Models Of People

Several models have been developed by management writers to explain the complexity of people.
For example Edgar H Schein developed four concepts of people

•    Rational/Economic View—Assumes that people behave rationally and are motivated by economic gains.
•    Emotional (Social) View—Assumes that people are ruled by their emotions some of which are uncontrollable.
•    Self actualising model which assumes people are self motivated, they want to be and can be mature.
•    Complex model—people are complex and variable and have many motives which combine into a complex pattern.

Another view of people is the Mc Gregor's theory X and theory Y. According to theory X, human beings have a natural dislike for work, because they dislike work most people must be coerced, controlled, threatened and directed to get them to work and the average human being prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility and has relatively low ambition and wants security above all. According to theory Y, the expenditure of physical and mental effort is as natural as play, external control and threat of punishment are not the only means for producing effort, committment to goals is proportional to rewards, under proper conditions human beings learn to accept and seek responsibility and that under the modern industrial life the potentials of people are only partially utilized. Each set of assumptions will affect the way managers carry out their managerial functions and activities.

Managerial models of people

There are three views of people:

        i.    Traditional model
        ii.    Human relations model
        iii.    Human resources model.