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In 1961, on his second day of classes in the University of Western Ontario's Graduate School of Business Administration, a young Robert Cunningham bought The Human Side of Enterprise, by Douglas McGregor. The book became a classic and changed forever how organizations view and treat employees. The Human Side of Enterprise also had a powerful impact on Mr. Cunningham, who would graduate from Western with an MBA and go on to a successful career of more than 50 years in labour relations and human resources management in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. In this article, written to mark the 50th anniversary off his graduation from Western, and in recognition of Douglas McGregor's great contribution, Mr. Cunningham describes the impact McGregor's book had on him and organizational behaviour.
It is hard to believe that fifty years ago, in September 1961, I arrived at the Graduate School of Business Administration in London, Ontario to start my studies in the two-year MBA Program at Western. On my second day, I purchased a management book entitled, The Human Side of Enterprise, written in 1960 by Douglas McGregor1. I bought it because of my passion for people and my keen interest in how the application of behavioural science to management practices might improve productivity in the organization. McGregor lived a relatively short life, from 1906-1964, passing away at age fifty-eight. Those who have read his masterpiece are glad that he lived long enough to complete it.
I was able to purchase McGregor's book for $5.75. The concepts he presented have remained with me for fifty years, and I have shared them with many colleagues over the course of my career in labour relations and human resources management. He was a person who believed that people should come first in every organization and he devoted himself to selling managers on becoming believers in taking into consideration the things that motivated positive changes in human behaviour. My daughter refers to McGregor's concepts in her own consulting work today. McGregor clearly let you know that he passionately believed in the entire contents of his book. He wanted you to think in-depth about what he was professing, and he sincerely hoped that you would incorporate his thoughts into your work life.
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