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Enjoying Your Work Richard Brislin |
Appeals to boogeymen
can derail controversial
proposalsAs part of the annual budgeting process, senior staff members of a social services agency met to develop plans for the upcoming year. They also discussed projects that were successful over the last year and tried to diagnose the reasons for projects where expectations were not met. After this meeting, plans would be shared with the agency's executive board, which was composed of well-known business people and other influential community members. The agency's director, Rose Watanabe, asked her staff for suggestions. One of the younger social workers on staff, Ann Deever, suggested that resources be allocated to the development of homeless villages for people living on the streets.
Rose did not want to consider this proposal, but she listened carefully to Ann's arguments. Privately, Rose felt that the proposal would generate too much political opposition from taxpayers who lived in areas near homeless villages. Rose had experienced the NIMBY problem in the past. People want to help the poor and the homeless, but "not in my back yard." But Ann pressed on with her proposal, citing successes in other states where similar projects had been introduced. Rose wanted to encourage Ann, a good employee, but at the same time did not want to pursue the homeless village issue. So Rose said: "Ann, I am all in favor of your proposal. But I don't think the executive board will approve it. They are not ready for a proposal like this. Maybe, as public opinion changes, they will be more sympathetic in the future."
Rose is using a tactic known as bringing in the boogeyman. This character, who made an appearance in the Laurel and Hardy version of "Babes in Toyland," is a creature parents have reportedly used to discipline children. "If you don't eat your spinach or do your homework, the boogeyman will come and get you." Since this character is rarely seen except on the late-late show after children have gone to bed, it remains a rather vague but threatening punishment in children's minds. This vagueness remains when boogeymen are employed in today's organizations.
Rose might not have the slightest idea about the feelings of the executive board concerning a proposal for homeless villages. But she can discourage Ann from pursuing her ideas by appealing to the negative reactions of influential people. Rose benefits in several ways. She is seen as supporting Ann by saying that she is personally in favor of the proposal. In addition, she avoids further discussion of an issue that she wants to see tabled for the indefinite future.
Appealing to a boogeyman is a tactic that can sometimes be countered. If she knows of its existence, Ann can approach Rose. She can say: "I appreciate your support of the proposal, and it's too bad about the executive board. Can you give me contact information for some of the board members so that I can talk to them personally and possibly deal with their concerns?" By responding in this manner, Ann is communicating that she knows about the tactic but is not challenging Rose's authority directly. Possibly, Rose will recognize Ann's sophistication and will not use such tactics in the future.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
The purpose of this column is to increase understanding of human behavior as it has an impact on the workplace. Given the amount of time people spend at work, job satisfaction should ideally be high and it should contribute to general life happiness. Enjoyment can increase as people learn more about workplace psychology, communication, and group influences.
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
