Also known as administrative network, the management grid is a tool used for the description of the leadership style . It also specifically identifies five leadership styles that mix different levels of concern for the task and for people.

Leadership dimensions in the management grid

The management grid model was created by Blake and Mouton (1969), who offered a schematic system through which attitudes towards positions are shown in relation to the tasks to be performed and the people involved.

Their theory is based on the 9×9 grid for which they created a very objective way of graphically representing the two-dimensional view of leadership styles . Thus, for Blake and Mouton there are two basic dimensions of effective leadership.

On the one hand, there is the interest in people, that is to say, the concern of managers for human relations , to satisfy the motives of the components of the group, which are not necessarily related to the objectives of the organization, thus obtaining a considerable cohesion of the group.

The interest in production, on the other hand, is the degree to which managers are concerned and interested in the achievement of objectives .

These two dimensions are called people orientation and production orientation, respectively. These factors are present in all the people they lead, taking into account that each individual is unique and therefore they are combined in different proportions in each subject.

These dimensions are analogous to the “structure initiation” and “consideration” dimensions of earlier studies at Ohio State University and with the typical traits of the “employee-centered” leaders who formulated the studies at Michigan University.

Blake and Mouton Steering Grid

Such management styles described in the management grid can take 5 points as a reference:

On the other hand, the leadership styles according to the management grid are the following.

1. Style 1.1: Impoverished

It is characterized by the minimal concern for both results and team members . It cannot properly be called management, since the manager has hardly any influence on the configuration of the work/professional activity of his/her work group, nor on human relations.

Nor does it seek group cohesion . It follows the law of minimum effort, so it does not try to improve the efficiency of the organisations or the welfare of the workers. If complications arise, it disappears. It is present and absent at the same time.

2. Style 1.9: Country Club

In the upper left corner of the mesh is the “country club style” , which is characterized by a great concern for people and little concern for production tasks. Managers using this style try to create a comfortable and safe environment. They also rely on their subordinates to respond with high performance.

The concern for meeting the needs of social satisfaction leads to a friendly, though not necessarily productive, atmosphere and pace of work .

3. Style 9.1: Produce or Perish

It represents a maximum intensity orientation towards results and a minimum orientation towards people. Strong emphasis is placed on production interests.

The chief adopts his managerial function based on his hierarchical rank , while the personnel under his charge receive instructions on the task to be carried out, obedience being its main characteristic.

This style assumes a direction of an authoritarian nature , in which the principle to be followed by the manager is performance, but without any interest in interpersonal relations, since they can disturb the smooth running of the work.

Subjects are only means to an end, human relationships are based on authority and obedience. It would be related to an attitude towards people in the work characteristic of Theory X.

4. Style 5.5: Balanced

In the middle of the mesh is the “balanced style”. Managers who apply this style believe that the needs of people and organizations are in conflict, and so it is difficult to satisfy both.

They believe that the best thing to do is to find an acceptable balance between the needs of the workers and the production goals of the organization.
Good performance is achieved by keeping employee morale at a sufficient level to ensure that an adequate amount of work is done.

5. Style 9.9: Equipment

Finally, in the upper right corner of the grid is the “team style”, which is characterized by the utmost concern for results as well as for human relationships .

In this direction, both the interests of productivity and the interests of the subjects involved in it are considered, it contains a high degree of compatibility between the objectives of the employees and the organization.

Within the five styles of the Blake and Mouton steering grid, this turns out to be the ideal one.

Bibliographic references:

  • Blake, R.; Mouton, J. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co.
  • McKee, R.; Carlson, B. (1999). The Power to Change. Austin, Texas: Grid International Inc.