p. 6 (2006; 8)
“
Every managerial act rests on assumptions, generalizations, and hypotheses — that is to say, on theory. Our assumptions are frequently implicit, sometimes quite unconscious, often conflicting; nevertheless, they determine our predictions that if we do a, b will occur. Theory and practice are inseparable.
— Douglas McGregor
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Every managerial act rests on assumptions, generalizations, and hypotheses — that is to say, on theory. Our assumptions are frequently implicit, sometimes quite unconscious, often conflicting; nevertheless, they determine our predictions that if we do a, b will occur. Theory and practice are inseparable." in the context of "p. 6 (2006; 8)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Douglas McGregor" (Quotes, The Human Side of Enterprise (1960): McGregor (1960), The Human Side of Enterprise; Annotated Edition, 2006)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Douglas McGregor
Douglas Murray McGregor (1906 – 1 October 1964) was an American organizational theorist and management professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and president of Antioch College from 1948 to 1954. His 1960 book The Human Side of Enterprise had a profound influence on education practices.
About Douglas McGregor
Douglas Murray McGregor (1906 – 1 October 1964) was an American organizational theorist and management professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and president of Antioch College from 1948 to 1954. His 1960 book The Human Side of Enterprise had a profound influence on education practices.
View all quotes →