In the modern society, it cannot be disputed that effective leadership styles are elemental for enhancing organizational performance. It is the responsibility of organizational leaders to adopt management styles that are suitable for diverse work environments. The X and Y management styles have been employed by different leaders over time.
They offer useful insights that can guide leaders in ensuring that their organizations perform optimally at all times. This paper provides a review of the two theories in light of their pros and cons. In addition, it underscores the relevance of the two theories in organizational management.
In his review, Sidhan (2010) details that theory X of management contends that workers do not like work and in most instances need to be coerced before they can attend to their duties. Workers according to this theory tend to avoid responsibility at all times. Further, they do not employ their personal initiative when addressing emergent concerns but rather prefer to be guided in all their undertakings. Above all, employees from the theory’s point of view have limited ambition and tend to place undue emphasis on personal security.
Employees in theory Y on the other hand derive great satisfaction from their jobs. As such, they are very committed to the organization that they serve and take all measures to ensure that organizational goals are attained. In his research, Cuban (2011) indicates that employees in theory Y are responsible and self driven. In most instances, they perceive work as play and enjoy performing the various duties that are accorded to them.
As indicated earlier, each theory is suitable in different environments as well as situations. In this regard, no particular theory can be considered suitable for all situations. At this point, it is worth appreciating that organizational environments differ considerably and have varied needs.
Customizing a leadership style would go a long way in ensuring optimal performance. For instance, there are certain organizational environments that are not environmentally employee friendly. As a result, employees in such environments hate working. In order to sustain productivity, organizational leaders would be compelled to align their leadership styles to the X theory. The Y theory in the foregoing scenario would not yield satisfactory outcomes.
Theory Y can be considered to be a democratic form of leadership. One striking difference with this theory is its participative nature. It gives the employees a chance and freedom to participate actively in decision making and ultimate organizational growth. This according to Barnett and Scott (2006) is attributable to the freedom that the workers are accorded.
Democracy is also demonstrated in instances where workers of this theoretical orientation are allowed to participate directly in organizational growth. In the long run, they feel appreciated and motivated.
At this point, it cannot be disputed that knowledge of the two models by organizational leaders is vitally important. This would enable the leader to adopt the most suitable leadership style under varied conditions. This is particularly important in modern day organizational environments. The environments are very dynamic and complex in nature. Understanding the models would enable the leaders to cope with emergent concerns in an effective and efficient manner.
References
Barnett, T. & Scott, D. (2006). Theory X and Theory Y: An entry from Thomsom Gale’s encyclopedia of management. USA: Thomsom Gale.
Cuban, M. (2011). How to win the sport of business: If I can do it, you can do it. USA: Diversion Books.
Sidhan, I. (2010). Doing both: Capturing today’s profit and driving tomorrow’s growth. USA: FT Press.