ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

S T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S

E L E V E N T H E D I T I O N

W W W . P R E N H A L L . C O M / R O B B I N S

PowerPoint Presentation

by Charlie Cook

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Douglas McGregor said that managers hold one of two sets of assumptions
about human nature: either Theory X or Theory Y. Seeing people as
irresponsible and lazy, managers who follow Theory X assume the following:
1. Employees inherently dislike work and will try to avoid it.
2. Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled, or

threatened to achieve goals.

3. Employees avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction, if possible.
4. Most workers place security above all other work-related factors and will

display little ambition.

Since they see people as responsible and conscientious, managers who follow
Theory Y assume the following:
1. Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play.
2. When committed to their objectives, people will exercise self-direction and

self-control

3. The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibility.
4. Many workers besides managers have innovative decision-making skills.
No hard evidence confirms that either set of assumptions is universally true. It is
more likely that the assumptions of Theory X or Theory Y may or may not be
appropriate, depending on the situation at hand.