Who is credited with the development of self-fulfilling prophecies?

The concept of self-fulfilling prophecies is largely attributed to the work of sociologist Robert K. Merton, but in the context of management theories, Douglas McGregor's contributions to understanding human motivation in the workplace align closely with the idea. McGregor is best known for his Theory X and Theory Y, which describe two contrasting views of employee motivation and management styles.

In Theory Y, he emphasizes that employees are motivated and capable, which leads to a more positive outcome in their performance. This reflects the essence of self-fulfilling prophecies, where the expectations of management can shape employee behavior and productivity. When managers believe in their team's potential, they create an environment that nurtures that belief, consequently improving outcomes.

In contrast, the other figures listed – Edwin Locke, Chris Argyris, and Frederick Herzberg – have made significant contributions to management and organizational behavior in their own right, such as goal-setting theory (Locke), organizational development (Argyris), and motivation theory (Herzberg), but their work does not specifically focus on the concept of self-fulfilling prophecies in the way McGregor's theories implicitly support the idea.