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This study aims to explore whether McGregor's theory X/Y assumptions are determinants of managers' propensity for participative decision making (PDM).
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore whether McGregor's theory X/Y assumptions are determinants of managers' propensity for participative decision making (PDM).
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys measuring theory X/Y assumptions and propensity for PDM were administered to 144 full‐time managers from divergent industries across the USA. The hypotheses were tested using linear regressions.
Findings
Results generally support McGregor's assertion that managers' theory X/Y assumptions are linked to PDM. Findings suggest that theory X managers perceive that PDM negatively impacts their power while theory Y managers perceive a positive consequence of soliciting employee participation on their supervisory power and organizational effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
Although respondents represented diverse industries and organizations, the use of convenience sampling may temper generalizability of the findings. Also, the use of self‐reports may have elicited socially desirable responses. Greater attention is needed from researchers and practitioners to understand how managers' assumptions influence the adoption or avoidance of PDM.
Practical implications
Findings suggest that managers' predisposition for PDM is predicted to a large extent by their theory X/Y assumptions. These results provide a compelling case for managers to continuously question their assumptions about employees and critically examine whether their biases influence their decision‐making practices.
Originality/value
This study expands the landscape of PDM literature, adding further evidence that individual‐difference variables, in this case theory X/Y assumptions, greatly influence supervisors' biases about employee participation.
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Sait Gürbüz, Faruk Şahin and Onur Köksal
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of leaders’ Theory X and Y managerial assumptions on subordinates’ attitudes and behaviors.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of leaders’ Theory X and Y managerial assumptions on subordinates’ attitudes and behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Military leaders (n=50) completed a questionnaire with Theory X and Y scale and their subordinates (n=150) completed a questionnaire with the scales of satisfaction with leader, affective commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior. The paper used hierarchical linear modeling to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicated that the Theory Y management style is significantly and positively associated with subordinates’ satisfaction with the leader, affective commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The Theory X management style had a significantly negative impact on subordinates’ satisfaction with the leader, but no significant impact on affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. The findings of the present study suggest that the Theory X and Y managerial assumptions are a worthwhile basis from which to examine several important organizational and individual outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The sample consisted of military personnel and were predominantly male. This may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Practical implications
The findings of the present study suggest that the Theory X and Y managerial assumptions are a worthwhile basis from which to examine several important organizational and individual outcomes.
Originality/value
Although McGregor's (1960) Theory X and Y have contributed to management and leadership thinking and practice for many years; empirical studies examining the Theory X and Y managerial assumptions in a work environment are very scarce. By examining the effect of leader's Theory X and Y managerial assumptions on follower's attitudes and behaviors, the study provides important insights for leadership literature.
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This study seeks to explore whether McGregor's Theory X/Y assumptions are related to managers’ communication apprehension (CA) – their degree of comfort when interacting with…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to explore whether McGregor's Theory X/Y assumptions are related to managers’ communication apprehension (CA) – their degree of comfort when interacting with others.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys measuring Theory X/Y assumptions and CA were administered to 281 full‐time managers from divergent industries across the USA. Hypotheses were tested using correlations.
Findings
Moderate scores on the Theory X scale were positively correlated with traitlike CA and CA in interpersonal contexts. Managers’ total and high scores on the Theory Y scale were negatively correlated with traitlike CA and CA in groups, interpersonal conversations, and meetings. Moderate scores on the Theory Y scale were positively correlated with CA in groups. Low scores on the Theory Y scale were positively correlated with traitlike CA and CA in interpersonal and public speaking settings.
Originality/value
This study extends the broad landscape of literature on management communication. Findings deepen our understanding of how managers’ communicative dispositions are linked to their Theory X/Y assumptions.
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Faruk Şahin, Sait Gürbüz and Harun Şeşen
Although McGregor’s Theory X and Y holds significant attention in literature, research on the managerial assumptions and leadership is very scarce. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Although McGregor’s Theory X and Y holds significant attention in literature, research on the managerial assumptions and leadership is very scarce. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of a leader’s Theory X and Y managerial assumptions on follower perceptions of transformational leadership behaviors and the moderating role of the leader’s gender in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 108 leaders provided ratings of their Theory X and Y managerial assumptions; 398 followers then rated their leaders’ transformational leadership behavior. To test the hypotheses, moderated hierarchical regression analysis was conducted.
Findings
The results indicated that a leader’s Theory Y managerial assumptions are positively related to the followers’ ratings of transformational leadership behavior while a leader’s Theory X managerial assumptions are negatively related to the ratings of transformational leadership behavior. Furthermore, the relationship between Theory Y managerial assumptions and ratings of transformational leadership behavior are stronger for female leaders than male leaders.
Originality/value
This study provides important insights for leadership literature by depicting how cognitive mental schemas (i.e. Theory X and Y assumptions) and gender influence their transformational leadership behaviors.
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Richard E. Kopelman, David J. Prottas and David W. Falk
This paper aims to discuss the historical importance and current relevance of Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Y, and to suggest that the paucity of related empirical research is…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the historical importance and current relevance of Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Y, and to suggest that the paucity of related empirical research is, in part, attributable to the lack of validated measures. The present research seeks to describe the development and construct validation of a measure pertinent to Theory X/Y behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys completed by 512 working adults provide the present data. A total of 26 initial Theory X/Y behavior items are reduced to 13 through factor analysis. Convergent and discriminant validities are examined through correlational and regression analyses with measures of proximal, distal, and unrelated constructs. Test re‐test reliability is assessed using longitudinal panel data from a subset of respondents.
Findings
The results provide evidence of the construct validity of the new measure.
Research limitations/implications
Respondents are relatively young and drawn from one region of the USA. Future research should collect multi‐source and multi‐level data.
Practical implications
The 13‐item scale may be useful as a diagnostic tool for individual and organizational development.
Originality/value
This paper represents the first research endeavor that focuses on construct‐validating a measure of managerial X/Y behaviors, as distinct from attitudes. The scale can be used in substantive research, including a more robust test of McGregor's theorizing.
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The purpose of this paper is to present an academic programme of pansystems research with a lot of new concepts, principles, methods. Universal consideration of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an academic programme of pansystems research with a lot of new concepts, principles, methods. Universal consideration of philosophy‐mathematics‐technology is set forth with mega‐combination. The emphasis on the transfield internet‐like investigations is developed. Many theory‐methods of pansystems get further concise optimization.
Design/methodology/approach
The concrete contents of the paper include: historical megawave, philosophical stratagems, meta‐mathematics, meta‐methodology, technological realistic principles, unification and differentiation of encyclopedic branches, systems science, information theory, cybernetics, biosystems, generalized vitality, computer and IT, thinking science, logic, OR, AI, PR, DM, modernization of yinyang analysis combining dialectics, sociology, economics, meta‐relativity, generalized quantification and scale theory, general process of birth‐growth‐ageing‐disease‐death, the inheritance and development of 300 scholars' researches, etc.
Findings
All of the topics concerned with are reduced to the actualizations of PVOR – pansystems variational OR: V−d(xy)=*0*/PRR′P′/0**, which is an integrated synthesis of 20‐PanStemCells of PanConcepts and PanMethod, and embodies a specific pansystems summarization for the core of the true and the good. Furthermore, the formula “Pansystems Researches=*(PVOR/0**/Pan54787721/Everything)+*0*=*Pan–netlike connections of thoughts and methods” is expanded with concrete applications.
Originality/value
Provides information on pansystems research.
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The purpose of this paper is to take a new look at an old idea: since McGregor’s work in the 1960s, it is common knowledge that managers’ implicit theories about their followers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to take a new look at an old idea: since McGregor’s work in the 1960s, it is common knowledge that managers’ implicit theories about their followers can have self-fulfilling consequences. Surprisingly, McGregor’s work has largely remained within the bounds of employee motivation and has not met with a wide response in related fields such as service management. Assuming that managers do not only hold implicit theories of their followers but also of their customers (i.e. implicit customer theories), this paper transfers McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y to the service context. It further derives a framework of possible consistencies and inconsistencies between management styles and service strategies, depending on implicit managerial theories about the average employee and customer.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual paper integrates a management classic, current empirical findings, and media reports into a new line of thought.
Findings
This paper develops and undergirds the thesis that it is conducive to the development of trustful and productive relationships both with customers and followers if managers proceed from confident assumptions about them, thereby activating virtuous circles instead of vicious cycles.
Originality/value
This paper links concepts from the organizational domain to the service domain. It implies a normative component in arguing for the productive potential of positive and the destructive potential of negative assumptions about both followers and customers. The value of this idea lies in the potential for positive relational dynamics and better customer and workplace relationships.
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Motivation is the process that accounts for an individual’s intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal (Robbins and Judge, 2008). Teacher motivation is…
Abstract
Purpose
Motivation is the process that accounts for an individual’s intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal (Robbins and Judge, 2008). Teacher motivation is vital to the growing and evolving field of higher education, yet it is not investigated enough. Need for rapid growth of higher education, issues in compensation, developments in information technology and dearth for teaching and technical skills brought teacher motivation to the center stage. The purpose of this paper is to apply McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y to study teacher motivation in higher education.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study was conducted through survey method. A questionnaire was designed to elicit responses from randomly selected respondents.
Findings
Teachers in higher education were classified under Theory X and Theory Y styles. The relationship between teaching style and specific motivators in the class and on the job, preferred teaching methods and classroom management techniques were investigated.
Research limitations/implications
Application of McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y to understand teacher motivation in higher education provided interesting and new insights.
Social implications
This study would have implications for teacher-student fit and institution-teacher fit in learning environments.
Originality/value
The nature of a teacher’s way-of-being matters to his/her motivation and performance in classroom. Implications exist for teacher recruitment and teacher training programs in relation to the profile of students and identifying and implementing right methodologies for classroom performance. This study has andragogical implications for classroom teaching, relationship with students and parents and interpersonal relationships among peers and education administrators.
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By combining the subjective probabilistic viewpoint of fuzziness with the entropy of deterministic functions, it is possible to expand an information theory of fuzzy sets which is…
Abstract
By combining the subjective probabilistic viewpoint of fuzziness with the entropy of deterministic functions, it is possible to expand an information theory of fuzzy sets which is fully compatible and consistent with the classical Shannonian information theoretic framework. A model of transinformation between fuzzy sets, which could be of help in approximate reasoning can be obtained, an interesting feature of which is that it can be duplicated in the framework of fuzzy set theory.
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Unlike the effect of management styles on employee attitudes, little is known about the effect of managerial assumptions on workers within the gig economy. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Unlike the effect of management styles on employee attitudes, little is known about the effect of managerial assumptions on workers within the gig economy. The purpose of this paper is to utilize McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y as a framework to discuss two gig economy platforms and how their differing management assumptions affect worker perceptions of themselves as entrepreneurs.
Design/methodology/approach
The author utilized qualitative interviews and demographic surveys with 41 contract workers from TaskRabbit, a personal assistant platform, and Kitchensurfing, a “rent-a-chef” service, to examine the impact of differing management assumptions on independent contractor perceptions of themselves as entrepreneurs.
Findings
The Theory X management assumptions and correlated behaviors directly contradict the entrepreneurial ethos marketed by the platforms, resulting in a psychological contract violation for workers and negative responses to the platform. In comparison, Theory Y managerial assumptions and correlated behaviors can be utilized to encourage worker innovation, creativity and sense of self as an entrepreneur.
Practical implications
As the gig economy continues to grow, algorithms are likely to take on increased importance as a management tool. Although some have suggested that such algorithms may reduce the impact of a capricious manager, the fact remains that algorithms are created by management. If the gig economy intends to encourage entrepreneurship, additional attention must be paid to how differing management assumptions, and their resulting behaviors and algorithms, affect worker attitudes and experience.
Originality/value
This study represents one of the initial academic investigations into how the Theory X and Theory Y management assumptions and correlated perspectives may be applied to independent contractors within the gig economy. Additionally, this study is among the first to examine how gig worker attitudes toward platform firms, and views of themselves as entrepreneurs, are affected by algorithm-implemented management policies.
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