Introduction
The onset of the industrial revolution in the late 19 century created a host of new challenges for the managers. Some of these challenges included the need to increase the workforce effectiveness. Therefore, early futurist suggested theories that they believe if applied would result in higher management efficiency. Such theory were based on the fundamental believe that employee should be actively supervised and monitored (Jone & George 2008). However, Douglas McGregor challenged this notion. Through his extensive work he established two theories, which defined the assumption held about employees’ attitude towards work. These assumption automatically influenced workers productivity (Kopelman, Prottas, Davis 2008; Tatham, Waldaman, Bennis 2010). It is therefore imperative to examine them hence determine their practicability, especially in the 21st Century.
Douglas McGregor, a prominent figure in the evolution of management theory, made significant contribution in behavioural theory. His notable contribution was documented in his ‘book the human side of enterprises’ published in 1960 (Kopelman, Prottas, Davis 2008). Here he suggested a paradigm shift in the belief and perception managers had about their employees. Whereas the previous theories had suggested the need for employees to be authoritatively controlled and guided, McGregor thought otherwise. He outlined that managers should instead adapt are motivator and role model approach and hence model the desired employee behaviour (Tatham, Waldaman, Bennis 2010). Unfortunately, McGregor (1960) established that most manager perceive their employee negatively; He categorized this kind of assumption under Theory X (classical system theory). Manager ascribing to this assu...
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...propriate for 21st century managers. The success of current organization will highly depend on how they treat their workforce.
Works Cited
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McGregor, D 1960, The Human Side of Enterprise, McGraw-Hill,Inc, N.Y.
Tatham, K, Waldaman, H & Bennis 2010, ‘Using Douglas McGregor Theoretical Model
to Achieve Management Effectiveness in the 21ST Century’ Academic
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Managers know the importance of having positive relationships with their employees. It boosts the company’s goals while the lack of any relationship with the workers may lead to losses in the business. Most managers rarely know that they are looked up to by many employees and, as such, should be careful with the actions they take. Lee b. Bolman & Terrence E. Deal, the authors of the book The Reframing Organizations, point out that the kind of measures taken in the business influences the employees acts and thoughts. In particular, this book gives insight to managers on how to relate to their subordinates. The discussion is carried out on the three parts of the book that highlight the missteps taken by managers as they try to improve their businesses.
McGregor has written two theories about human nature. Theory X basically assumes that people will do the least amount of work required of them. That they will need to be monitored and workers will need a set of rules for every employee to follow . There is also no incentive for them to go above their current job duty. Theory Y basically believes that if you give the employee the opportunity to do well the employee will take that opportunity and use it to the best of their abilities. They are able to set their own work goals and really strive to put their all into their career. They will be go getters that are responsible for their self and willing to do whatever the company needs from them. They will own up to any issue and trust that their co-workers will do the same (Larsson, Vinberg & Wiklund, 2007).
A Review and Assessment of Its Critiques, Journal of Management, SAGE. Viewed on5th April 2011, at http://jom.sagepub.com/content/36/1/349.full.pdf+html
Most leaders believed that employees in their organization disliked work and would avoid it if they could. Daniel McGregor in his 1960 groundbreaking book The Human Side of Enterprise argued that “Those running companies were operating from a faulty assumption about human behavior” (Pink, 2009, p. 74). Managers believe employees must be coerced, controlled, directed, and threaten with punishment to acquire them to put forth an effort to achieve set objectives. McGregor’s X-Y theory suggest that there are two ways to manage people.
Fayol devised a ‘common sense’ view of the managerial responsibilities, within which he crafted arguably his most notable work, his five functions of management. These functions covered vital managerial tasks from planning and forecasting to coordination of operations, aspects of which can still be seen in modern day management widely (Fayol cited in King and Lawley, 2013). Fayol believed that people should be treated with respect and fairness by their superiors which would ultimately prevent a high turnover of employees; something he deemed to be inefficient. (Ref) Similarly to Fayol, Taylor was a pioneering theorist who contributed critically to the theories of managements witnessed in the rationalised workplace. Like Fayol, Taylor held a somewhat basic view of the behaviour of humans within the workplace and believed that organisations could be tightly managed through a set of clearly defined rules and regulations. In contrast to the more sensitised view that was held by Fayol, Taylor saw humans as animals who were driven by the capitalist view. In addition to the aforementioned difference between the two theorists, Taylor felt that people should be micromanaged as they respond better than when addressed as a group, generally treating everyone in a standardised form (Taylor, 2011). Arguably, the authour of this study notes that Taylor may have allowed his personal mistrust of
...th of experience in its interpretation. As a result of this, older more traditional managers may struggle to ascertain the validity of this form of metric (Maney, 2013).
“… if you don’t measure something, you can’t manage it. And if we’re failing to measure how well we’re doing with our most important assets we’re probably not managing them very well,” (Kaplan, 2011, 1:48).
Tapinos, E., Dyson, R.G. & Meadows, M. (2005). The impact of performance measurement in strategic planning. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 54(5/6), 370-384.
Before the introduction of the balanced scorecard tool, only financial measures were used to determine the organi...
Since the end of the 19th century, when factory manufacturing became widespread and the size of organisations increased, people have been looking for ways to motivate employees and improve productivity. A need for management ideas arise which lead to classical contributors such as Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol generating management theories such as Taylor’ Scientific Management and Fayol’s Administrative Management. In the late 1920’s and early 1930’s the Hawthorne studies were conducted where Elton Mayo was the predominate figure and contributed to the Behavioural viewpoint. This brought about a Human Relations Movement which included Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y approach. Similarities and differences can be found between the theories due to the relevant time period they were implemented, the motives or goal of the theory and how they view organisations. However the use of contingency theory can help negate the dissimilarities which occur as it allows the relevant elements from each theory to be applied to specific situations.
OLLIER-MALATERRE, ARIANE; ROTHBARD, NANCY P.; BERG, JUSTIN M. Academy of Management Review (Oct2013), Vol. 38 Issue 4
The twentieth century has brought in a number of management theories which have helped shaped our view of management in the present business environment. These emerging theories have enabled managers to appreciate new patterns of thinking, new ways of organising and new ways of managing organisations and people. Over the years these different theories have enabled the study of trends that have taken place in the management field. The major management viewpoints- which include the classical, behavioural and contingency approaches- have assisted in the formation of the contemporary twenty-first century management theory and techniques (S. C. Certo & S. T. Certo, 2006). Although, there are significant differences among all these approaches they seem to be unified by the efforts of improving an organisation’s efficiency in terms of proper human resources management. Furthermore, the dissimilarities seen in these approaches are due to the always changing organisations and environments which demand new management practices and techniques be applied to maintain the efficiency of an organisation.
It was once a common belief that if employees worked hard, showed up on time and followed the rules that they would be guaranteed a job for life. However, over the last decade there have been changes in the workplace. There are two main causes for this change. The changes in the work place in the twenty-first century are being caused by advancements in technology and expansions in globalization through the Internet.
There are various challenges faced and even more opportunities for organizational behavior to assist workers in improving the workplace as a whole, people skills, productivity, and customer service. Understanding and taking time to learn and educate one’s self is how attitudes develop and affect behavior is a key component to organizational Behavior. The bottom line is that the more tuned into the needs of its employees, the more successful a company is likely to become. A company will absolutely benefit a great deal so long as employees and management alike are able to control and monitor their attitudes for the appropriate
Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed, Asian Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1, 73-94, January 2011, http://web.usm.my/aamj/16.1.2011/aamj_16.1.4.pdf