Likert's Four System
DEFINITION OF THE THEORY
Likert theory called Likert's Management Systems Theory. Rensis Likert developed this theory in the 1960s. He outlined four systems of management to describe the relationship, involvement, and roles of managers and subordinates in industrial settings. He based the systems on studies of highly productive supervisors and their team members of an American Insurance Company. Later, he and Jane G. Likert revised the systems to apply to educational settings. They initially intended to spell out the roles of principals, students, and teachers; eventually others such as superintendents, administrators, and parents were included.
According to Rensis Likert the best managers in business and government point to a much more effective system of management.
Low efficiency departments have supervisors who, being job centred; keep workers busy through a prescribed work cycle at a satisfactory time rate. The job is reduced to component parts, with trained people to do them, and constant pressure to achieve output using all the resources which are available.
High efficiency departments have supervisors who, being people centred, focus on the human aspects and build effective work groups pursuing high achievement goals. The supervisors attempt to know employees as individuals. They give general rather than detailed supervision, with overall targets rather than prescribing methods. They accept maximum participation in decision making and see employees as capable of joining in the decision making processes.
Likert categorised his four management systems as follows;
Exploitive authoritative system (1)
In this type of management system the job of employees/subordinates is to abide by the decisions made by managers and those with a higher status than them in the organisation. The subordinates do not participate in the decision making. The organisation is concerned simply about completing the work. The organisation will use fear and threats to make sure
Likert theory called Likert's Management Systems Theory. Rensis Likert developed this theory in the 1960s. He outlined four systems of management to describe the relationship, involvement, and roles of managers and subordinates in industrial settings. He based the systems on studies of highly productive supervisors and their team members of an American Insurance Company. Later, he and Jane G. Likert revised the systems to apply to educational settings. They initially intended to spell out the roles of principals, students, and teachers; eventually others such as superintendents, administrators, and parents were included.
According to Rensis Likert the best managers in business and government point to a much more effective system of management.
Low efficiency departments have supervisors who, being job centred; keep workers busy through a prescribed work cycle at a satisfactory time rate. The job is reduced to component parts, with trained people to do them, and constant pressure to achieve output using all the resources which are available.
High efficiency departments have supervisors who, being people centred, focus on the human aspects and build effective work groups pursuing high achievement goals. The supervisors attempt to know employees as individuals. They give general rather than detailed supervision, with overall targets rather than prescribing methods. They accept maximum participation in decision making and see employees as capable of joining in the decision making processes.
Likert categorised his four management systems as follows;
Exploitive authoritative system (1)
In this type of management system the job of employees/subordinates is to abide by the decisions made by managers and those with a higher status than them in the organisation. The subordinates do not participate in the decision making. The organisation is concerned simply about completing the work. The organisation will use fear and threats to make sure