ABSTRACT
Douglas McGregor's The Human Side of Enterprise responded to the existing consensus on management techniques. During the early twentieth century, managers exerted strict control over their employees, telling them what to do, and how and when to do it. Workers were rewarded or punished based on how well they performed in these circumstances; poor performance could result in a worker being fired. Managers were often scrutinized by upper management. In the early twentieth century, management practices were rooted in the scientific management principles of Frederick Winslow Taylor. Taylor's views on management, control, and the organization of work significantly influenced many corporations of his time. McGregor believed that corporations exerted excessive control over both employees and managers. McGregor's training in psychology inspired him to draw on fellow psychologists in exploring group dynamics, a field of study that dates as far back as the1930s. McGregor was also influenced by the intellectual culture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
