Abstract
This biography covers the life and contributions of one of the most significant contributors to management and organizational thinking. Douglas McGregor set the stage for a new wave of management with his Theory Y managerial assumptions. McGregor’s work influenced a generation of scholars and practitioners who changed the practice of management and created the foundation for the twenty-first century of management thinking. This chapter presents and discusses the forces that influenced and motivated McGregor’s thinking. It reviews McGregor’s basic contributions particularly his best-known contribution of Theory X and Theory Y. In addition, it reviews McGregor’s key insights and their impact on theory and practice that have led to organizational change being viewed in new and surprising ways. Finally, a discussion of McGregor’s legacies, unfinished business, and further readings is provided.
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Sorensen, P.F., Yaeger, T.F. (2021). McGregor, Douglas: His Human Side. In: Szabla, D.B. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38324-4_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38324-4_18
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