Briefly explain McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y.

Answers will vary. Maslow's need hierarchy has been applied to organizational behavior in two key ways. Douglas McGregor strove to explain motivation by grouping the physiological and safety needs as lower-order needs and the social, esteem, and self-actualization needs as upper-order needs. According to McGregor's theory, managers can make one of two sets of assumptions about an individual depending on the factors that motivate his or her behavior. McGregor's Theory X assumptions are appropriate for employees motivated by lower-order needs, while Theory Y assumptions apply to employees motivated by higher-order needs. Please see the section "Maslow's Need Hierarchy" for more information.