McGregor’s Theory X, as a view of management, assumes that workers generally dislike work and must be forced to accomplish their tasks. Theory X managers have a pessimistic perspective of their staff and assume that they are naturally unmotivated. Theory X management is characterized by repetitive work, and performance evaluations are conducted based on tangible results like product output or sales figures. The theory’s key assumptions include the belief that workers dislike their work, need constant direction and avoid responsibility, and have to be forced, controlled, and threatened to deliver their tasks. The theory also assumes that workers have no incentive or ambition to work, and therefore, they need to be enticed through rewards to achieve their goals, and finally, they need to be supervised at every stage.
McGregor’s Theory Y takes a humanistic approach to management; it assumes that workers like to work and that if provided with proper working conditions, they are likely to seek out responsibility to satisfy their self-actualization, social, and esteem goals. Theory Y managers have a positive, optimistic view of their workers and adopt a participative management style. People are given more responsibilities, and the managers encourage them to suggest areas of improvement and grow their skills. The workers are assumed to be happy and take their initiative. Theory Y assumes that workers will commit to goals when they notice that they will get a personal reward by achieving these goals. The second assumption is that the average person will seek and accept responsibility. It is assumed that workers are likely to show self-control and self-direction to achieve goals to which they are committed and that firms today do not fully use their workers’ full potential. Lastly, the theory assumes that creativity, imagination, and ingenuity help solve organizational challenges, but these features are underutilized by organizations.
Job description
A job description is a formally written statement that explains a specific job, including elements like job title, roles, relationships with other positions, physical and mental skills and competencies required, responsibilities, tasks, and working conditions. The job description must outline what is to be done, why it is done, how it will be done, and where it is done.
Job specification
As suggested by the name, the job specification describes the qualifications required for a specific job or position concerning education, experience, and physical and personal traits. The specification also states the employee characteristics that would ensure the defined tasks and duties of a specific job are executed satisfactorily.McGregor’s Theory X