Final answer:
Managers with a utilitarian attitude view employees as mere resources, contrasting with modern management approaches like Theory Y, which promotes collaboration and fulfilling employee potential. Theory X is associated with traditional, more autocratic management while Theory Y reflects a participatory, people-oriented approach.
Step-by-step explanation:
When organization managers have a utilitarian attitude, they treat employees as resources to be used. This perspective contrasts with more modern approaches to management that emphasize a partnership between employees and management, recognition of individual strengths, and the creation of flat organizational structures that promote feedback and collegial relationships.
The utilitarian view is more aligned with what McGregor termed as Theory X, which is a traditional method of management characterized by the belief that employees are primarily motivated by monetary rewards and external supervision, rather than intrinsic satisfaction from their work.
In contrast, Theory Y assumes that individuals are innately motivated and will seek out and enjoy taking on responsibilities at work. This approach involves employees in goal-setting processes, values input on efficiency and safety, and fosters a more participatory management style.
Donald Clifton's strengths-based management approach focuses on leveraging employee's strengths rather than improving weaknesses, and while it is popular, its effects on organizational performance are not definitively proven. As such, many contemporary organizations, including the likes of Toyota, have adopted Theory Y's collaborative ethos, moving away from utilitarian management styles.