This summer I revisited Douglas McGregor’s 1960 publication, The Human Side of Enterprise, that summarized his research into the work environment. The result was the addition of Theory X and Theory Y management concepts to the manager’s toolbox and fire officer promotional exams.
In the black-and-white world of promotional exams, Theory X is bad and Theory Y is great, reinforced by Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs while the fire officer operates under a “consult” environment as described by Tannenbaum and Schmidt. An analysis of McGregor’s theories noted three changes that have occurred since 1960:
- Many workers find themselves in an environment that inspires neither satisfaction nor job loyalty
- Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory has more critics than supporters
- Research on human motivation no longer defines “creativity” simply as “innovation”
Management science research shows that Theory Y management has not produced measurable improvement in job performance, satisfaction or quality. (Bobic & Davis 2003) Looking at management style, Richard Yu (2017) made this observation
The distinctions of (Theory X and Theory Y) actually act as an indicator for the increasing shifts in workplace management philosophies with respect to the role and needs of the individual employee across different generations.
Consider how Theory X’s strong control and use of external incentives such as a stable job and a paycheck emphasize the career over the individual.
So, if Theory Y is not produced measurable improvement in job performance, satisfaction or quality, why is it an element in fire officer leadership development?
Fire officers have memorized Maslow (1954), Tannenbaum & Schmidt (1958), and McGregor (1960) in preparing for promotional examinations. These concepts are a small part of a larger mosaic of management science research that has produced dozens of theories, concepts or “best practices.”
Some of these newer concepts could benefit the fire officer who leads in our unique, 24-hour, low-frequency but high-risk industry using small groups of task-oriented teams in dangerous situations with incomplete information operating under a unified incident management command.
Let’s Get An Up-To-Date Overview of Leadership
Leadership is a complex process having multiple dimensions. I got the 8th edition (2019) of the most-utilized academic textbook on leadership to see how Professor Peter G. Northouse classifies leadership.
Leadership is a process whereby an individual can influence a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.
In describing the universe of leadership, Northouse breaks the different views into comparisons:
- Trait Versus Process
- Assigned Versus Emergent
Leadership and Power. Power is the capacity or potential to influence. People have power when they have the ability to affect other’s beliefs, attitudes, and courses of action.
While the process of Leadership and Management are similar, the practice of management came out of the Industrial Revolution. Management was created as a way to reduce chaos in organizations so as to make them run more effectively and efficiently.
The value of this book is that it looks at 16 different approaches, theories or practices. Explains how it works. It looks at the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Shows its most effective application and provides case examples. The book does a great job documenting and describing the research supporting the approach, theory or practice. I was surprised by some concepts/practices having few peer-reviewed publications.
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McGregor, Douglas (1960) The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill
Ward, Michael (2019 July 1) The Resilience of Theory X Management – 2 Corrosive Issues to Address. CompanyCommander.com Reston, VA: Gold Badge Enterprises LLC.
Maslow, Abraham (1954) Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper and Row Publishers.
Bobic, MP & Davis WE (2003) A Kind Word for Theory X: Or Why So Many Newfangled Management Techniques Quickly Fail. Journal of Public Administration and Theory. (13)3, 239-264.
Yu RK (2017) Keys to Management Style, Communication, and Workplace Efficiency. Medium.com. Accessed June 30, 2019, https://medium.com/swlh/keys-to-management-style-communication-and-workplace-efficiency-f3238da3f9d2
Tannenbaum R & Schmidt, W. (1958) “How to choose a leadership pattern” Harvard Business Review 36(2), pp.95-101.
Northouse, Peter D. (2019) Leadership: Theory and Practice, 8th Edition. Thousand Oaks CA: SAGE Publishing.
Ward, Michael (2019 February 25) “Lieutenant, we don’t pull hose.” Fire officer options when the fire company is too experienced to practice skills. CompanyCommander.com. Reston, VA: Gold Badge Enterprises LLC
Featured Image: Montana State University Fire Service Training School