Theory X and Theory Y, developed by Douglas McGregor, arise from the opposition to classical management methods. Classical management theorists, such as Fredrick Taylor, focused on scientific training and efficiency and did not take into account personal and behavioral issues, such as management styles or job satisfaction. McGregor saw these shortcomings in the classical school of management which led him to develop a theory of management that took into account the importance of the individual worker. If a manager could tap into the feelings and attitudes of their employees, then they would be able to increase their employees' motivation, which would then increase production. McGregor's theory regarded the employee as a person and not as a machine as the classical theorists did, and as the employee will receive more personal attention, he will become more satisfied with his job and, according to McGregor, production would therefore be increased (Barnett) . McGregor developed his theory and published it in his book “The Human Side of Enterprise” in 1960 where he stated that classical theorists viewed employees as having essentially negative attitudes towards their work; this negative attitude was the basis of McGregor's Theory X behaviors. Theory X had three main assumptions about workers and managers. First, McGregor suggested that employees dislike work and will avoid work whenever possible. Next, because workers do not like to work, managers and supervisors must force them to work with the threat of punishment. The worker will therefore carry out the tasks with a moderate effort which is unlikely to drag the organization towards the pursuit of its objectives. Finally, McGregor states that workers would play a passive role within the organization... middle of the paper ......ok to the elements of a good theory when criticizing McGregor's theory X and Y. They will illustrate why the theory is valid and determine what value the theory can have in practice. There are a number of elements to a good theory and determining how they apply to McGregor's theory of X and Y will give us a better understanding of the usefulness of the theories for organizations in the present and future. McGregor's theory certainly has face validity because the theory is logical. There are clearly managers who identify with the approaches outlined by theories X and Y. Both styles have advantages and disadvantages, but it is virtually universally agreed that both make at least some sense. Considering that this theory has been around for fifty years and is still used in courses at all levels it certainly has value when it comes to teaching management styles.