Douglas M. McGregor

Douglas M. McGregor Mr. McGregor theorizes that management views an employee’s motivation toward work in two distinct ways—Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X managers believe the following: (1) The average worker naturally does not like work and will avoid it whenever possible. (2) Managers must always control, motivate, and direct their employees to perform well. (3) Most workers prefer being directed, avoid responsibility, and seek job security. On the other hand, Theory Y managers assume …

…individuals. Therefore, McGregor says that management should try to develop a relationship based on two-way trust between management and employees. This should enable self-direction, increased productivity, and possibly the creation of better methods to complete tasks more efficiently. Furthermore, McGregor points out that management should not expect to see significant changes when first initiating his theory. Change is slow to come, but in the long-run companies will see improvements in employee motivation towards their work.