The managerial grid model is a self-assessment tool by which individuals and organizations can help identify a manager’s or leader’s style. The grid was originally developed by Robert R. Blake and Jane S. Mouton in the 1960s and has evolved in subsequent decades.
The treatment of task orientation and people orientation as two independent dimensions was a major step in leadership studies. Many of the leadership studies conducted in the 1950’s at the University of Michigan and the Ohio State University focused on these two dimensions.
The two styles or orientations are: concern for production and concern for people.
These are shown on horizontal and vertical dimensions of the grid on a 1 to 9 scales or degree. Blake and Mouton argued that a leader’s managerial style is point on the grid; they have identified five combinations of styles, for illustrative purposes out of 81 possible combinations.
These five combinations are outlined as follows:
(i) Impoverished leadership:
Low concern for production and for people. In this combination, leaders (managers) are apathetic and irresponsible. Their attitude towards getting things done from and maintaining relationships with people are casual and confused. They regard people as lazy and underdeveloped and hence think that no amount of leadership will change the frozen attitudes of people.
(ii) Country club leadership:
Low concern for production and high concern for people. In this combination, the leader takes great interest in keeping his people in good humour and in catering to their whims and needs. He tries to maintain friendly relations with people so that an amiable climate will motivate people to work with enthusiasm. Such a leader gives little importance to production matters and work requirements of people. He is overly human-relations oriented.
(iii) Task leadership:
High concern for production and low concern for people. This is an antithesis of country club leadership. In this combination, the leader swings to the other extreme and adopts a directive style to get his people work for the organisation. His focus is on task performance by planning and controlling the production environment. Other considerations like people’s needs and satisfaction are secondary matters.
(iv) Middle of the road leadership:
Moderate concern for production and people. This is a safe style, not to push too much in either direction but to achieve a satisfactory balance between the requirements of production and of people.
(v) Team leadership:
High concern for production and people. This is regarded as the most effective leadership. An attempt is made to bring about an integration and harmony between the needs of people and of production. A highly encouraging organisational climate of commitment, cooperation, trust and hope are created by the leader.
Advantages of Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
The Managerial or Leadership Grid is used to help managers analyze their own leadership styles through a technique known as grid training. This is done by administering a questionnaire that helps managers identify how they stand with respect to their concern for production and people. The training is aimed at basically helping leaders reach to the ideal state of 9, 9.
Limitations of Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
The model ignores the importance of internal and external limits, matter and scenario. Also, there are some more aspects of leadership that can be covered but are not.
