Douglas McGregor

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.

Characteristicsof 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

Douglas McGregor - CV