Theory X and Y: Two Distinctive Views of Individuals - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to Theory X and Theory Y, there are two distinctive views of individuals, one that is positive (Y) and one that is negative (X) (Mulder, 2020). There are existing assumptions that determine how administrators behave towards staff. According to Aithal and Kumar (2016), since theory X is negative, managers assume that staff hate work, are lazy; hence managers need to be forcible and direct in their actions to ensure such employees perform effectively. Conversely, theory Y being positive, managers make the assumption that employees love their work and conceive work as an expected component of life. And staffs are ready to accept and pursue responsibility at their place of work (Aithal and Kumar, 2016). Besides, theory Y assumes that workers are not just characteristically lazy, but can self-control and self-direction.

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Types of Managers Have You Dealt With

In my organization, most of the managers have encountered are democratic types of managers. Theory Y leads to the emergence of a democratic style of leadership, which enables employees to have a say (Mulder, 2020). In my organization, the various level managers have allowed us to provide essential thoughts and ideas for the company, which in turn improves the overall effectiveness of the organization. Hence, instead of coercion and control, the administration uses encouragement and rewards on employees. Through this, the organization allows us to develop ourselves and put our abilities into good use.

The Predominance of Theory X or Theory Y Managers

In my industry, there is a predominance of theory X and theory Y managers because of how styles of leadership influence employee behaviour. According to Prottas and Nummelin (2018), good managers realize that their style of leadership affects their employees. Hence, apart from the leadership style of preference, based on the nature of work to be carried out, an administrator will choose either Theory Y or Theory X. The democratic concept of Theory Y enables employees to feel comfortable and is capable of committing themselves wholeheartedly to the company. The organization has the need to retain its high performing employees; hence failure to adopt a Theory Y type of leadership may make employees begin searching for opportunities to use their competency outside their work and may hunt for new jobs (Prottas and Nummelin, 2018). Theory X managers often encounter a vicious circle where their beliefs turn to reality, where cause and effect are upturned. Hence, Theory X and Theory Y managers are predominant because the simple leadership theory provides a guide to effective management activities such as giving objectives and rewards to employees.

References

Aithal, P. S., & Kumar, P. M. (2016, August 16). Comparative Analysis of Theory X, Theory Y, Theory Z, And Theory A for Managing People and Performance. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2822997.

Mulder, P. (2020, July 16). What is Theory X and Theory Y of management? Theory. https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/theory-x-and-theory-y/.

Prottas, D. J., & Nummelin, M. R. (2018). Theory X/Y in the Health Care Setting. The Health Care Manager, 37(2), 109–117. https://doi.org/10.1097/hcm.0000000000000210