Douglas McGregor - CV

• Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1906.• The McGregor Institute founded 1985.• Attended Oberlin College and Wayne

University 1923–1932.• Married in 1926 – took five years off school.• Worked up from gas station attendant to

district manager.

CV, continued:

• Received MA from Harvard University in 1933.

• Doctorate in experimental psychology in 1935 (from Harvard).

• Taught at Harvard until 1937.• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

instructor from 1937 to 1948.

CV, continued:

President of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio from 1948 to 1954.

Antioch University, McGregor founded 1988. Labour dispute specialist for various unions

and companies. Returned to MIT in 1954 after receiving

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant.

Are successful managers born or made ?

or

McGregor and Maslow

McGregor’s work was influenced greatly by Maslow’s ‘needs satisfaction’ model of motivation.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

A person’s needs are the driving force that motivates behaviour.

Poor job design, managerial behaviour and too few opportunities for job satisfaction provide disincentives towards work.

McGregor’s ideas

Theory X Theory Y

Theory X = the ‘bad’ theory

Worst side of human nature. Average person dislikes work. Average person attempts to avoid work.

Characteristics of a theory X employee

Shows no ambition. Wants no responsibility. Would rather follow than

lead. Resistant to change. Self-centered. Motivated only by money. Low intelligence.

Hence the phrase ‘a trained monkey could do that job’.

Two management approaches to theory X

Hard X Soft X

Hard X

Harsh authoritarian approach.

Managers use coercion, direct threats.

Work is highly regulated and controlled.

Managers are essentially dictators.

Soft X Managers are permissive

and hope to keep peace and happiness among employees.

Managers promise things for harder work (e.g. vacation time, higher pay).

Example is call centres.

Conclusion to McGregor’s theory X

Hard X and soft X are both unwanted.

McGregor suggests that managers should avoid the characteristics of

theory X and strive for the characteristics embodied in theory Y.

Theory Y

Participative management style; this is the ‘good’ theory

Theory Y has been used for many years as a basis for policy and procedure designs.

Characteristics of a theory Y employee

Effort in work is a natural function of human life.

These people seek and accept responsibility. Their personal objectives will comply with

their employer’s. They are committed to the company’s greater good.

They will do these things without external control or threat of punishment.

Theory Y employees must be…

Emotionally mature. Responsible. Motivated. Participative.

Example is a midwife.

Theory Y managers should…

give their employees freedom to exercise creativity, ingenuity, and imagination; enabling their employees to handle complex tasks without any assistance

be sensitive take time to explain.

Theory Y managers should…

comprehend the needs of the individual engage in joint problem-solving and

interpersonal exchange with each member of staff

monitor, listen and respond to feedback in controlling the system.

Result? Managers who use theory Y principles will see improved

employee performance.

The Human Side of Enterprise

Published in 1960. Based on McGregor’s social science

research. Demonstrates the potential in people. Helps organisations become more effective

in their operations.

Impact on management of McGregor’s theory X and theory Y still relevant today

More than 40 years later it remains one of the most commonly used theories in management training.

It is often a basis for policy and procedure designs and staff appraisal.

A useful read for more information is Douglas McGregor, Revisited: Managing the Human Side of the Enterprise by Gary Heil, published 2000.

Douglas McGregor’s theory X and theory Y take an important angle of viewing and understanding management, that is the

human side