Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Taylor, McGregor and me

Taylor, McGregor and me Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make a case for the co‐existence of Theories X and Y assumptions in everyone. The author does this by comparing the works of Douglas McGregor and Frederick W. Taylor, “the father of scientific management,” after having lived with their legacies for several decades as manager and consultant. The author shows how the striking similarities in their values diverged in practice and how the author learned to integrate their voices in himself. Design/methodology/approach – Personal cases are used showing how the author learned to improve workplaces while tracing his roots from McGregor to Taylor and back, drawing on a few of more than 260 sources the author cited in Productive Workplaces (1987, 2004). Findings – Putting theories into practice for the author involved not only devising new policies, procedures, and structures but also going on a never‐ending journey of self‐discovery. Second, theories X and Y may have originated in McGregor's own projections on his father, just as Taylor's scientific management may be understood as an expression of his Quaker roots. Third, the tension between X and Y in all of us is a reality to appreciate, not a battle requiring that we take sides. Originality/value – The author offers this paper as a corrective to two popular myths from his years as a manager/consultant. One is that “Theory Y” managers are superior to “Theory X types” when they often may be the same people. Two is that Taylor is the boogey‐man who corrupted workplaces by forcing people into mindless jobs. In fact his systems were eagerly embraced by countless others and paradoxically coexist today, even in workplaces whose managers believe passionately in human capability. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Management History Emerald Publishing

Taylor, McGregor and me

Marvin Weisbord
Journal of Management History , Volume 17 (2): 13 – Apr 12, 2011
Download PDF
13 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/taylor-mcgregor-and-me-diEntp62Dr
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1751-1348
DOI
10.1108/17511341111112578
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make a case for the co‐existence of Theories X and Y assumptions in everyone. The author does this by comparing the works of Douglas McGregor and Frederick W. Taylor, “the father of scientific management,” after having lived with their legacies for several decades as manager and consultant. The author shows how the striking similarities in their values diverged in practice and how the author learned to integrate their voices in himself. Design/methodology/approach – Personal cases are used showing how the author learned to improve workplaces while tracing his roots from McGregor to Taylor and back, drawing on a few of more than 260 sources the author cited in Productive Workplaces (1987, 2004). Findings – Putting theories into practice for the author involved not only devising new policies, procedures, and structures but also going on a never‐ending journey of self‐discovery. Second, theories X and Y may have originated in McGregor's own projections on his father, just as Taylor's scientific management may be understood as an expression of his Quaker roots. Third, the tension between X and Y in all of us is a reality to appreciate, not a battle requiring that we take sides. Originality/value – The author offers this paper as a corrective to two popular myths from his years as a manager/consultant. One is that “Theory Y” managers are superior to “Theory X types” when they often may be the same people. Two is that Taylor is the boogey‐man who corrupted workplaces by forcing people into mindless jobs. In fact his systems were eagerly embraced by countless others and paradoxically coexist today, even in workplaces whose managers believe passionately in human capability.

Journal

Journal of Management History – Emerald Publishing

Published: Apr 12, 2011

Keywords: Taylorism; Work design; Industrial relations; Management styles; Management history

References

  • Chairman MAC in perspective
    Bennis, W.G.
  • Leadership and Motivation: Essays of Douglas McGregor
  • Socio‐technical systems
    Emery, F.E.; Trist, E.L.
  • The Motivation to Work
    Herzberg, F.; Mausner, B.; Snyderman, B.
  • Personlig Dialektik
    Janssen, C.
  • Stick and Rudder
    Langewiesche, W.
  • Not so fast
    Lepore, J.
  • The Human Side of Enterprise
    McGregor, D.
  • The Professional Manager
    McGregor, D.
  • Motivation and Personality
  • Eupsychian Management
    Maslow, A.H.
  • Theory Y assumptions in a non‐theory Y world
    Nord, W.
  • The Principles of Scientific Management
    Taylor, F.W.
  • Some Form of Peace
    Weisbord, M.R.
  • Management in crisis: an interview with Rensis Likert
    Weisbord, M.R.
  • Productive Workplaces
    Weisbord, M.R.
  • Productive Workplaces Revisited
    Weisbord, M.R.
  • Requiem for Bethlehem
    Weisbord, M.R.