ABSTRACT
Chris Argyris challenged fundamental principles of how organizations should be managed. To improve organizational structures, he undertook a comprehensive investigation of organizational and human behaviors. When "The Individual and Organization" was published in 1957, the major intellectual battle in management theory was between proponents of Theories X and Y. Theory X assumes that individuals are lazy, need to be controlled, and will not work without monetary incentives. Argyris stood apart from the mainstream by offering a bilateral analysis that considered both organizations and individuals. The framework described in "The Individual and Organization" is intended to stimulate management scientists to theorize about the mutual impacts of each on the other. Argyris's ideas were influenced and shaped by the work of Australian-born psychologist Elton Mayo. He used insights from his predecessors and contemporaries to produce uniformity in the new behavioral school of management. Argyris shook the foundations of the classical school of thought by crediting increased productivity to worker motivation and satisfaction.
