Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid

This article is mainly based on; the Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence, written by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton.

Abstract

Project managers play a critical role of leading a team towards achieving the objectives of a project. The leadership style of a project manager may be a result of combination of multiple factors related to the project or be of a personal preference. Leadership is a productive field of study, with many theories reaching back decades. Thoughts on leadership and the ideal characteristics of a leader have evolved through time, but some of the thoughts have passed the test of time.

The Managerial Grid developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton was first published in 1964. It was the outcome of their research for Exxon, where they worked towards improved leader effectiveness. It was developed with influence from the work of Fleishman’s, using attitudinal dimensions rather than behavioural, like Fleishman.

The Managerial Grid is a 9x9 matrix and it quantifies the degree to which the emphasis is on tasks and the emphasis is on the relationship with the subordinates, with Concern for Production as the x-axis of the matrix and Concern for People as the y-axis. Blake and Mouton labelled and characterised the extreme corners as well as the center of the matrix. The Managerial Grid is a widely accepted as an important and critical analysis of the behaviour of a leader. Its simplicity captures vital truths about management styles and implications. The following consists of what is needed to know about the Managerial Grid, the application of it, suggestions for improvements for a leader, as well as the limitations of the Grid.

Leadership in Project Management

Project manager plays a critical role of leading a team to achieve the objectives of a project. He provides the team with leadership, planning and coordination through communication. Leadership skills are the ability to guide, motivate and direct a team (p.56). These skills may include abilities regarding negotiation, resilience, communication, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. A common denominator in all projects is people, and therefore, a big part of the role of a project manager involves dealing with people and different stakeholders of a project. The project manager should strive to be a good leader, as leadership is a crucial part of a successful project (p.60).

Project managers need to possess over both leadership abilities as well as abilities in management, in order to succeed at their job. The key is finding the correct balance for all occurring situations. It is often displayed in the project manager’s leadership style, how the management and leadership is employed. The leadership style of a project manager may be result of a combination of multiple factors related to the project or be more of a personal preference. The style can change and evolve through time, based on the factors in play each time. The major factors are for example characteristics of different elements related to the project, that is characteristics of the leader, of the team members, of the organization and/or of the environment (p.65). Thoughts on leadership and the ideal characteristics of a leader have evolved through time, but many thoughts have passed the test of time, one of them being the Managerial Grid.

Development of the Grid

The Managerial Grid was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton between 1958 and 1960 and it was first published in 1964. Blake and Mouton were management theoreticians, and the model were the outcome of their research for Exxon, where they worked towards improving leader effectiveness. The Grid was developed with influence from Fleishman’s work and according to him, there were two underlying dimensions of leaderships’ behaviour which he called consideration and initiating structure.

Blake and Mouton used attitudinal dimensions rather than the behavioural like Fleishman, their attitudinal dimensions being Concern for Production and Concern for People. The dimensions are claimed to reflect the character of thinking and feeling applied behaviourally to achieve an intended purpose, rather than being a reflection of behaviour. (p.6)

The Managerial Grid

The Managerial Grid is a 9x9 matrix with Concern for Production, that is getting results, as one dimension of the grid or as the x-axis. The other dimension, or y-axis, being Concern for People, subordinates and colleagues. The phrasing of concern for is not referring a mechanical term that indicates the amount of actual production achieved or actual behaviour towards other people. It is more about indicating the character and strength of assumptions present behind any given style of leadership The dimensions are viewed as interdependent and the interaction of the two dimensions to create a specific leadership approach, is specified by a comma (p.4). The Managerial Grid is a widely accepted as an important and critical analysis of the behaviour of a leader. Its simplicity captures vital truths about management styles and implications.

Concern for Production

Concern for production includes results, bottom line, performance, profits or mission. It covers both quantity and quality and can be displayed in different forms. It may be revealed in the scope of a decision, the number of ideas or products that the development converts into sellable products, accounts processed in a collection period, or the service quality by staff. It also may take the form of measurements of efficiency, amount produced, amount of time needed to complete production, sales volume or attainment of specified level of quality. Production can be a project or whatever an organisation requires their employees to accomplish (p.10).

Concern for People

An important factor regarding determination of effectiveness are the assumptions that managers make about people, as they lead with and through other people. Concern for people can be revealed in different ways. Some show it in their efforts to ensure that their subordinates like them, while others are more concerned that subordinates finish their jobs. Despite the differences, getting results based on respect and trust, sympathy, obedience, or understanding and support, is a manifestation of Concern for people. It can become evident through salaries, benefits, job security, etc. (p.10).

Intercorrelation of Concerns

The Managerial Grid is shown as a nine-point scale, where 1 is low concern, 5 is an average amount of concern and 9 is high concern, numbers in between denote intermediate degrees of concern. The way these concerns are expressed by a leader, defines the usage of authority. If the concern for people is high, coupled with low concern for production, the leader weighs the well-being and happiness of the people the most. The other way around, if the concern for production is high but the concern for people is low, the leader is production efficiency oriented (p.11).

To increase managerial competences and productivity in people, a leader needs to know different leadership styles. Blake and Mouton identified five benchmark styles, that display significant differences in characteristic actions and outcomes. Figure 1 shows the Grid with the five styles. Following are the titles they used, but the styles have often gotten different titles.

Figure 1: Based on Figure 2-1. Managerial Grid, in the Managerial Grid III:The Key to Leadership Excellence, p.12.

Leadership Styles

1,1 – Improvised Management

1,1 or Improvised Management is located in the left corner, representing a minimum concern for both production and people. 1,1 oriented manager seeks to continue the current activities to remain a member of the organisation, by applying minimum effort. He avoids activities that reveal that he is uninterested, as he knows that can get him fired. The involvement of subordinates is likely low, as a result from the lack of leadership (p.31).

9,1 – Authority-Obedience

9,1 or Authority-Obedience is located in the lower right corner, where the 9 in concern for production intersects with 1 of concern for people. It displays a maximum concern for production combined with minimum concern for people. A 9,1 oriented leader concentrates on maximising production by exercising power and authority and achieving control over subordinates. He fears failure and is unaccepting of his own weaknesses and inadequacy. He is likely to be involved and committed to organisational purposes and views subordinates as little more than agents of production and they are seen as only being employed to do the dictates of the manager. (p.28).

5,5 – Organization Man Management

5,5 or Organization Man Management is located at the center of the grid. It is about fulfilling organisational performance through a balance of completing necessary jobs, while maintaining morale of people at a satisfactory level. A 5,5 oriented manager is anxious about potential criticism and is afraid of not belonging. He tries to gain acceptable results in doing what has to be done, but at same time avoiding action that might lead to potential criticism (p.32).

1,9 – Country Club Management

1,9 or Country Club Management is located at the top left corner, where minimum concern for production is combined with a maximum concern for people. The manager fears most to suffer rejection and feeling unworthy of acceptance. His efforts are focused towards making the subordinates feel important and satisfied with the working conditions, as an attempt to avoid being rejected by them. The key focus is on human dimension, with production accomplishment almost eliminated, that is good morale at the expense of achieving organisational results (p.30).

9,9 – Team Management

9,9 or Team Management represents the top right corner, a maximum concern for both production and people. The 9,9 oriented manager is able to contribute to the situation where he performs as well as enabling other to contribute. It is a goal-cantered, team approach seeking maximum results through participation, commitment, involvement, decisions and conflict solving of all team members. A consequence of 9,9 management style is that subordinates develop commitment to contribute to organisational achievements. 9,9 leadership style is put up as the soundest approach to managing and leading production with and through people. It leads to a combination of high actual productivity, good creativity and increased job satisfaction by all subordinates (p.17).

Additional Leadership Styles

Blake and Mouton identified three additional managerial orientations, each of which a combination of the basic theories already identified. The first one is Paternalism, a combination of 9,1 direction and control, and 1,9 rewards through praising compliance. At each extreme, this managerial style is prescriptive about what the team needs and how they supply it. The team management of adapting to the teams’ needs, is not present (p.140).

The second is Opportunism, which is when all five styles are relied on in an unprincipled way, for personal advancement. It is a highly opportunistic manager, prepared to exploit any situation and manipulate their people into doing so

Finally, is Facade, with no specific combination of styles. Facade is referring to a front or a cover, for the real approach lying behind it. The general feature of all facades is that the manager avoids revealing the content if his mind but giving the impression of doing so (p.155).

Application of the Grid

The Managerial Grid helps to examine assumptions about leadership and characterise leadership styles (p.7). We can analyse our assumptions once we become aware of the character and depth of them, identifying the good and bad consequences of our actions. Alternative assumption can provide a sounder basis for our actions, so we can try to practice applying them until they become a characteristic of our leadership style (p.6). The Grid becomes a good management tool, when used properly. It can help a leader to reflect on their leadership style and the effects it has on their team’s motivation and productivity. It can be used to increase effectiveness of an organization on an in-company basis. Once studied, it can be used to improve selection, training, development and coaching within an organization. It can help to improve participation, involvement and commitment, to solve conflicts, setting goals, and so on (p.17).

 

Limitations

Annotated bibliography

The following are the main resources used for the construction of this article, and can provide basis for further and deeper studies on the topic.

1. Blake, R, and Mouton, J. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Company.

This is the third edition of the book that Robert Blake and Jane Mouton wrote about the Managerial Grid. The book discusses the Grid in great details. It presents the Grid framework, the five different leadership styles and examinates the 9.9 orientation in great depth. The three additional leadership theories are discussed as well as how the Grid can be used to increase organizational effectiveness in a company. In addition, there is a conceptual analysis of current leadership theories as well as a research evaluating the validity of the 9.9 orientation.

2. Molloy, P. (1998). A Review of the Managerial Grid Model of Leadership and its Role as a Model of Leadership Culture. Aquarius Consulting.

This article provides a more critical perspective of the Managerial Grid, other than what is displayed in the original book, as might be expected as it is written by the developers of the Grid. The Grid is described in a pretty detailed way, but the main focus of the article is to show the Grid as a OD process and as a model of leadership culture. The Grid is tested, with the main focus being on the longitudinally on Grid OD as a process.

3. Blake, R, and Mouton, J. (1981). The Versatile Manager: The Grid Profile. Homewood, Ill. : R.D. Irwin.

This book is about the dilemma of managerial leadership, and it identifies behavioural principles that underlie organizational effectiveness and how to put them into use. It shows the Grid in detail, but it also describes in depth how important healthy communication is, especially with the subordinates. In addition, it deals with conflicts, confrontations and responsibilities, in a team setting and shared participation in general. Versatility refers to the capacity of a manager to solve a wide range of dilemmas, either regarding production or people, in a sound way.

References