The need
Esteem
Affiliation
Safety
Physiological
McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X Assumptions
The average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if he can.
- Because of their dislike for work, most people must be controlled and threatened before they will work hard enough.
- The average human prefers to be directed, dislikes responsibility, is unambiguous, and desires security above everything.
- These assumptions lie behind most organizational principles today, and give rise both to "tough" management with punishments and tight controls, and "soft" management which aims at harmony at work.
- Both these are "wrong" because man needs more than financial rewards at work, he also needs some deeper higher order motivation - the opportunity to fulfill himself.
- Theory X managers do not give their staff this opportunity so that the employees behave in the expected fashion.
Theory Y Assumptions
- The expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest.
- Control and punishment are not the only ways to make people work, man will direct himself if he is committed to the aims of the organization.
- If a job is satisfying, then the result will be commitment to the organization.
- The average man learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but to seek responsibility.
- Imagination, creativity, and ingenuity can be used to solve work problems by a large number of employees.
- Under the conditions of modern industrial life, the intellectual potentialities of the average man are only partially utilized.
Frederick Herzberg - Hygiene & Motivation
Frederick Herzberg contributed to human relations and motivation two theories of motivation:
- Hygiene Theory
- Motivation
Herzbergs' first component in his approach to motivation theory involves what are known as the hygiene factors and includes the work and organizational environment. These hygiene factors include:
- The organization
- Its policies and its administration
- The kind of supervision (leadership and management, including perceptions) which people receive while on the job
- Working conditions (including ergonomics)
- Interpersonal relations
- Salary
- Status
- Job security
These factors do not lead to higher levels of motivation but without them there is dissatisfaction.
The second component in Herzbergs' motivation theory involves what people actually do on the job and should be engineered into the jobs employees do in order to develop intrinsic motivation with the workforce. The motivators are
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Growth / advancement
- Interest in the job
These factors result from internal instincts in employees, yielding motivation rather than movement.
Both these approaches (hygiene and motivation) must be done simultaneously. Treat people as best you can so they have a minimum of dissatisfaction. Use people so they get achievement, recognition for achievement, interest, and responsibility and they can grow and advance in their work.
Therefore, the hygiene and motivation factors can be listed as follows:
Hygiene
- Company policies and administration
- Supervision
- Working conditions and interpersonal relations
- Salary, status and security
Motivators
- Achievement
- Recognition for achievement
- Interest in the task
- Responsibility for enlarged task
- Growth and advancement to higher level tasks
Effects on Individuals of Working Environment
- It will provide at least sufficient for his basic needs and often much more. For example, 50 years ago in the United Kingdom, food and shelter were a person's basic needs. Today, most families will consider that the basic needs also include a car, television, overseas holiday, etc.
- It may or may not provide adequate security. Again, most individuals seek a secure job, there are others including some men on oil rigs, who seek high pay for a limited period but with limited security.
- It provides an individual with an identity. As a member of an organization, he carries out a specific function.
- It also gives the worker comradeship, freedom from boredom, and an interest during his working life.
- It also provides self-fulfillment for individual where consideration has been given to ensure that the job is creative and gives job satisfaction.
- It provides the individual with status. There is a status in all jobs providing the job content is investigated to make the work more interesting.
Effects on Work Groups of Working Environment
Rensis Likert has already described how the various management styles in an organization can effect the groups in an organization.
While the working environment will affect individuals, it will undoubtedly have a greater effect on working groups, since whilst an individual may have certain needs, he will not obtain those needs if the working environment does not provide the needs of the working group.
The working group is the instrument of society through which in large measure the individual acquires his attitudes, opinions, goals and ideals, it is also one of the fundamental sources of discipline and social controls.
So, the working environment has an effect on groups as follows:
- It will affect the morale of the group.
- It will determine whether the group achieves the objectives set by the organization.
- It will determine whether the degree of cooperation provided by the group
- It will motivate the group to give of their best.
- It will determine whether the human relations within an organization are good or bad.
- It will also affect the relations between management and trade unions.
