they love me.”~ Michael Scott, The Office