This is the fourth of a four part series examining management theories and how they can help us understand our own personal productivity. William Ouchi was born in 1943 and raised in Honolulu. He earned his Ph.D from the University of Chicago and is currently on faculty at the University of California. Ouchi studied the different work cultures of America and Japan. In America, he found the "Cowboy" culture, where people are rewarded for their individual efforts and employees are acting out of what is good for themselves in the short term. Americans tend to value people who are mavericks and accomplish stuff even if they work against the "system" to do so. In America, it is common … [Read more...] about Personal Productivity from Management Theory – Ouchi
management theory
Personal Productivity from Management Theory – McGregor
This is the third in a four part series examining the relationship between management theories and personal productivity. Douglas McGregor lived from 1906 to 1964 and was a professor at MIT. Four years before his death, he published his theory on management, which is known as theory X and theory Y. Theory X is that employees are lazy and don't want to work. Under this theory, managers must create very structured environments in order for work to get done. They don't trust the employees and often see themselves in competition with them. This leads to managers who run their business as a dictatorship. Theory Y is a different way for managers to look at their employees. It is … [Read more...] about Personal Productivity from Management Theory – McGregor
Personal Productivity from Management Theory – Maslow
This is the second of a four part series examining how management theory can be applied to help improve one's personal productivity. Abraham Maslow lived from 1908 to 1970. He started studying Law in New York, but soon transferred to University of Wisconsin where he switched to psychology and earned a Ph.D by 1934. Maslow developed a theory known as the hierarchy of human needs. This hierarchy is usually represented as a pyramid. On the bottom are needs such as food and shelter--the basic needs of the human body. At the top of the pyramid are the categories of esteem with self actualization (reaching your potential) at the top. Here is a representation of the … [Read more...] about Personal Productivity from Management Theory – Maslow
Personal Productivity from Management Theory
This is the introduction to a four-part series that will explore three management theories and how they relate to personal productivity. This may seem odd, but if management is the art of accomplishing work through other people, then personal productivity can be seen as being effective at managing yourself. By examining the methods of motivating others, we can become more skilled in motivating ourselves. Here are the three theorists we are going to look at: Abraham Maslow - Hierarchy of Human Needs Douglas McGregor - Theory X and Theory Y William Ouchi - Theory Z (Cultural Management) Most people will be familiar with Maslow's theories. McGregor is less well known. Most of … [Read more...] about Personal Productivity from Management Theory