The ingenuity of the average worker is sufficient to outwit any system of controls devised by management.”

The big idea behind this book is the development of Theory X and Y. Theory X assumes “the average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if he can” and “because of this [...], most people must be coerced, controlled, directed, threatened with punishment to get them to put forth adequate effort toward the achievement of organizational objectives.” The desirable end of the growth process is an ability to strike a balance - to tolerate certain forms of dependence without being unduly frustrated, and at the same time to stand alone in some respects without undue anxiety." A half a century ago industrial management had, in the threat of unemployment, a form of punishment which made the use of authority relatively effective.What caught my eye first in the book was that this was the source of the Theory Y Management Strategy. Douglas McGregor characterised the current management practises as Theory X and in this book he proposed the antidote to the destruction that was waged by Theory X managers. Confidence thus rests heavily on the subordinate's belied in the integrity of the superior, When one is dependent, any suspicion that the superior cannot be fully trusted arouses anxiety."

What are your assumptions (implicit as well as explicit) about the most effective way to manage people?” Preface -- Part I. The theoretical assumptions of management. 1. Management and scientific knowledge -- 2. Methods of influence and control -- 3. Theory X : the traditional view of direction and control -- 4. Theory Y : the integration of individual and organizational goals -- Part II. Theory Y in practice. 5. Management by integration and self-control -- 6. A critique of performance appraisal -- 7. Administering salaries and promotions -- 8. The Scanlon plan -- 9. Participation in perspective -- 10. The managerial climate -- 11. Staff-line relationships -- 12. Improving staff-line collaboration -- Part III. The development of managerial talent. 13. An analysis of leadership -- 14. Management development programs -- 15. Acquiring managerial skills in the classroom -- 16. The managerial team -- Conclusion Let us consider some of the important environmental conditions which affect the growth of managers...(1) economic and technological characteristics of the industry and the firm, (2) policies and practices of the company, and (3) the behavior of the immediate superior."What are your assumptions (implicit as well as explicit) about the most effective way to manage people?" The central principle of organization which derives from Theory X is that of direction and control through the exercise of authority - what has been called "the scalar principle." The central principle which derives from Theory Y is that of integration: the creation of conditions such that the members of the organization can achieve their own goals best by directing their efforts toward the success of the enterprise."

In 1937 he took the short trip down Massachusetts Avenue to help set up the Industrial Relations Section at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). McGregor became Executive Director of the MIT Industrial Relations Section, which years later was renamed the Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER). IWER still exists today and is housed in the MIT Sloan School of Management. There are at least four major variables now known to be involved in leadership: (1) the characteristics of the leader; (2) the attitudes, needs, and other personal characteristics of the followers; (3) characteristics of the organization, such as its purpose, its structure, the nature of the tasks to be performed; and (4) the social, economic, and political milieu...This is an important research finding. It means that leadership is not a property of the individual, but a complex relationship among these variables." urn:lcp:humansideofenter00mcgr:epub:6925cb28-bfa0-4c4d-880d-745e5628304b Extramarc University of Alberta Libraries Foldoutcount 0 Identifier humansideofenter00mcgr Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t87h2d13z Isbn 0070450927 Even if the example organisations mentioned in the book belong to the industrial sector, the management and leadership principles can be applied today in sectors that appeared after the publication of the book (1960) like the information or internet industries.

This is normally the role of the Change Manager; to implement the change that no-one asked for or wants”. Having said that, there exist books about people management, leadership and personal development that suit today’s organizations better; that’s why I would recommend reading this book if you simply want to learn more about the history of management theory.