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Authoritarian Management Style
Authoritarian management style is likely to be evidenced by a rigid rules system and an expectation of obedience to authority. A typical example of a well established authoritarian management style is the military chain of command structure, where decisions are passed from the top down, with each layer of command transmitting orders and demanding absolute acceptance of that instruction. Outside of the military context, a manager who takes absolute control of a workplace situation, without reference to their team’s views and input, would be exhibiting an authoritarian management style.
Synonyms for authoritarian include undemocratic, repressive, demanding and controlling; in archetypal authoritarian management style all authority is vested in the leader, to include decision making, control, and reward or punishment. The most extreme form of authoritarianism would be in the form of a dictatorship, where the leader of a company or country believes that they know best, and no form of disagreement is tolerated. In these instances, the belief of the leader in their supremacy and their enjoyment of the trappings of power can be more important than belief in their actual policies. This is Authoritarian Management Style Extreme!
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In summary, an authoritarian management style can be argued to be extremely relevant in a military context, where unquestioning obedience has its place. However, in democratic societies, most military bodies are subject to political control, where a considerable element of questioning and determination of policy will take place. Only where the authoritarian management style model is allowed to thrive unchallenged, either in the workplace or in society in general, is rigidity and inflexibility more likely to result in entrenched thinking and a lack of response to rapidly changing scenarios.
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