The Managerial Grid/ The Power

to Change
Robert Blake & Jane S. Mouton

Managerial Grid/ The Power to

Change
Robert Blake and Jane Mouton studied
managerial behaviour and concluded
that:
authoritarian and democratic styles
of management were not two ends of
a continuum but are different
dimensions of leadership behaviour
managerial behaviour could be
explored in terms of attitudes, values
and beliefs
different managerial styles could be
depicted in the form of a managerial
grid.

Dimensions of the Managerial Grid

Blake and Mouton explored two
basic leadership behaviours
(concerns) and used these as the
axes for their grid:
Concern for production e.g.
employee productivity
number of products sold
number of items processed in
a given time
Concern for people e.g.
personal commitment
job satisfaction
equitable working
From these two dimensions, five
leadership styles are identifiable

Concern for People (Relationships)

THE MANAGERIAL GRID/ THE

POWER TO CHANGE
High 9

1, 9

9,9

Country Club
Management

Team
Management

5,5
Middle-of-the-road
management

Impoverished
management

Low 1

1,1
Low 1

Authority
compliance
management

9,1
High 9

Concern for Task (Results)

Robert Blake & Jane Mouton

Possible leadership styles

Impoverished management (1,1)

Exertion of minimum effort to get
required work done is appropriate
to sustain organisation
membership
Country club management (1,9)
Thoughtful attention to needs of
people for satisfying relationships
leads to comfortable, friendly
atmosphere and work tempo

Possible leadership styles

Middle-of-the-road management (5,5)
Adequate organisational performance is
possible through balancing the necessity to
get work with maintaining the morale of
people at a satisfactory level.
Authority Compliance (9,1)
Efficiency in operating results from
arranging conditions of work in such a way
that human elements interfere to a
minimum degree.
Team management (9,9)
Work accomplished is from committed
people; interdependence through a
common stake in organisation purpose
leads to relationships of trust & respect.

Managerial Grid/ The Power to Change

Old Style

New Style

Behavior

Goal

Impoverished
management (1,1)

Indifferent
management
style

Evade and Elude

To preserve job and seniority,

not to be held responsible for
any mistakes

Country-Club (1,9)

Accommodating
style

Yield and Comply

To pay attention to the

security and comfort of
employees, win support &
loyalty

Authority
Compliance
management (9,1)

Dictatorial style
(Theory X)

Control and
Dominate

To pressure employees
through rules and
punishments to achieve
company goals

Middle-of the-road
management (5,5)

Status Quo style

Balance and
Compromise

To achieve balance between

company goals and employee
needs.

Team
management (9,9)

Sound style
(Theory Y)

Contribute and
Commit

To encourage teamwork and

commitment, employee
engagement

Managerial Grid/ The Power to Change

Two more styles were added to the Grid theory in 1999
New Style

Behavior

Goal

Opportunistic Style
[no fixed coordinates]

Exploit and Manipulate Adopt whatever behaviour offers the

greatest personal benefit

Paternalistic Style
[alternate between 1,9
and 9,1 styles]

Prescribe and Guide

Praise and support employees to get

work done, but discourage
challenges to their thinking.

The Grid Elements

Element

Description

Initiative

Taking action, driving and supporting

Inquiry

Questioning, researching and verifying understanding

Advocacy

Expressing convictions and championing ideas

Decision Making

Evaluating resources, choices and consequences

Conflict Resolution Confronting and resolving disagreements

Resilience

Dealing with problems, setbacks and failures

Critique

Delivering objective, candid feedback

Blake & Moutons Grid - A Review

Advantages
highlights two main areas of
managerial concern, i.e. production
(task, results) and people
encourages managers to think
about their own balance between
task orientation and people
orientation

Disadvantages
doesnt encourage managers to
think and act flexibly according to
the circumstances in which they are
managing