Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Authority rules
some people'I never thought I would have a meeting like this," Judy Higgins said to the president of the office supplies company where she worked. The president, Carol Ness, recognized Judy's discomfort and encouraged her to talk freely.
Judy worked in sales and traveled extensively to represent the company. She told Carol she was having a very difficult time with her direct supervisor, Carl Hagen. "He shouts at people to the point of being abusive, never says anything good about their work, takes credit for the work of others, and has no sense of a collegial, cooperative sales force." Carol listened carefully but said, "I'm surprised at this report. Carl has always been extremely cooperative and respectful in meetings with me."
Carl Hagen may have an authoritarian personality. Some people are very aware of status, power and authority relations in the workplace. They view their subordinates as less able than themselves. "Given this lesser ability, my subordinates should pay attention to what I want done and behave according to my directives." They often don't feel the need to show their appreciation. Rather, they feel that workers should be grateful that they are allowed to remain in the company and that they receive their paychecks.
The sometimes less visible aspect of authoritarians is that they are deferent in the presence of their superiors. This follows from the general point that they want acceptance from high-status people. In this incident, Carol is surprised to hear about Carl's behavior because it is at odds with her interactions with him.
The combination of "suck up" to superiors and "dump down" on subordinates is the hallmark of the authoritarian personality.
Authoritarians can be found in all countries. They may survive as middle managers longer in countries where workers are not encouraged to complain about how they are treated. In some countries, workers are discouraged from jumping levels in the company hierarchy and going directly to the company president, as Judy did with Carol. In the United States, depending on company policies, authoritarian managers can sometimes be disciplined for creating a hostile, stress-filled and unproductive work environment.
The purpose of this column is to increase understanding of human behavior as it has an impact on the workplace. Special attention will be given to miscommunications caused by cultural differences. Each column will start with a short example of such confusion. Possible explanations will be offered to encourage thought about these issues.
Richard Brislin is a professor in the College of Business Administration,
University of Hawaii. He can be reached through the
College Relations Office: cro@cba.hawaii.edu