Personalistic Level (F-S) – GROUP PROCESS:

             The subordinate at this level is concerned with social rather that that material matters. As a result the work place slows down as the employee seeks acceptance by others and a congenial atmosphere. The appropriate management approach at this level is the GROUP PROCESS. It requires that the manager by open to the group values and become a group member. As a member of the group the manager has equal “right”, with all other group members, to offer suggestions as to what the group should consider or do. The manager must be open, nondirective, and participatory in the true sense of the terms. Through the continued within group participative stance of offering suggestions (trial ballooning), the manager attempts to provide the substitutive direction organizationally required. As a group member, the manager has equal right to personally reject trial balloons that are dysfunctional to the group, manager, or organization. Participative-substitutive GROUP PROCESS management will not increase human effort unless the group itself puts on the pressure, but it will keep effort from deteriorating more, and it will substitute new means of production for the human physical means the group and Personalistic individual will not accept. The proportion of employees at this level, in organizations today, is the highest and will increase in the future. The negative results of attempts to apply inappropriate managerial styles by managers who are unable or unwilling to manage in a GROUP PROCESS style are becoming apparent.

            There are two basic forms that mismanagement takes at the Personalistic level. The first, and currently most common, is the use of a non-participatory management style. The manager is this case is seen as non-group by the F-S subordinate and, therefore, someone having no rights to “manage” the group. In the best case the manager is just neutrally non-group and ignored. In the worst case the manager is negatively non-group, and will be dealt with, as the group deems necessary.

            Today the management of many organizations views the increasing numbers of individuals at the F-S level as evidence of people “going soft.” If steps are taken to combat the attitudes with a directive, authoritarian managerial style the result will be disastrous. Passive resistance of the worst order will arise, and productivity and performance will decline. In the extreme, management having clearly shown itself as non-group, the entire organization could be brought to a halt through continued passive, covert activity or more active, overt activity.

            Management when facing such a situation should expect no considerations from the mismanaged Personalistic group since non-group has no rights. This may go far to explain what we see occurring more and more in today’s organizations where neither management nor labor leadership can manage a large percentage of the work force. In the extreme, the group will “remove” an outsider who becomes a threat to the group – perhaps “fragging” in Vietnam being an example of this behavior.

            The second form of mismanagement is for the manager to join the group totally and unconditionally without the substitutive  element. Management has abdicated its responsibility as well as its authority. The group is now management and will do as it pleases within and with the organization.

             Managements’ failure to “substitute” within GROUP-PROCESS management is increasingly seen; especially in public sector, non-competitive organizations where it can exist for a long time before declining organizational vitality stops the process.

            Cognitive Level (A’-N’) – FACILITATION:

           An employee at this level is perfectly willing to have management set reasonable standards for quantity and quality of performance, but is end-oriented, not means-oriented. The Cognitive person will not follow standard operating procedure, unless, and to the extent, it is valid. Since the Cognitive believes that those with the knowledge should lead, who is more knowledgeable than the doer? The appropriate managerial style is clearly FACILITATIVE, role reversal, and acceptance of the competent, leadership of the doer.

            FACILITATIVE management requires an open relationship between the manager and subordinate. All the information, goals, resources, constraints, etc., are discussed. If the Cognitive employee accepts the assignment it becomes the managers responsibility to facilitate the accomplishment of the goals. If the Cognitive can not accept the assignment it is the managers role to facilitate that person to another unit or organization where the assignments are acceptable.

            Cognitive level behavior is threatening to many who manage. The very thought that the manager is a facilitator is far too “unconventional” for many to accept. The way to mismanage at this level is simply to fail to facilitate.

The Cognitive subordinate responds to mismanagement in three way

1.      Stays: working within the organization to change the situation – the
       information of the situation indicates change is possible and probable.

2.      Submits: remains in the organization (usually for personal economic
       reasons) by doing what is required in the manner required – the
       information says situation must be tolerated, change is not likely.

3.      Departs: the information indicates that a better situation exists elsewhere.

             In any case, whether the Cognitive remains or departs, there is no sabotage and no crusade to combat evil. In fact, a management that mismanages the Cognitive often considers that person the ideal employee and is totally surprised at the subordinates departure when a better situation becomes available.

            Experientialistic Level (B’-O’) – FACILITATION:

            The individual at this level insists on an atmosphere of trust and respect, expecting to be truly integrated into the organization. They place much emphasis on resisting coercion and restrictions, but not in an exhibitionistic manner as does the Cognitive level person. Experientialistic employees take the work activities very seriously and are wrapped up in which each personally wants to do.                 

            Therefore, they must be approached, as in the Cognitive case, through FACILITATIVE, acceptance management which accepts the fact that they are competent and responsible.

  It is useless to try to subordinate their desires to those of the organization. Management must fit the organization to them. The mismanaged B’-O’ will build a non-organizationally oriented world and retire into it, do a passable but not excellent job, and wait for managerial change to occur. Mismanagement at this level and the results of mismanagement are essentially the same as at the cognitive level.

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