Movement to the fourth level of human existence occurs when the have-nots begin to threaten the power and prerogatives of the haves and movement begins when the haves begin to perceive that power alone does not please man. Man wants also to be liked, to feel he is accepted, to belong. Now as the belonging level of need emerges the sociocratic ethic, the team concept of work, the organization man idea, the "we must all think alike and all want the same," system of proper behavior develops. Within this ethic, the rules created for proper behavior are the ways prescribed so that groups may function smoothly. When these rules evolve, incentives stem from others and directiveness comes from the power of group opinion. Right is to be able to do the proper thing as the group sees it, to be other directed. Wrong is to do one’s own thinking, to be different, to be inner directed. It is an ethic typified by passivity to what others expect one to do. He is good who can be persuaded to do as the organization desires and he is good who quietly accepts the directive that he gets in no trouble with the group and gets the group in no trouble. He is bad who rocks the boat, - who deigns to differ. And again the form of managerial control, Participative Management, is consistent with the ethic.

Participative management fosters the idea that organizations will prosper when all play a role in the decision making process, when all have a say. It is a form of management that gives power to the managed and acceptance to those who run the organization. This is congruent. It is another example of dissimilar values between managing and managed making for organizational viability. But, when an organization has most of its people both the leader and the led at the fourth level, both living by the sociocratic ethic, a most serious threat to organizational viability develops. And if fourth level managers are coupled in an organization with second level employees an impossible condition results.

Viability is threatened when both are at the fourth level because the similar values are incongruent. In his desire to be liked the leader has lost his sense of energetic purpose. He must make it appear that his group decides and the group must not appear to push. Decisions should be made when all see alike but such violates the variability in men. The leader strives to entice the led to arrive at the managerially desired decision and the led strive to avoid a decision they fear others will not like. The time for decision-making is so slowed that the organization comes to a state of arrested development. Conferences are held, committees are constituted and informal meetings abound. When these fail, these believers in communication as the means to the organizational goals sharpen their communication techniques. Group Dynamics, Sensitivity Training, Learning through Listening, Conference Management Techniques, morale studies feed down, feed up and feed back procedures are tried but to little avail. After all the goal of fourth level people is to be liked, not to decide.

<< back  | 9 |  next >>


Copyright 2001 NVC Consulting