MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Modes of management - styles
In a union, an open style is the only style even though for the
Chief Executive it is more difficult because more decisions are
challenged. (Interviewee K)
There probably are key things about being open, trying to
involve people try to get people on your side. (Interviewee B)
But many managers were more comfortable describing their own styles
as they saw them:-
Developing the staff and ensuring that they are receiving training
and development and that they know what is expected of them
and also encouraging them to be motivated and take a wider
interest in the union. (interviewee O)
I suspect to go the extra mile to help people is probably more to
do with my personality and style anyway, whether or not I was in
a union…. I am quite easy going really. I like to think of myself
as an enabler -- that's a bit of Myers Briggs, really, isn't it. I like
to give people the opportunity to develop themselves and do
things that they think they can't do, which in a traditional sense
we might have thought involved work beyond their grade and to
give people those opportunities to try different things.
(Interviewee N)
I have always got an open door. I always like to think that
people will come and talk to me but I also seek to influence
people by talking to them (Interviewee M)
It involves developing and supporting people, delivering the
product (Interviewee G)
This did not always chime with how other managers saw colleagues
behaving:-
I would have thought that there was a tendency to autocratic or
benevolent dictatorship. The strong leader type, the decisionmaker.
But then, I think there is quite a number of different
styles. There is the bureaucratic style, the decision by committee
as well and again I think it reflects different areas that unions are
recruited from. Particularly here because I think that there is this
clash of personalities and clash of styles and culture in the two
unions (Interviewee E)
It is command and control. Somebody else takes the decision
(Interviewee B)
In 1999, when the Industrial Society reported, management style was
mentioned as an issue to be addressed; issues raised then included
managers passing on criticism rather than praise, poor attitudes
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