Common-sense Theory: Motivation

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Here at My Organisational Bahviour we want to try and provide as much up-to-date information on the subject of Organisational Behaviour as we can. However, there is nothing better than having a book to sit down in a quiet place and read. We recommend the following books.

Organizational Behaviour (Buchanan and Huczynski)

Management and Organisational Behaviour (Mullins)

McGregor (1960)

McGregor’s theory started off because he believed that every person has a different reason to get out of bed in the morning, a different reason to go to work and earn money. Some people, who are put into the ‘Theory X’, work to just get money, they don’t care about anything else, any other benefits. Others, put into ‘Theory Y’ go to work to get independence and improve their life. The outlines of these theories are shown below;

Common-Sense Approach 1 – Theory X

People cannot be trusted
They are lazy, irrational and unreliable
They need to be controlled, motivated by money and threatened by punishment
Without control they will pursue their own goals, which will be contrary to those of the organisation.

Common-Sense Approach 2 – Theory Y

People seek independence, self-development and creativity in their work
They look beyond immediate circumstances and can adapt to new ones
They are fundamentally moral and responsible people who will strive for the good of the organisation if they are treated as such.

Common-Sense Approach 3 – Paternalism

A person’s behaviour influenced most fundamentally by social interactions
These can determine sense of identity and belonging at work
People seek meaningful relationships at work
They are responsive to others expectations, often more than financial incentives.

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