The Moral The Moral Character of Character of Management Management PracticePractice

-- John RobertsJohn Roberts

Karin & JoyceKarin & Joyce

BackgroundBackground

““We are not accustomed to doubt the We are not accustomed to doubt the effectiveness of managers in achieving effectiveness of managers in achieving what they set out to achieve and we are what they set out to achieve and we are equally unaccustomed to think of equally unaccustomed to think of effectiveness as a distinctively moral effectiveness as a distinctively moral concept” concept”

(Macintyre 1981,pg 71)(Macintyre 1981,pg 71)

BackgroundBackground

MoralityMorality - Private sphere of our lives, - Private sphere of our lives, realm of our immediate personal realm of our immediate personal relationshiprelationship

ManagementManagement- Realm of public affairs- Realm of public affairs

BackgroundBackground

Managers’ practices are not judged by Managers’ practices are not judged by reference to moral standards but reference to moral standards but merely in terms of the effectiveness merely in terms of the effectiveness with which they secure given objectiveswith which they secure given objectives

Effectiveness of manager’s day to day Effectiveness of manager’s day to day practice depends upon his or her ability practice depends upon his or her ability to manipulate other human beings into to manipulate other human beings into compliant modes of behavior compliant modes of behavior

Case Study – PYT LtdCase Study – PYT Ltd

In early years, PYT Ltd had achieve a In early years, PYT Ltd had achieve a very rapid growth very rapid growth

In recent years, it In recent years, it begun to begun to reach the reach the limits of its customer market and failed limits of its customer market and failed to repeat businessto repeat business

Senior management blamed on its style Senior management blamed on its style of managementof management

Research – PYT LtdResearch – PYT Ltd

High Sales Target, Incentive Payments,Threats to job security

Short term personal interest in mind

Staff oversells to customers

Sales people preferred to leave the company

High turnover and strong customer resistance

Case Study - DaveCase Study - Dave

Hard and detached managerHard and detached manager

Easier it make objective decisions when Easier it make objective decisions when there’s no friendshipthere’s no friendship

No ‘advantage’ in finding out more No ‘advantage’ in finding out more about the people he worked withabout the people he worked with

Personal relationship might actually Personal relationship might actually interfere with his ability to make interfere with his ability to make ‘objective’ decisions‘objective’ decisions

Case Study - DaveCase Study - Dave

His relationship with his staff were His relationship with his staff were viewed as means to achieve future viewed as means to achieve future promotionpromotion

Staff were generally unwilling to work Staff were generally unwilling to work and required to be forced to do soand required to be forced to do so

Style of management characterized as Style of management characterized as ‘Theory X’‘Theory X’

Case Study - ValCase Study - Val Val’s values changed when she got Val’s values changed when she got

married, she realize that there was more married, she realize that there was more to life than being a success in the job to life than being a success in the job

Her style of management characterized in Her style of management characterized in a shift from ‘Theory X’ to ‘Theory Y’a shift from ‘Theory X’ to ‘Theory Y’

She recognized that treating staff ‘like She recognized that treating staff ‘like kids’ might have been a contributory kids’ might have been a contributory factor to the high rate of turnover in stafffactor to the high rate of turnover in staff

She had force herself to let others be She had force herself to let others be responsibleresponsible

Case Study - ValCase Study - Val Present herself to staff as an advisor Present herself to staff as an advisor

and co-ordinator of their activitiesand co-ordinator of their activities

Managers were now presented as the Managers were now presented as the servants of staffservants of staff

Her aim was to help them develop their Her aim was to help them develop their own capacity for self-direction and self-own capacity for self-direction and self-controlcontrol

Developed relationships with her staff Developed relationships with her staff and she appeared much more and she appeared much more responsive to individual differences in responsive to individual differences in beliefs, feeling and aspirationsbeliefs, feeling and aspirations

Case Study- Rita (Dave)Case Study- Rita (Dave)

Dave demoted her due to her Dave demoted her due to her poor performancepoor performance

Dave used his aloofness and Dave used his aloofness and distance to get Rita do what he distance to get Rita do what he wantedwanted

This undermined her confidenceThis undermined her confidence Thus diminished her chances of Thus diminished her chances of

proving herself to Daveproving herself to Dave

Case Study- Rita (Val)Case Study- Rita (Val)

Consoled RitaConsoled Rita Val tried to rebuild Rita’s Val tried to rebuild Rita’s

confidenceconfidence Rita thought that Val handled Rita thought that Val handled

her just righther just right This way Val is able to serve her This way Val is able to serve her

own and Rita’s interest. own and Rita’s interest.

Case Study- Christine (Val)Case Study- Christine (Val)

Confided in Val as to why she Confided in Val as to why she missed her sales targetmissed her sales target

Val used this ‘personal Val used this ‘personal information’ to gain controlinformation’ to gain control

Demonstrated that her interest Demonstrated that her interest in Christine was only in Christine was only instrumentally motivatedinstrumentally motivated

Caused a resistance in ChristineCaused a resistance in Christine

Dave’s style of managementDave’s style of management

StrengthStrength The most effective means for achieving The most effective means for achieving

his targetshis targets Led him to impress his superiors and be Led him to impress his superiors and be

indifferent to the consequences of his indifferent to the consequences of his actions for his staffactions for his staff

WeaknessWeakness Staff were generally unwilling to work Staff were generally unwilling to work

and required to be forced to do so. and required to be forced to do so. High turnover rateHigh turnover rate

Val’s style of managementVal’s style of management

StrengthStrength Enable her to understand the needs and Enable her to understand the needs and

concerns that informed their behavior. concerns that informed their behavior. More effective practice, good sales More effective practice, good sales

results and low turnover rateresults and low turnover rate

WeaknessWeakness SuperficialSuperficial In the case of Christine, Val’s In the case of Christine, Val’s

appearance of concern, led her not into appearance of concern, led her not into conformity but into resistance.conformity but into resistance.

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

Personal motives and beliefs Personal motives and beliefs

Led them to ignore subjectivity of the staffsLed them to ignore subjectivity of the staffs

People behave differently when they are People behave differently when they are observedobserved

People act like how they are being treatedPeople act like how they are being treated

It seems that employees prefer theory YIt seems that employees prefer theory Y

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking When people perceive they have friendly When people perceive they have friendly

supervision, they are happiersupervision, they are happier

Do not use ‘personal information’ as tool to Do not use ‘personal information’ as tool to manipulate and control staffsmanipulate and control staffs

Manipulative forms of control forces staff’s Manipulative forms of control forces staff’s individualismindividualism

Individualism diverts the realization of potential Individualism diverts the realization of potential organized relationshipsorganized relationships

Only moral character of management practice Only moral character of management practice is effectiveis effective