McGregor's humanistic theory - summary and characteristics

One of the most influential scholars of the organization, and the clearest representative of the humanistic approach of leadership is McGregor, who presented his theory in the book The Human Side of Enterprise (1960). In his theory he classifies the leaders as a function of 2 basic leadership styles: authoritarian style, called "Theory X", in which the emphasis is based on the goals of the organization, more equal style, the "Theory and", In emphasis it is directed towards the individual's goals.

Humanist Theory

The Theory x McGregor reflects the traditional point of view on direction and control. It is based on coercive and economic models of man and rests on certain assumptions about human nature. TO. Assumptions:

1. The human being feels a disgust intrinsic towards work and avoid it whenever you can. Most people have to be forced to work by force, controlled, directed and threatened with punishments to develop the effort appropriate to carrying out the objectives of the organization.
2. The common human being prefers to be directed, he wants to ignore responsibilities, he has relatively little ambition and wishes more than his safety.

The leader must use harsh measures to control the behavior of subordinates to ensure their work and performance to achieve the objectives of the organization.

The image of the manager has been configured and functions have been delimited that he has to meet. The address is responsible for organize the items of the company (money, materials, equipment, people) depending on the economic objectives. The manager must concentrate their efforts on motivating employees, controlling their actions and modifying their behaviors based on the needs of the organization since without this active intervention of the management people would not work to achieve the goals proposed by the organization.

The Theory and McGregor defends the integration of individual interests with the objectives of the organization. Part of the concept of Maslow's self -actualization, and assumes that people will work and assume responsibilities if they have the opportunity to meet their personal needs, while achieving organizational objectives. Assumptions:

1. The development of physical and mental effort at work is as natural as game or rest.
2. External control and the threat of punishment are not the only means to channel human effort towards the objectives of the organization. The man can address and control himself in service of the objectives whose realization is committed.
3. Motivation, the potential for the development and ability to assume responsibilities towards organizational objectives are in people, do not depend solely on management.
4. People undertake for the realization of the company's objectives for the compensation associated with their achievement.
5. The human being is habituated, in due circumstances, not only to accept, but also to seek new responsibilities.
6. The ability to develop, to a relatively high degree, imagination, ingenuity, intellectual potentialities and creativity to solve the problems of the organization, is characteristic of large sectors of the population that composes them.
7. The essential task of the management is to provide organizational conditions and operation methods so that people can achieve their own objectives by directing their efforts towards organizational objectives.

The key point of the theory is the Concept of integration. The essential principle of the organization derived from theory X is that management and control must be exercised through the development of authority; The principle that follows from the theory and is the integration, that is, the creation of conditions that allow the members of the organization to better carry out their own objectives, leading their efforts towards the success of the company. It is about structuring the work situation so that the organization's goals are integrated with those of individuals, so that the members of the working group can achieve their own goals in an easier way if they follow the strategy of directing their efforts Towards the achievement of the organization's goals.

The McGregor approach differentiates the 2 traditional approaches related to the effectiveness of the address:

• Classic, considers the leader as the only brain and motor of the group (the leader plans, directs, coordinates, supervises and evaluates the work of the group members);
• arising from the approach to human relations, puts the emphasis on a non -directive attitude and focused on the people that make up the group

The main function of the leader It is to allow their subordinates to self -limit and develop an atmosphere that allows group members to be carried out in the execution of the Tara and in the completion of the organization's objectives. Focus that forgets that different types of groups require different types of direction and that the suitability of one or the other is based on:

• Group characteristics
• The type of task
• The organizational context

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