Core Idea: There exist 2 types of people, one who are not motivated and need external push, and the second are people who can motivate themselves without any external effort.
Theory X
- Assumes that workers have little ambition, dislike work, avoid responsibility and require close supervision.
- Requires a management style that is authoritarian and centralized control is retained.
- They tend to have specialized and often repetitive work
Theory Y
- Assumes that workers can exercise self-direction, desire responsibility and like to work.
- Requires a decentralized, democratic management style that lets everyone participate.
- They tend to have wider areas of skill and knowledge and are encouraged to develop the expertise and make suggestions and improvements.