Douglas McGregor: Contribution to Management

As a specialist in social psychology, Ph.D. Douglas MacGregor has long been involved in management issues. After the end of World War II, his name was closely related to the genius ideas in this field.

Unfortunately, Douglas MacGregor contributed to management only thanks to one finished work. This work was the only one that the scientist could present to the world before death took him back in the 57th year of his life. Douglas McGregor's Theory of X and U and several sketches of articles that have not been completed are the only legacy of this American sociologist.

MacGregor's basic idea on X

Douglas McGregor put forward two assumptions about the human nature of behavior. In the course of research, he noticed how dual the human essence can be.

So, X Douglas McGregor's theory suggests a negative opinion about people.

It characterizes a person as one who:

• Has ambition (even to a small extent this feature is inherent in everyone);
• Does not like to work;
• Strives to avoid responsibility;
• It can work effectively only under the condition of strict supervision.

MacGregor's basic idea of Y

In turn, the theory of Douglas McGregor's Y characterizes a person from a positive point of view.

It shows a person as a person who is capable of:

• To self-organization;
• Take responsibility;
• Perceive work as a natural thing, comparable to playing or resting.

These contradictory theories were put forward on the basis of the studies carried out.

Defining parameters of the theory

There are a number of fundamental factors that Douglas McGregor analyzed. The theory of x and y is based on the activity of the performer in his workplace. As a result of the research, it was revealed that there are certain parameters that determine the actions of the performer. Taking them under their control, the manager can control the actions of his subordinates.

These parameters are based on:

• Tasks received by subordinates;
• The time of receiving assignments;
• Beliefs held by a subordinate in the guarantee of obtaining appropriate remuneration;
• Performance of work tasks;
• Expected time of execution of tasks;
• Team (close environment), in which the subordinate works;
• Funds provided for the execution of assignments;
• Instructions issued by management;
• Beliefs of the subordinate in getting them feasible to the task;
• The amount of remuneration guaranteed for successfully performed work;
• The level of involvement of the subordinate in the field of problems associated with the assignment.

Douglas MacGregor expressed the opinion that the provisions relating to the theory of Y are closer to the truth. They more accurately reflect the essence of employees, therefore, these positions should be taken into account when building management strategy and practice.

Theory of X: its main provisions

The provisions relating to the theory of X are as follows:

1. Based on their nature, employees have a strongly negative attitude towards work. They try to avoid it by any means, if conditions permit.
2. To achieve the desired result, subordinates should be forced to work. The employee must be under strict control. As an alternative to this, the threat of punishment for poor performance can be used.
3. Employees practice tactics of evasion from the duties attached to them. For the further performance of the work, formal instructions are required almost every time the prerequisites arise.
4. In the priority of the majority of employees is primarily a sense of security, and only then all the other factors that are associated with work. As a rule, under such conditions, there is rarely a great ambition.

Theory U: its main provisions

This theory of Douglas McGregor includes the following provisions:

1. Perception of work is accepted by employees in the same natural form as a game or rest.
2. Subject to the dedication of the staff of their company and the focus on obtaining a good result in the course of the work, there will be no need for additional guidance and monitoring from outside.
3. Average in statistics a person can learn to take responsibility for their activities and even learn how to develop a desire for it.
4. Among the population, the ability to make the right decisions is quite widespread. This ability is not necessarily inherent in the management staff.

Theory X: clarification of the first provision

Douglas McGregor notes that the provisions that are inherent in the theory of X, are quite widespread in the literature on organizations. In reality, however, management practices and policies use these provisions extremely rarely.

Given that the average person is born with a feeling of dislike for the work, McGregor was able to trace even the history of the development of this provision and to identify the emphasis that managers are guided by. They express concern about the likely limitation of production volumes. This leads to the formation of a special system of individual pay. Her role fully demonstrates that the basis of this system is the belief that management needs efforts to combat the person's inclination to shirk work.

Theory X: clarification of the second provision

From the above comes out the second position. Given the inherent reluctance of a person to work, there is a need for certain actions on the part of management.

These actions consist in:

• Force the individual to do the work;
• Exercise control;
• Direct it to action;
• To practice a policy of intimidation against most of the individuals.

All these actions are aimed at forcing individuals to make their feasible contribution to the achievement of the overall goals of the organization.

In this case, the conclusion suggests that the system of rewards is not a guarantee of the successful fulfillment of the assigned tasks by the employee. A coercive factor can only be the threat of punishment. And all this stems from the belief that people can work only under the influence of external coercion and control.

Theory X: clarification of the third provision

The third proposition states that the average individual will prefer to be controlled from the outside. He is afraid of responsibility, is not characterized by the presence of special ambitions and in his activity seeks first of all to security.

Despite the fact that America's social and political values speak about the existence of ideal values for the average person, most managers in real life live by the belief that "the masses are mediocre."

Based on the highlighted provisions, McGregor makes attempts to prove that this intellectual scheme is not abstract. It is widely used in the administrative practice of the modern world.

Explanation of the theory of Y

The positions within the framework of the theory of X were criticized by McGregor. According to the theory of U, a person spends his mental and physical powers not only on rest or play, but also on work, which speaks about the natural nature of this expense. Therefore, the average individual does not necessarily show dislike for accomplishing the assigned tasks.

The need for external control in such conditions is eliminated. The person will be subject to self-management and self-control, for which the remuneration functions that are associated with the individual's own achievements are responsible. Moreover, on the part of the individual, the most valuable reward for his labors is the sense of satisfying his needs for self-realization and self-affirmation.

It is these aspirations that underlie the achievement of the organization's goals within the framework of the theory of U.