What is given by authority for Follett is usually seen as 'best' as she believes that chaos is the result of a lack of obedience, including union unrest. Orders can be symbols which the order should be agreed upon by both parties openly and tacitly, for the order is given because it is the best thing to be done. Managers must create a situation in which workers do not feel overly watched or dictated to, but still things 'get done.' Telling someone to do something in a blunt fashion is ineffective because such a form of blatant command robs a person of his or her human dignity. Follett believes that authority must be portrayed as a symbolically positive action of the worker, not symbolic, demeaning acquiescence to authority. However, so long as it is concealed, she does not believe that those under the rule of managers should resent their position. Managing seen is a trick to conceal the real nature of power and authority in business.
Additionally, when orders are mistakes this should be acknowledged and rectified by the very person who gave the order so that he or she can apologize and indicate that it was his mistake, and not the fault of the system of command.
The impersonal system of control must...
Humans in authority can be shown to be in error from time to time, but the system of authority cannot be seen as error-prone, even though orders are more effective when given face-to-face and not from a distance and often must be given directly to be obeyed, although workers may resent being 'watched.'
Follett's article seems to come from another era, where common laborers were seen as individuals who had to be tricked or habituated into obeying. Workers are not seen to have legitimate grievances, and any resistance to authority is seen as a negative manifestation of human psychology. It is easy to see Follett's attitudes exhibited even today, when carefully- worded use of psychological motivation and careful monitoring of behavior is used to conceal the authority of the management. Fortunately, workplaces such as Google that treat workers like valued and intelligent contributors and part of a participatory process of management exist today: creative and dynamic companies do not treat employees like cogs in a machine.
Mary Parker Follett, "The Giving of Orders," 1926, p. 156.
Follett, p.161.
Follett, p.158.
Follett, p.158.
Follett, p.161.
