The McGregor and Maslow Theories

What are the important limitations of McGregor's Theory X Theory Y?

Theory X
“The average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if he can.”

Theory Y
“The expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest. The average human being does not inherently dislike work…

Man will exercise self-direction and self-control in the service of objectives to which he is committed.”

McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y  may help focus a managers thoughts on the different ways people relate to work, but McGregor's theory is too simplistic to be useful or practical. As a matterof fact, his methodology was flawed and which in turn makes the conclusions drawn not representative of the subject.

While his theory suggests that most people fall into certain work attitude extremes, his samples did not provide the evidence to support it and the theories do not stand up to criticism or scrutiny.

McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y therefore has a list of limitations which include:

• difficulty of putting it to practice (when asked on how to put the theories to practice, his answer was allegedly, "I don't know.")
• there are more than simply two ways to view the working environment and what motivates the employees, theories x and y works solely on assumptions
• individuals are not all either X or Y individuals, some are a mixture of X and Y

What are the important limitations Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is often portrayed in a pyramid with the largest and most fundamental levels of physiological needs at the bottom (breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, etc) and the need for self-actualization (morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, etc) at the top.

According to Maslow, individuals are motivated by unsatisfied needs. As each of these needs is significantly satisfied, it drives and forces the next need to emerge. The hierarchical need of an average person can be seen as in the diagram below:

However, it is important to note that:

• studies have shown that the most powerful unsatisfied need at a given time is what motivates an individual
• the hierarchy of needs lacks scientific support and has little to no evidence to support the hierachical aspect
• people do not necessarily work one by one through these levels, we are a lot less structures in satisfying our needs
• different people with different cultural backgrounds and situation of living may have differing hierarchies of needs