Management Styles

McGregor suggests that two contrasting styles of management are preferred attitudinal styles of individual managers. Theory Y requires a more participative management style rather than an authoritative one. McGregor believes that managers can change their style and doubts the efficacy of Theory X in achieving organizational objectives.

Other writers have looked at the underlying styles of management to gauge their effectiveness. Blake and Mouton devised a grid that plots a manager’s responses to a questionnaire and analyses whether that manager is task or people oriented. There are five atypical styles that are featured at the corners and centre of the grid, ranging from impoverished management (low concern for both production and people) through to team management (high concern for both people and production). Other organizational behaviorists have identified similar styles including Likert and Reddin. Reddin devised a 3--d model, developed from the Blake Mouton Grid. The model adds a third dimension of managerial effectiveness to task orientation (TO) and relationship orientation (RO). Reddin identifies four basic styles. These are Separated (Low TO and RO), Dedicated (High TO), Related (High RO) and Integrated (High TO and RO). Each of these styles can be effective or ineffective subject to the situational context. Managerial effectiveness is distinguished from apparent and personal effectiveness.

The application of managerial effectiveness to the four basic styles gives eight styles, four are considered more effective. The success of managerial effectiveness is dependent upon the selection of the appropriate style as determined by the situation. Amanager must be adaptable and adopt the appropriate style of behavior to achieve the organization’s objectives. In contrast, Blake and Mouton, Likert and McGregor would suggest that a participative style is the only effective way to manage failing to fully recognize and consider the effects of the worker’s personality and attitudes.