Critique of Classics of Organizational Behavior Section ( 6 ) Article ( 2 ) Grid Organization Development

by Bernard Karlowicz

Dr. Frear MBA 500: Business and Leadership February 2009

Biography Robert Blake, born January 21, 1918 in Brookline, Massachusetts and was a true pioneer in the field of organizational dynamics (Wikipedia, 2009). He received his B.A.degree in psychology and philosophy from Berea College in 1940, his M.A. degree in psychology from the University of Virginia in 1941, and his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1947 (GridInternational, 2009). During his lifetime, Dr. Blake co-authored over 40 books and hundreds of articles. He consulted for governments, industries, and universities in 40 countries for almost four decades. Dr. Blake lectured at Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge Universities and worked on special extended assignments at the Tavistock Clinic, London, as a Fulbright Scholar in 1949 (GridInternational, 2009). He was also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Blake died on Sunday, June 20, 2004 (Wikipedia, 2009). Jane Mouton, born on April 15th, 1930 in Port Arthur, Texas was the actual originator of the Managerial Grid concept. As Mouton was a former student of Robert Blake from the University of Texas, and women of that era were significantly challenged to be recognized for their work, Dr. Mouton partnered with her former professor in promoting the now famous concept. Dr. Mouton received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Education from the University of Texas in 1950. In 1951 she received her Masters of Science from Florida State University, and her PhD six years later (1957) from the University of Texas. Her achievements are too numerous to mention. It is only recently that the full capacity of this trulky spectacular individual is becoming realized (Wikipedia, 2009). Together, Dr.s Blake and Mouton revolutionized the field of organizational behavior. Their collective research is heralded as revolutionary for their time. Their work is practiced within organizations to this day, being one of the most popular approaches to organizational development.

Critique The article begins with a simple statement outlining what Blake and Mouton contend to be the current state of organizations across the country, namely that change, as a result of the constantly evolving political, technological, and industrial landscape, is inevitable within all organizations. The authors suggest that those organizations who can best manage change will have the greatest success. Blake and Mouton offer the question: What would an organization look like that was so well managed it could grasp opportunity from the challenge of change? (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001). In answering their own question, the authors offer the following blueprint for identifying such an organization: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Its objectives would be sound, strong, and clear Standards of excellence would be high The work culture would support the work Teamwork would increase individual initiative Technical business knowledge needed for valid decision-making and problemsolving would come through coaching, developmental assignments, on-the-job training, and special courses 6. Leadership would be evident (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001) The authors infer that many of todays organizations, beholden to traditional mentalities regarding change, and their own reluctance to embrace modern management science, have a great need for change, and should use this so called blueprint in evolving their own organization(s). But how do organizations, so beholden to the past, introduce the Managerial Grid into their organizations? The article Using the Managerial Grid to Ensure MBO, discusses the trials and tribulations experienced within the company Union Mutual Life Insurance during its efforts to implement the Managerial Grid in 1974. In the article, the author offers that The most effective procedure for introducing the Grid is to run the top management team through the first five phases of the Grid before exposing the lower levels

of management. (Organizational Dynamics, 1974). The concept here is that through this approach, the effect is immediate, as so often top management must change before the rest of the organization has any chance of adopting change. With this in mind, the authors quickly move on to provide top management with a set of criteria they can leverage to help them in introducing change and improvement within an organization. Their Criteria for Change is enveloped within eight elements: 1. Involve the widest possible participation of executives, managers and supervisors 2. The change should be carried out by the organization itself 3. Aim to improve the skills of executives and supervisors who work together to improve management 4. Aim to improve the ability of all managers to communicate better 5. Clarify styles of management 6. Aid each manager to invest in his managerial style 7. Provide for the examination of the organizations culture 8. Constantly encourage managers to plan and introduce improvements (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001) Here the authors provide a list of objectives for those wishing to implement change within their organization. The authors do a good job of laying out the map for the reader, leaving little room for misunderstanding the intense effort that must be applied to effect change. The authors rightly imply a required sense of ownership on the part of those wishing to realize the changes within their organization. Herbert Clark, in his article Total quality management: getting started, when speaking on the subject of Organizational Development begins his article stating that During the implementation of any new management initiative, it is crucial that the people affected have a sense of ownership in the procedures adopted (Clark, 1991). Moving beyond blueprints and criteria, Blake and Mouton suggest the importance to answering a few fundamental questions regarding organizations. The authors ask: What is an organization? and What is meant by development? and finally What is it that Organization Development adds to the organization that it lacks without it? (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001). In the hopes of answering these

questions, the authors provide what they posit are seven fundamental properties that define an organization, being: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Purpose Structure Financial Resources Know How Human Interaction Organizational Culture Results (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001)

The authors message is clearly demonstrated in the following quote from the article: If the conglomeration of persons and equipment is truly an organization, it will have a realistic purpose clearly understood by all to provide a direction to their efforts; a structure that provides the necessary coordination of interlocking parts; access to the financial resources needed to support decisions that enable it to obtains its purposes; the necessary technical skill and know-how among its personnel; a human interaction process supporting sound decision-making with a minimum of waste; a culture thoroughly understood and controlled that is an asset and not a liability; and finally, an ability to achieve results so as to be effective within the free enterprise objective of realizing an acceptable return on investments. (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001). Having answered, to their contentment, what an organization is, the authors address the second of the three questions posed, What is meant by development?. Again, from the article: The goal of organizational development is to increase operational effectiveness by increasing the degree of integration of the seven properties of organization. Three of the seven properties are critical for development. They are purpose, human interaction, and organizational culture. (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001). Many authors have attempted to define organizational development. Still more have attempted to define the role of Organizational Development within organizations. Others have gone as far as attempting to define the role of Organizational Development within society. Clark, in his attempt to define Organizational Development said OD emphasizes collaborative management, formal work

teams, and cultural change in an organization. (Clark, 1991). Williams, in describing Grid OD offered: It is a method of planning and implementing change which attempts to apply current behavioral science knowledge (Williams, 1971). In an attempt to answer the last of the three posed questions, the authors put forward to the reader the basis of their theory. Blake and Mouton hypothesize that their Managerial Grid was one way of conducting Organization Development for the betterment of the organization. Blake and Mouton offer that there is a six phase approach that provides the various methods and activities for doing so (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001). The Managerial Grid 6 Phase Approach is defined as: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Study the Managerial Grid Work on team development Intergroup Development Production of an organizational blueprint Blueprint Implementation Stabilization (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001)

The authors explain in great detail each phase of the process, and while their reasoning and logic are infallible, they are too garrulous to include within this critique. A summarization from the article Using the Managerial Grid to Ensure MBO, when discussing the utilization of both MBO and the Managerial Grid in conjunction with one-another will suffice as a means of expressing the authors intents and purposes: As a concept, MBO tends to neglect the interpersonal factor. MBO by itself can determine corporate objectives. The contribution of the Managerial Grid is to provide a methodology for assuring that you achieve these objectives. In other words, the Grid serves primarily as a mechanism for engineering commitment to and consensus about the goals of MBO. (Organizational Dynamics, 1974). A depiction of the Managerial Grid is provided below (see Illustration 1) for the readers interpretation.

(Illustration 1) Application Today The application of the Managerial Grid is as relevant today as at any other point in time. While it has been long understood that situational awareness is the driving determinant in identifying and applying theoretical practices to solve common business problems, the Managerial Grid offers a means for management to effect organizational change. As with any trip worth taking, a map is required. The Managerial Grid is a map for managers to effect change. It is not a panacea, nor is it always applicable. Application of the Managerial Grid is situational, and often conducted in concert with other theoretical managerial approaches (e.g. MBO, Theory X & Theory Y, etc). Highhouse, in his interesting article on the role of psychologists within business, and the disparity of that role between countries, stated that We seem to have built up a mythology in organizational psychology concerning the degree to which new organizational practices are pervasive, and the degree to which they have been effective. I recently argued that one reason for this is that we ignore the history of our field and, when we do study it, it is done so at a superficial level (Highhouse, 2006). Nothing can be more true today.

References Clark, H. (1991, January). Total quality management: Getting started. Total Quality Management, 2(1), 29-38. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database, from Wilkes University Website: http://emmerson.csc.wilkes.edu:2053/ehost/pdf? vid=1&hid=120&sid=9207f9df-4298-4102-9c5d-2324156891a0%40sessionmgr109 GridInternational (2009). Robert R. Blake. Retrieved February 27, 2009 from Web Site: http://www.gridinternational.com/pdf/RRBlake.pdf Highhouse, S. (2006, June). The continental divide. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 79(2), 203-206. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database, from Wilkes University Website: http://emmerson.csc.wilkes.edu:2053/ehost/pdf? vid=1&hid=103&sid=0ce09340-7773-4673-83f8-bf43d7fffd3b%40sessionmgr103 Natemeyer, W. E., & McMahon, J. T. (2001). Classics of organizational behavior (3rd ed.), Waveland Press. Williams, A. (1971, July). The Managerial Grid: Phase 2. Occupational Psychology, 45(3/4), 253-272. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database, from Wilkes University Website: http://emmerson.csc.wilkes.edu:2053/ehost/pdf?vid=1&hid=105&sid=d44d7989-06e2443c-ae66-fdc92f9c3347%40sessionmgr107 Organizational Dynamics (1974, Spring74). Using the Managerial Grid to Ensure MBO, Retrieved February 27, 2009, from Military & Government Collection database, from Wilkes University Website: http://emmerson.csc.wilkes.edu:2053/ehost/pdf?vid=1&hid=103&sid=4f949329-9a214ba0-af01-bafadea1a15d%40sessionmgr107 Wikipedia (2009). Jane Mouton Retrieved February 26, 2009, from Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Mouton Wikipedia (2009). Robert R. Blake Retrieved February 26, 2009, from Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_R._Blake