Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y Essay -- Business Management

Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y Biography of Douglas McGregor Douglas McGregor was born on 1906 in Detroit, America. In 1895, it was here that his grandfather, Thomas McGregor started his business and given its name as, McGregor Institute. The business provides assistance to Great Lakes sailors and other transient labour. The Institute provided shelter, warmth and food to approximately 100 men every year. When Thomas McGregor passed away, his son Murray McGregor (Douglas’s father) continued to manage the business. During high school, Douglas McGregor worked as a night clerk and played the piano and organ at the chapel services. At work, he became familiar with the employees and their problems. In 1936, McGregor Institute came to an end and it was sold for $100,000 to the Goodwill Industries. After high school, McGregor went to Oberlin College and then attended to Wayne University, where he had graduated in 1932. While at college, he was married and left his college work for about five years to save enough money to start a family. McGregor began as a gasoline station attendant in Buffalo and quickly progressed to district manager of stations in the Detroit region. In 1935, he received a PhD degree from Harvard University in Experimental Psychology. McGregor was a brilliant student at Harvard that; he achieved an A grade in every course. After his graduation from Harvard University, he became a Professor of Psychology and taught there f...