<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human work motivation and management . They were created by Douglas McGregor while he was working at the MIT Sloan School of Management in the 1950s, and developed further in the 1960s . McGregor's work was rooted in motivation theory alongside the works of Abraham Maslow, who created the hierarchy of needs . The two theories proposed by McGregor describe contrasting models of workforce motivation applied by managers in human resource management, organizational behavior, organizational communication and organizational development . Theory X explains the importance of heightened supervision, external rewards, and penalties, while Theory Y highlights the motivating role of job satisfaction and encourages workers to approach tasks without direct supervision . Management use of Theory X and Theory Y can affect employee motivation and productivity in different ways, and managers may choose to implement strategies from both theories into their practices . </P> <P> McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y and Maslow's hierarchy of needs are both rooted in motivation theory . Maslow's hierarchy of needs consist of physiological needs (lowest level), safety needs, love needs, esteem needs, and self - actualization (highest level). According to Maslow, a human is motivated by the level they have not yet reached, and self - actualization cannot be met until each of the lower levels has been fulfilled . Assumptions of Theory Y, in relation to Maslow's hierarchy put an emphasis on employee higher level needs, such as esteem needs and self - actualization . </P>

The theory x style of management focuses on