Douglas McGregor

Douglas McGregor
Born: 1906, Detroit Michigan, United States
Died: October 1 1964, Massachusetts, United States
Spouse: Caroline Ferris McGregor
Books: The Human Side of Enterprise, The professional manager, MORE
Children: Patricia Jane Colvard
Education: Wayne State University, Harvard University
Earned his Bachelor (B.E.) in Mechanical
Engineering at the Rangoon Institute of
Technology (RIT) in Burma.
Earned his Bachelor (B.A.) in Administration at
the Wayne State University
Earned his degree in Psychology at Harvard
University
Earned his Master in Psychology in 1935
Got his Ph.D. degree in social psychology in 1935
A lecturer at Harvard University and MIT Sloan
School of Management.
 THEORY X and Y
 A leadership theory about organization and
management
 Are models of the type of employees that managers
may encounter in the workplace.
 THEORY X
Theory X assumes that the average person:
 dislikes work and attempts to avoid it
 has no ambition
 wants no responsibility
 would rather follow than lead
 is self centered and therefore does not care
about organizational goals
 resists change
 is gullible and not particularly intelligent
 works only for money and security
 Manager adopting Theory X
believes
 Everything ends in blame
 In blaming without evaluating the situation
 That it is their job to structure the work and energize
the employee
 In authoritarian style based on the threat of
punishment
 Theory X - The Hard And Soft
Approach
 Under theory x management, approaches can range
from a hard approach to a soft approach
 The Hard Approach
relies on …
coercion
implicit threats
close supervision
tight controls
essentially an environment of command and
control.
The hard approach results in …
 hostility
 purposely low output
 hard line union demands.
 The Soft Approach
 Permissive
 seek harmony
 hope that in return employees will cooperate when
asked to do so

The soft approach results in …

ever increasing requests for more rewards
in exchange for
ever decreasing work output.
 THEORY Y
Theory Y people:
 Take responsibility and are motivated to fulfill the
goals they are given.
 Seek and accept responsibility and do not need much
direction.
 Consider work as a natural part of life and solve work
problem creatively.
 Always participate.
 Manager adopting Theory Y
believes
 People want to do well at work
 The employees are a pool of unused creativity
 That the satisfaction of doing a job is in itself
motivating
 Theory Y
Makes the following general assumptions:
 Work can be as natural as play and rest.
 People will be self directed to meet their work
objectives if they are committed to them.
 People will be committed to their objectives if rewards
are in place that address higher needs such as self
fulfillment.
 People will seek responsibility.
 Most people can handle responsibility because
creativity and ingenuity are common in the
population.
 Theory Y Implications:
 Decentralization and delegation
 Job enlargement
 Participative management
 Performance appraisals
Comparing Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X
Attitude People dislike work, find it
boring, try to avoid it.
Participation People try to avoid work.
Motivation People are motivated mainly by
money, fears about their job
security.
Responsibility People avoid responsibility,
they need to be directed.
Creativity Most people have little
creativity.
Theory Y
People consider work as a part
of life, they enjoy it.
People thrive to participate in
a task and give their input.
People are self-motivated, love
to do their task without any
push from others.
People seek and accept
responsibility under right
conditions
People solve problems
creatively.
 Application
 Theory X management style is widely accepted as
inferior to others, it has its place in large scale
production operation and unskilled production line
work.
 Theory Y management style is suited to knowledge
work and professional services. Theory Y principles to
encourage knowledge sharing and continuous
improvement.
 Conclusion
 These theories help future generations understand the
changing dynamics of human behavior.
 Represent two unrealistic extremes.
 Guiding principles of management.
 Mix will ensure a healthy blend of systems.
Thank you for your attention

Prepared by:
SHERRY ROSE A. NUÑEZ