Essentials - CH. 1

Theory X Assumptions

• Average workers are lazy, dislike work, and try to do as little as possible.
• Workers have little ambition and wish to avoid responsibility.
• Managers must counteract workers' natural tendencies to avoid work.
• Close supervision and control are necessary to keep workers' performance high.
• Managers use "the carrot and stick" approach, with rewards and punishments, to control behavior.

Theory X Management Style

• Managers design the work setting to maximize control over workers and minimize worker control.
• Rules, SOPs, and a reward/punishment system are developed to control behavior.
• Managers focus on ensuring workers contribute to the production process and do not threaten product quality.
• Henry Ford is an example of a manager who holds Theory X assumptions.

Theory Y Assumptions

• Workers are not inherently lazy and do not naturally dislike work.
• If given the opportunity, workers will do what is good for the organization.
• The work setting determines whether workers consider work to be a source of satisfaction or punishment.
• Managers do not need to closely control workers' behavior to make them perform at a high level.

Theory Y Management Style

• Managers create a work setting that encourages commitment to organizational goals.
• Workers are given opportunities to be imaginative and exercise initiative and self-direction.
• Managers decentralize authority and give more control over the job to workers.
• The manager's role is to provide support and advice, ensure workers have necessary resources, and evaluate them on their ability to help the organization meet its goals.

This quiz is about the assumptions of Theory X in management, which views workers as lazy and unmotivated, and the role of managers in controlling their behavior. Understand the principles of Theory X and its implications on management style.