1. Week 4
Housekeeping
News
Topics
McGregor’s Theory X & Y: What are assumptions underlying people?
Argyris’ Worker Maturity: What if you mismatch leader style & follower needs?
Tannenbaum & Schmidt’s Leadership Continuum: What are your choices?
Lippit & White’s Autocratic, democratic, laissez faire leadership: (dis)advantages of different approaches
Team Task: applying a theory to a case & critiquing

2. Douglas McGregor’s Theory X & Y: Assumptions about people
Employees inherently dislike work and, whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it.
Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with punishment to achieve goals.
Employees will avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible.
Most workers place security above all other factors associated with work and will display little ambition.
Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play.
People will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives.
Commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their achievement
The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibility.
Creativity & ability to make innovative decisions is widely dispersed throughout the population and is not necessarily the sole province of those in management positions.

3. Douglas McGregor’s Theory X & Theory Y1 2 3 4 5 SA A U D SD
Most people will try to do as little work as possible.
For most people, work is not as natural as play or recreation.
Most employees must be closely supervised in order to getthem to perform up to expectations
Most employees actually prefer to be told exactly what to do rather than having to figure it out for themselves
Most employees do not care much about the organization's goals.
Most employees would prefer increased job security to increased responsibility.
Most people will not use their own initiative or do things that they have not been specifically assigned to do.
Employees generally do not have much to contribute when asked to participate in making decisions or solving problems
It is just basic human nature--people just naturally dislike work.
Most employees will not exercise self-control and self-motivation--managers must do this for them
points = strong Theory Y beliefs points = moderate Theory Y beliefs points = mixed Theory Y and Theory X beliefs points = moderate Theory X beliefs   points = strong Theory X beliefs

4. Analysis of XY Theory
Every theory is an outgrowth of and based on the “dynamics” of the time. What events may have influenced McGregor’s view of X & Y?
Why did he promote Y over X?
Are there still situations in which X is appropriate?

5. Tannenbaum & Schmidt’s Leadership Continuum (1973)
Robert Tannenbaum
Forces in the manager: belief in team member participation and confidence in capabilities of members
Forces in the subordinate: subordinates who are independent, tolerant of ambiguity, competent, identify with organizational goals
Forces in the situation: team has requisite knowledge, team hold organizational values and traditions, teams work effectively
Time pressure: need for immediate decision under pressure mitigates against participation

6. Advantages of Tannenbaum & Schmidt’s theory
gives managers a range of choices for involvement
presents criteria for involvement and delegation
focuses decision maker on relevant criteria (e.g., forces & time)
emphasizes employee development and empowerment
is heuristic--encourages research to see how effective delegation may be under the model
Limitations of this theory
involves only the initial step of assigning a task to someone, not the following processes that may determine the effectiveness of the outcome
assumes the manager has sufficient information to determine disposition to self or team
assumes "neutral" environment without social bonds or politics
simplifies complex decisions to a two-polar dimension; more simple than reality is

7. Where and on whom was the study done?
Lewin, Lippitt & White’s Autocratic, Democratic & Laissez Faire Leadership Styles (1938)
Why was this study so important at the time– why these variables chosen?
Where and on whom was the study done?
What did they conclude and how sound was it?
Is there anywhere that Theory X is still appropriate?
Kurt Lewin
Autocratic
Democratic
Laissez Faire

8. Descriptions of the Three Leadership Situations
Autocratic
Democratic
Laissez Faire
Leader determined all policies for group members and details methods of goal attainment. 
Leader had overall view and shared method step by step as needed. 
Leader specified allowable actions and interactions. 
Leader provided praise and criticism.
Leader encouraged group to create policies.
Leader gave overview of task and steps before work.
Members chose actions and interactions that facilitate work
Feedback was factual and objective
Complete freedom
Resources provided but leader gave information only when asked.
No feedback unless asked
How would this kind of situation affect performance, satisfaction, and teamwork?

9. Consequences for each situation
Autocratic
Democratic
Laissez Faire
little discontent developed when the leader held high standards
much discontent developed when the leader enjoyed dominance for its own sake
production level remained high when group was satisfied with its efforts
negative reaction developed when group is under constant pressure to produce
leader's positive efforts make high productivity possible
greater productivity provides personal satisfactions
work effort tends to slacked when leader is absent
clearness of roles results in greater member satisfaction
members satisfy their needs for order and absolutes in their world
members satisfy their need for dependency
aggressive status-seeking activities develop among members who have a need for status
members may conceal the intensity of their anger and resentment
high demands for status develop, since members cannot obtain status satisfaction from the leader
hero worship of the leader frequently immobilizes the group
members accept the condition of autocracy if they see it as the only alternative
resignation to the inevitable may reduce tensions within the group
members gain satisfactions in making their own decisions
individual self confidence results from group achievement
members grow in self acceptance and confidence
members become more willing to listen to the ideas of others and promote listening
members are more willing to accept the ideas of others
greater emphasis on "we" develops
respect for the personalities of other members develops
status-mindedness decreases amidst friendliness
leaders and members function more as peers and colleagues
good work becomes the criterion for gaining status within the group
members begin to insist on equality of rights and opportunities for all
groups develop grater sense of reality orientation and adjusting to it
group pressures may result in over conformity and group think
members have little sense of accomplishment
there is lack of clear goals
there is lack of clarity on how to achieve goals
members do not understand what is expected of them
little friendship for the leader develops
the group does not develop a sense of unity
members tend toward idleness when direction from the leader is absent
members do not develop self confidence
status-mindedness develops
competitive hostility develops among the members
members develop self assertiveness without regard for the effect on others

10. Argyris’ Worker Maturity Model
(1957, 1962) M4 M3 M2 M1
Worker Maturity
Chris Argyris
What are Argyris’ assumptions about the long term effect of work?
What are the implications for leadership & followership?
What happens when the leadership style and maturity are mismatched?
What could be done to enhance maturity?

11. Case application
Identify a situation with which you are sufficiently familiar, that would be a good case for applying these theories
Use one or more theories to describe the situation (use the language of the theory) and explain why it occurred.
Use the theory to make recommendations on how to improve the leadership in that situation.
Discuss how useful the theory was in helping you understand and intervene in the situation.