Bridget Jones has been the manager of the research office at her company for over a year. She is beginning to wonder if she will ever be comfortable in this role. Her employees seem dissatisfied and are not working their hardest. Bridget leaves work most days feeling that there must be a better way to manage.
Remembering the lessons of the Hawthorne studies, Bridget works hard to praise her employees regularly. The work that her employees do is relatively interesting and there are considerable opportunities for advancement and growth. Bridget holds regular staff meetings to get input from her employees before making decisions. In spite of these efforts, Bridget's employees seem to be dissatisfied.
At the company's annual meeting, she runs into Cliff Richards, her predecessor in the job. She shares her frustrations and asks him for advice. Cliff says, "Management is simple people are naturally lazy and uncooperative. To make them productive, they must be punished for negative behaviour and rewarded when they work hard." Bridget finds this hard to accept, but replies with "Thanks for the advice, Cliff. I'll think about what you've said."
1. Would Cliff Richards be categorized as a Theory X or Theory Y manager? Explain.
2. What advice might Herzberg give Bridget about dissatisfaction among her employees?