Theory X & Theory Y
January 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
It is imperative to understand management & motivational theories and apply them in your daily work activities. There is no gainsaying the fact that Corporate America is very competitive and you will most certainly encounter different personalities and people with different motivations as you trudge along in the rat race. Having sufficient knowledge of different motivational thoughts may prepare you to deal with some challenging situations at the workplace.
Today, we will be examining Theory X and Y developed by Douglas McGregor in the 1960s. This theory is widely used in human resources, behavioral and organizational management. It is divided into two extremes coined Theory X and Y respectively. First, let us examine Theory X.
Theory X
A Theory X manager believes that an average worker lacks ambition and would avoid work and responsibilities whenever he can. He also fervently believes that most workers are naturally lazy and requires close and comprehensive systems of controls. He believes in passing the bulk and thinks employees are only interested in looking out for themselves and their sole purpose for working is money.
He will blame the worker first in most situtations without questioning whether it may be the system, policy or lack of training that deserves the blame. This type of manager will constantly look over your shoulder, micro-manage you and stifle your creativity. He constantly uses negative reinforcement to motivate his staffs and constantly reminds them of what they did wrong and down plays their strengths. A Theory X manager is caustic and enjoys a narrow span of control. This type of managers abound in the corporate world. He enjoys to see his workers suffer and believes in a dictatorship type of leadership. He will often give employees gifts in order to make them let down their guards (a trojan horse) and subsequently manipulate them even more.
Theory Y
This is the polar extreme of Theory X and a Theory Y manager believes that the average worker is self-motivated, ambitious, loves to work when provided with the necessary tools. He uses the concept of positive reinforcement to motivate his workers and works with the employees to get the most out of their work (job satisfaction and job enrichment).
He believes in substance over form hence ensuring that employees are not bogged down by rules and this leads to better productivity. He believes that the satisfaction of doing a good job is a strong motivation in and of itself. A Theory Y manager will try to remove the barriers that prevent workers from fully actualizing themselves. This is the better type of manager to have.
Analysis
What type of managers do you have? What type of manager are you? Knowing the answers to these questions are imperative to your career and will prepare you to make some career defining decisions. Are you in an environment where you are restricted, micromanaged and believe you cannot grow?
Are your managers supportive of your ambitions both within the workplace and in your personal life or do they just see you as a tool, a raw material that can be used and then discarded? Well, knowing the personality of your managers will help you answer those questions and determine whether you should take that leap of faith or stay in your current position for the long haul.
Also, be wary of your administrative managers/coaches, they are not necessarily your friends and empirical evidence has shown that they are usually used as the eyes and ears of upper management and would gladly sell you out in order to get in the good books of their own managers.
Keep personal information private and never let them know you don’t like your work as this would be reflected in your bonus and performance evaluation at the end of the year. Remember, everything you tell your coach will be used against you when the time is right. So before you start spilling the beans when next you have a one-on-one discussion, think twice!
NiPRO Announces the First Top 40 Finalists
January 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Press Release
Lagos, Nigeria, January 7, 2008: Nigerian Professionals Organization “NiPRO”, the Organizers of the Global Top 40 Under 40 Nigerian Female Professionals, on January 7th announced the First 20 Finalist on the Top 40 List. The event scheduled for next month in Lagos has attracted an A-List of High Profile Nigerian Women.
Sponsored by Esso/Exxonmobil Nigeria, the Global Top 40 Event themed “Inspiring a New Generation of Female Leadership” is designed to recognize the achievements of Nigeria Women, home and abroad who are excelling in their field and have contributed and still contributing to the Advancement of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Along with the recognition, the event will also seek to empower a new generation of Nigeria Women.
Amongst the first finalists are:
- Ada Osakwe - Investment Officer, African Development Bank
- Adefunke Adeyemi - Head, Legal & Company Secretary, Virgin Nigeria Airways
- Amina Baloni - UNICEF Project Officer, United Nations
- Asim-Ita Emilia - PR Director, RedSTRAT
- Bola Atta - Editor, True Love (West Africa) Magazine
- Bolanle Austen-Peters - Managing Director , Terra Kulture
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Award-winning Author, Half of a Yellow Sun
- Dr. Kemi DaSilva-Ibru - Obstetrics/Gynecology, Lagos State Teaching Hospital
- Eunice Omole - Managing Partner, New Frontiers Investment Management
- Folake Ayoola Esq., Attorney, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
- Folake Folarin-Coker - Fashion Designer, Tiffany Amber Label
- Funmi Iyanda - CEO (New Dawn) Queen Production
- Hafsat Abiola Costello - Activist & Founder, Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND)
- Joke Giwa - Regional Head Africa, MoneyGram
- Kudi Igbene - Marketing Director, Virgin Atlantic
- Lola Akinleye - Head, Corporate Finance, Zenith Capital
- Lola Ogunnaike - Entertainment Reporter, CNN America
- Ndidi O. Nwuneli - Founder/CEO, LEAP Africa
- Stella Damasus - Actress, Nollywood
- Titilayo Akinsanmi - Program Manager, Mindset - The Global Teenagers Project.
The Global Top 40 nominees were compiled from a diverse selection committee that included Nigerian Professionals and Executives, both home and abroad and executives in the Nigeria Media Industry. The finalists were then selected by a committee that included these groups and officials of NiPRO.
The final 20 will be announced at a press conference scheduled for end of January in Lagos.
Please visit www.niproevents.com for more details.
