Final answer:
McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y describe job-centered leader behavior and employee-centered leader behavior. Theory X involves directive management, while Theory Y encourages employee participation and autonomy. Kurt Lewin's work on group dynamics further influenced these theories and the development of transactional and transformational leadership styles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The behavioral theory that included the concepts of job-centered leader behavior and employee-centered leader behavior is associated with Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, which are part of management and organizational structure studies in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology. These theories collectively describe differing management styles: Theory X suggests that management assumes employees are inherently unmotivated and will avoid work if they can, necessitating a directive approach that often involves close supervision and control through rewards and punishments. Theory Y, on the other hand, assumes that employees are self-motivated, seek fulfillment in their work, and perform best under leadership that provides them with autonomy and opportunities for participation in decision-making processes.
Kurt Lewin also contributed to the understanding of leadership behaviors and styles through his research in social psychology, which ultimately influenced organizational psychology by studying group dynamics and leadership styles. Leadership style affects many aspects of an organization, including aggression, group dynamics, and worker satisfaction. In this context, transactional leadership and transformational leadership styles have emerged as well, where transactional leaders focus on supervision and organizational goals through rewards and punishments, whereas transformational leaders inspire and intellectually engage with their team members to encourage and implement change within the organization.