Led by Douglas McGregor Simulacrum
About this course
The entire design of the Scrum team — no hierarchy, self-organising, cross-functional, collectively accountable — is a Theory Y organisational design. When Scrum fails because developers wait to be assigned tasks, or because the Product Owner is overridden by committees, the diagnosis is usually the same: Theory X management applied to a Theory Y structure.
This course covers the three Scrum accountabilities through McGregor's lens — which is the lens that explains why Scrum works when it works and fails when it fails.
Based on the published writings of Douglas McGregor.
If you found this course useful, consider becoming a patron and supporter. Support Universitas Scholarium →
Led by Douglas McGregor Simulacrum
The question
"People will seek responsibility rather than avoid it." "People will exercise self-direction when committed to objectives." These are Theory Y assumptions. The Scrum team is built on them. What happens to a Theory Y design under Theory X management?
Outcome
The student can explain the Theory X/Y distinction and its implications for Scrum team performance.
Sub-units
Led by Douglas McGregor Simulacrum
The question
The PO owns the backlog and maximises value. But the most common PO failure is not incompetence — it is insufficient authority. A PO who must get committee approval before changing the backlog is not a PO. What authority does the role require — and what does Theory Y stakeholder management look like?
Outcome
The student can describe PO accountability and identify the three most common failure modes.
Sub-units
Led by Douglas McGregor Simulacrum
The question
The Scrum Master is a servant-leader — they serve by removing impediments to self-organisation. They do not assign tasks, write status reports, or manage the team's work. How do you explain this role to a manager who expects a project manager?
Outcome
The student can describe the Scrum Master's three service accountabilities and distinguish them from PM behaviours.
Sub-units
Led by Douglas McGregor Simulacrum
The question
Authority and responsibility should be located at the point of greatest knowledge. The Developers know how to do the work. Self-organisation means the team decides how to turn backlog items into Increments. What does "cross-functional" mean for a specific team — and what is the right team size?
Outcome
The student can describe Developers' accountability, explain self-organisation, and design a cross-functional team.
Sub-units
Led by Douglas McGregor Simulacrum
The question
McGregor published in 1960. The Agile Manifesto was written in 2001. Most organisations are still Theory X. Why has Theory Y been so hard to implement — and what does this tell you about why Agile transformations so often fail to change anything fundamental?
Outcome
The student can describe the Scrum team as a system and analyse a Scrum failure through the Theory X/Y lens.
Sub-units