UPSC Optional - Public Administration Thinker - MARY PARKER FOLLETT(1868-1933)

 

Mary Parker Follet

UPSC Optional Notes Free Download - Public Administration Thinker 

MARY PARKER FOLLETT(1868-1933)

 First lady in the field of Administrative theory.

 First to focus on individual in organization

 Peter Drucker described her as “Prophet of Management”

 Warren Bennis observed that whatever written today about Leadership and Organizations comes

from her writings.

 According to Follett organization is an integration of individuals as well as social groups.

 Joan Tonn described that “ without the benefit of modern research methods, Follett developed

such original, penetrating analysis of leadership, power and authority, conflict, and group behavior

that her ideas forms the basis of our modern discourse about organization and management.

 Conflict in organization:

 -Constructive conflicts were idealized by her, she opined that conflicts have some traits of increasing

organizational efficiency.

 - In her book Creative Experience she specified that “Conflict is not a wasteful outbreak of

incompatibilities, but a normal process by which socially valuable differences register themselves for

the enrichment of all concerned.”

Methods of overcoming conflict:

1.) Domination- Short term, one win one lose situation

2.) Compromise- Short term resolution, suppression of individuals

3.) Integration- Best one where desires of both parties are met at an agreed point

Steps to bring about integration:

 To find out the differences, actually what are they.

 Considering the demands of both sides, integrating small small demands as a whole.

 Anticipation of conflict, building an attitude of responding to conflicts

4 principles of giving orders:

1.) Conscious Attitude-Orders based on principles

2.) Responsible attitude- Orders based on what principle one should act

3.) Experimental attitude- Ordering without knowing the success or failure of orders

4.) Pooling the results – From wide range of experiences and considering dynamic nature of

problems

Steps to get orders obeyed:

1.) Building up of certain attitude

2.) Providing for their release

3.) Augmenting the released as it is being carried out

Four steps of forming a habit of accepting orders:

1.) Officials should be made to see the desirability of orders

2.) Rules of office should be so changed to make it easier to adopt new methods

3.) A few people should be convinced in advance to set an example

4.) The attitude to be released should be intensified

Orders must not be given to one another, instead must be taken by situations and

must be accepted by all in response to that situation.

Concept of POWER, Authority and control:

 Power is simply an ability to make things happen, to be a casual agent, to initiate change.

 Concept of “power-over” (Coercive power) and “Power-with”(Coactive power which reduces

friction)).

 To reduce the power-over:

1.) Through integration

2.) Through recognizing that all should submit to the law of situation

3.) Making business more and more functional unity

 Authority:

 Doesn’t come from ownership or a formal position, it belongs to the job and stays with

the job” Thus it comes from function not from position.

 Authority can’t be delegated, delegated authority is an obsolete expression.

 Responsibility also comes from function and situation

 Believed in fact control rather than man control and In correlated control than superimposed

control

Planning and coordination

 Coordination by early stages to boost morale

 Coordination by direct control

 Horizontal communication is as important as vertical

 Coordination as the reciprocal relating of all factors in a situation , to integrate diverse activities,

skills, attitudes

 Coordination as continuing process

 LEADERSHIP AS A NECESSARY SKILL:

 Function leaders instead of authoritarian

 Leader is not head of department, but one who can see all over the situation, who sees it relating to

certain purposes and policies, who sees it evolving into next situation, who understand how to pass

from one situation to another.

 She believed that leaders are not born but can be developed through education and training

Circular Response:

A leader not only influence his group but also gets influenced by it

Types of Leadership:

 Leadership of position-Position of formal authority

 Leadership of personality- Holds forceful personal qualities

 Leadership of functions- Holds both above said