Theory X And Theory Y

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Theory X and Theory X Created By Douglas McGregor In the 1960’s management professor Douglas McGregor wrote a book called “The Human Side of Enterprise”. The book would in tell his person beliefs and theories of what and how employees are motivated, and the factors used to motivate an employee in the career world. After years of research McGregor would define these theories as Theory X and Theory X. McGregor developed these two theories based of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is a pyramid based on human needs when it comes to work and the working environment. Maslow’s theory defined what motivates people when it comes to work. The average worker has certain human needs to work. These needs would include physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. These needs where placed in order for the most wanted to less important. McGregor took Maslow’s theory and broke it down into a deeper subject matter, to disapprove that not all workers, have the same needs and wants when it comes to work. McGregor developed Theory X and Theory X. Theory X and Theory X shows the concept that either employees work had because of personal goals, and the thought of advancement, or that employees don’t work hard, and only come to work for money and security, usually those people have to be threatened with job termination to actually put effort into doing work. Theory X, challenges the assumptions of the average person. It is believed by McGregor that the average people, dislikes work, has no ambitions, and self-centered as well as gullible. This is broken down to believe that people only work for money and a safe financial security. A perfect comparison would be the average high school student. Most high school students, or the average high school student does not like school, nor homework, does not like getting out of bed
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