chapter 6: the managerial grid - breanna...

CHAPTER 6: THE MANAGERIAL GRID

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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By the end of this chapter, managers will be able to…

1.  List the five components of the managerial grid. 2.  Define the five components of the managerial

grid. 3.  Apply principles of the managerial grid in the

workplace.

BLAKE AND MOUTON

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Robert Blake and Jane Mouton worked together at the psychology department of the University of Texas during the 1950s and 1960s. They are known primarily for the development of the Managerial Grid as a framework for understanding managerial behavior.

In 1955, Blake and Mouton founded Scientific Methods Inc. to provide consultant services based on the workplace application of ideas from behavioral science. The company was formally incorporated in 1961, and later renamed Grid International Inc.

INTRODUCTION

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In order to provide a framework for describing management behaviors, the two variables of “concern for production” and “concern for people” were plotted on a grid showing nine degrees of concern for each, from 1 indicating a low level of concern, to 9 indicating a high level of concern. Five positions on the grid represent five differing managerial behavior patterns.

The Managerial Grid:

•  Helps to examine assumptions about leadership. •  Evaluates elements of leadership in terms of

management styles.

Most managers have a dominant Grid style and a backup style, or the style a leader reverts to when under pressure, tension, or in situations of conflict that can’t be solved in a characteristic way.

LEADERSHIP ELEMENTS

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According to the Managerial Grid Theory, there six elements of leadership that are evident in every manager.

•  Initiative – effort to start or stop something from occurring, or shift direction and character of effort

•  Inquiry – gain access to facts and data from people or other information sources

•  Advocacy – to take a position •  Conflict Resolution – disruptive and destructive or

creative and constructive depending on how it’s handled

•  Decision Making – leadership applied to performance •  Critique – stepping away from or interrupting an activity

to study it, see alternative possibilities, and improve performance

9,1 PRODUCE OR PERISH STYLE

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Assumptions about leadership:

•  There is an inevitable contradiction between the organization’s needs for productivity and the needs of people.

•  People need to be directed and controlled to compel them to complete necessary tasks.

•  Close supervision prevents mistakes and increases production.

High concern for production and low concern for people. Maximize production by exercising power and authority, and achieving control over people by dictating what they should do and how they should do it.

9,1-oriented manager characterized as “taskmaster”.

EFFECT OF ASSUMPTIONS ON MANAGEMENT STYLE

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Initiative •  Questionable assumptions: 1. Telling others what to do is strong 2.

Asking for suggestions is weak 3. People want to be led.

Inquiry •  “Just give me the facts”. Thoughts, opinions, feelings, or

recommendations are not acceptable contributions.

Advocacy •  Straightforward with respect to convictions. •  Absolute statements “all”, “never”, or “impossible”.

Conflict Resolution •  Communicates precise, step-by-step instructions. •  Suppress conflict by forcing views, rejecting counterarguments. •  Undermine other person’s sense of confidence, use of threat and

punishment.

Decision Making •  High value on making own decisions and rarely influenced by

others. •  Regarded as rigid and heavy-handed rather than confident and

self-reliant. •  Planning retained, doing delegated. Division of labor between

planning and doing is vital.

Critique •  Checking on performance crucial. •  One-way, judgmental evaluation.

CONSEQUENCES

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Impact on productivity •  May go through motions of being productive, but

failure to maintain quality. •  Withhold initiative.

Impact on creativity •  Anti-organizational creativity, or to undermine an

organization in the name of production.

Impact on satisfaction •  Subordinates comply

because easier than disagreeing.

•  High rates of absenteeism.

1,9 COUNTRY CLUB STYLE

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Low concern for production, high concern for people. Primary attention is placed on good feelings among colleagues and subordinates even at the expense of achieving results.


•  Production requirements often interfere or conflict with the needs and desires of people.

•  People are not human commodities and their attitudes and feelings are of primary importance.

1,9-oriented manager has a fear of disapproval or rejection.


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Initiative •  Alert to initiatives taken by others, wanting to respond to gain.

approval, but reluctant to exercise initiative in their own responsibility.

Inquiry •  So many ways for questions to be misunderstood. •  Tend to ask what others want, or what may be expected.

Advocacy •  Reluctant to speak up, particularly on controversial issues. •  Lacks force and when undertaken likely to be nonspecific or

indirect.

Conflict Resolution •  Difficult for 1,9-oriented person to distinguish between idea being

rejected and personal rejection. •  Let others express themselves first, yield point of view. •  Smooth over differences, downplay pressures.

Decision Making •  Group discussion encouraged. •  Manager perceived as a good delegator, but relieves him or her

of potentially unpleasant actions.

Critique •  Tendency to look on positive or bright side, avoid disturbing

aspects. •  Negative feedback is attributed to someone else.

CONSEQUENCES

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Impact on productivity •  Pricing decisions favor customer rather than

company, loyal customers but reduced profit margins.

Impact on creativity •  Creativity and innovation may suffer because

these are stimulated by and thrive on challenge and controversy.

Impact on satisfaction •  Reactions of subordinates range from friendly

atmosphere to feeling smothered and unchallenged.

1,1 IMPOVERISHED STYLE

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Low concern for production, low concern for people. The manager does only the minimum required to remain within the organization.


•  Little or no contradiction between production requirements and needs of people since concern for both is low.

The degree to which 1,1-oriented managers are uninvolved and withdrawn depends on the minimum that others are prepared to tolerate without a disturbance.


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Initiative •  Apathetic, unlikely to develop or initiate new ideas. •  Delegate or get out of situation.

Inquiry •  Rarely well enough informed to be able to respond effectively. •  Attitude of “the less I know about it the better”.

Advocacy •  Noncommittal and reticent. •  When required, convictions expressed in terms that do not hold

manager to fixed point of view.

Conflict Resolution •  Recede into background. •  Gives up easily, yet avoids appearance of backing off. •  Ignores complaints or implies displeasure has been noted.

Decision Making •  Defer rather than decide. •  “Good delegation” helps them grow. May subscribe to teamwork

when others expect it.

Critique •  Feedback unlikely. •  Subordinates figure actions are endorsed by manager.

CONSEQUENCES

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Impact on productivity •  “Inertia” •  Organization performance drifts toward less and

less. Necessary actions are not taken and long-term outcome is failure.

Impact on creativity •  Creativity demands involvement and commitment,

thoroughness and inquiry.

Impact on satisfaction •  Unlikely to feel gratified or disheartened with

situation.

5,5 MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD STYLE

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Medium concern for production, medium concern for people. This is the “middle of the road” theory or the “go-along-to-get-along” assumptions, which are revealed in conformity to the status quo.


•  Solution to production-people dilemma is to trade off, to give up half of one in order to get the other half.

•  People needs are realistic but that some effort is expected and must be exerted.

•  Extreme positions promote conflict and should be avoided.

•  Unlikely to seek best position for either production or people, but find an equilibrium.

5,5-oriented managers tend to “keep up with the Joneses” in management. There is an Inclination to embrace the “corporate way”.


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Initiative •  Status quo defines arena of action. •  Experimental approaches risky, exercise of initiative limited.

Inquiry •  Informal communication, gossip and rumor. •  Alert to clues to stay in the know.

Advocacy •  Strong manner when speaking in the name of the top person or

on behalf of company. •  Not determined by convictions but by what is politically safe,

salable, or workable.

Conflict Resolution •  Adhere to established routine, protocol, and hierarchy. •  “Agree to disagree”, easier to avoid disagreements than identify

underlying causes. •  Compromise, find middle ground not necessarily best solution.

Decision Making •  Easy, quick based on precedent or job descriptions. •  “Group think”, popularity instead of objective evidence. •  “Responsive” leadership.

Critique •  Positive reinforcement. •  Sandwich criticism between two compliments; not

straightforward.

CONSEQUENCES

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Impact on productivity •  Buildup of bureaucracy.

Impact on creativity •  Lack of spontaneity and self-expression. •  Unlikely to lead in a way that inspires creativity or

innovation.

Impact on satisfaction •  Conformity is key to advancement. •  When based on merit, others in same rank may

advance more rapidly.

9,9 TEAM STYLE

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High concern for production, high concern for people. It is a goal-centered, team approach that seeks to gain optimum results through participation, involvement, commitment, and conflict solving of everyone.


•  There is no inherent contradiction between organizational purposes of production and needs of people.

•  There is a necessary connection between organizational needs for production and needs of people for full and rewarding work experiences

•  The aim of 9,9 orientation is to promote participation, involvement, and commitment to teamwork.

9,9-oriented managers have a genuine desire to help others reach their highest potential of creativity, commitment, and cohesion. They deal with their boss the same way would with subordinates.


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Initiative •  Strong, pro-organizational manner. •  Arouses involvement and commitment of others.

Inquiry •  Comprehensive; pre-work is a prerequisite for participation. •  Clear separation between fact and opinion. •  Listening is open and active, understanding that assumptions can

distort interpretations.

Advocacy •  Self-assured and strong-willed in convictions, but open to

alternative viewpoints.

Conflict Resolution •  Early involvement provides additional information, exchange

viewpoints and perspectives. •  Full-disclosure. •  Confrontation-as-comparison-through-contrast means to solve

conflict by focusing on differences, discrepancies reviewed and removed by understanding.

Decision Making •  Based on understanding and agreement. •  Everyone is involved in making decisions all of the time.

Critique •  Continuous examination and reexamination not only of decisions

but also the how and why. •  Double-loop approach to feedback permits learning from

experience.

CONSEQUENCES

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Impact on productivity •  Positive environment,

clear goals, thorough knowledge, and strong convictions.

Impact on creativity •  High level with respect

to synergy from effective teamwork.

•  Deep inquiry •  Advocacy for open

ideas.

Impact on satisfaction •  Many opportunities to

make a difference.

CONCLUSION

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The 9,9 orientation offers the “best of both worlds” when managers are concerned for both production of an organization and the wellbeing of people. The 9,9 orientation gains optimum results through participation, involvement, commitment, and conflict solving of everyone.

Every manager has a dominant Grid style, but the style of management may change depending on the situation. This is referred to as “situational management” and requires flexibility. The 9,9 orientation involves management by principles. Principles are applied in tactfully different ways depending on the circumstance.

In an effort to maintain 9,9 orientation tendencies, it’s important to remember that managers have the ability to change their management style. This is done by understanding the assumptions they have about leadership and adjusting accordingly.

EVALUATION

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List the five components of the managerial grid.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Define the five components of the managerial grid.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

EVALUATION

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Apply principles of the managerial grid in the workplace.

1.  You are a manager, and your employees come to you with a conflict. You have “Country Club” tendencies, but you want to resolve the conflict using a “Team” management style.

2.  You are a manager, and you heard through the grapevine that some employees have ideas to improve the conditions of the workplace. You have “Produce or Perish” tendencies, but you have noticed the need to improve conditions and want to incorporate their ideas using a “Team” management style.

ANSWERS

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List the five components of the managerial grid.

1. Produce or Perish style 2. Country Club style 3. Impoverished style 4. Middle-of-the-Road style 5. Team style

Define the five components of the managerial grid.

1. Maximize production by exercising power and authority, and achieving control over people by dictating what they should do and how they should do it.

2. Primary attention is placed on good feelings among colleagues and subordinates even at the expense of achieving results.

3. The manager does only the minimum required to remain within the organization.

4. This is the “middle of the road” theory or the “go-along-to-get-along” assumptions, which are revealed in conformity to the status quo.

5. It is a goal-centered, team approach that seeks to gain optimum results through participation, involvement, commitment, and conflict solving of everyone.

EVALUATION

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Apply principles of the managerial grid in the workplace.

1.  You are a manager, and your employees come to you with a conflict. You have “Country Club” tendencies, but you want to resolve the conflict using a “Team” management style.

It’s important to assume that conflict is inevitable. Differences can be examined without creating tensions or risking personal rejection. Realize that smoothing over a difference doesn’t solve the conflict, but does cause others to see you as weak. If others disagree with you, restate your position and ask them to explain their reservations.

2.  You are a manager, and you heard through the grapevine that some employees have ideas to improve the conditions of the workplace. You have “Produce or Perish” tendencies, but you have noticed the need to improve conditions and want to incorporate their ideas using a “Team” management style.

Try promoting others’ advocacy by getting them to say what they think before stating your own position. After you have presented your position, ask others to react to it rather than demanding they accept any of it as final. Listen for understanding when others are advocating a position. When advocating a position, you can help others understand and support it by expressing your own reservations about It.

chapter 6: the managerial grid - breanna...

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