behavioral managment theories

1. Behavioral Management
Theories
Hugo Munsterbeg: (1863-1916) is known as the “father of
industrial psychology” and is as important for
psychology students as F.W. Taylor is for management
students.
He focused to provide a view of psychology’s practical
applications. Munsterbeg believed that industry can be
benefited by psychologists in three major areas:
1) Seeking modern ways to hire the right person for the
right job.
2) Achieving optimum efficiency by identifying the
psychological conditions.
3)Finding methods to direct behavior of individual
employees to be in harmony with the management’s
objectives.

2.  Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was the person who
proposed motivation theory, which is based on three
assumptions about human nature.
 The needs of human beings cannot be satisfied completely.
 Humans always strive to satisfy their needs, which are still
unsatisfied.
 The priority of needs can be sorted into a hierarchy that
range from basic, lower-level needs to higher level needs:
 Physiological (lowest)
 Safety
 Belongingness or social
 Esteem
 Self-actualization (highest and not everyone is capable of
achieving it)

3.  Douglas McGregor (1906-1964) provided a view of the Theory
X and Theory Y dichotomy. These theories tell how managers
make assumptions about workers and what the effect of these
assumptions is on the behavior of the employee.
 Theory X: managers assume that workers always remain lazy
and do not put their complete efforts in their performance;
therefore, they need to be pushed. Workers have no or just a
little ambition, and mostly focus on their security needs. This
kind of manager thinks that these assumptions are true and they
treat workers accordingly.
 Theory Y: managers assume that workers have self-control and
do not deliberately put less effort in the work. They can be
innovative and creative and in a general manner, their needs are
higher than the needs met on the job. These kinds of managers
then treat their subordinates as if their assumptions are true.
 Workers are assumed to work sometimes at a higher capacity and
sometimes at lower capacity like all of us.