Mary Parker Follett was a pioneering American philosopher and management consultant born in 1870. She studied philosophy at Radcliffe College and political science at New York University. Follett made significant contributions to the fields of organizational theory, leadership, and conflict resolution. She believed that groups could integrate differing interests through creative cooperation rather than through domination or compromise. Follett saw the potential for organizations to develop collective will and purpose through open communication and respect among members. She advocated for participatory and democratic approaches to management.

1. born in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1868
attended Thayer Academy
introduced to German Idealist School of
philosophy by Anna Boynton Thompson
expanded interest in philosophy, history to psychology, Gestalt
movement at Annexe at Harvard (later Radclife College)
Biography
the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
expanded interest in law, political science, government at
Newnham College, Cambridge University
write The Speaker of the House of
Representatives
established her reputation as political
philosopher & scholar
provide vocational guidance, education,
recreation and job placement activities
worked in community service groups
1924 : from political science to business leaders
gave series of lectures in New York to a
group of business executives
passed away on December 18, 1933
need to rethink previously held concepts of authority,
organization, leadership, conflict resolution
dynamics of groups and the need for teamwork
Lenny Martini - 29006014
Part III The Social Person Era- Ch. 14
Major ideas & roles
Chronologically, belonged to scientific management era; philosophically
and intellectually, member of the social person era
her work served as a link between these two eras by generalizing from scientific
management concepts and anticipating many of conclusions of the social person era
the reduction of conflict through an integration of interests
the necessary corollary of obeying the law of the situation
born in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1886
1906-1909 : studied economics at Harvard
ideas of Johann Fichte (1762-1814)
earned 7 honorary doctorates for his thought in understanding
the nature and purpose of organizations
individual's ego --> social ego --> Great ego
Heraclitus
1927 : president of New Jersey Bell
voluntary work in many organizations
nature desires eagerly opposites and out of them it completes in harmony, not out similars
Biography
when one comes from the many, doesn't mean that the one is above the many
George Hegel (1770-1831)
helped David Lilienthal establish the policies of the Atomic Energy Commissions
the deepest truth of life is that interrelating by which both are at the
same time a-making is constant
serve the New Jersey Emergency Relief Administration
New Jersey Reformatory
find a true man only through group organization
president of United Service Organization
The New State
president of Rockefeller Foundation
potentialities of the individual remain potentialities until they
are released by group life
man discovers his true nature, gains his
true freedom only through the group
president of Bach society in New Jersey
inspired by Vilfredo Pareto, Kurt Lewin, Max Weber, Alfred North Whitehead
groups of people lived in association, not as separate ego
see organization from both internal equilibrium and external adjustment
individuals were created by reciprocal social intercourse
cooperative system
The Group Principle
bridge the requirement of the formal organization with the needs of the sociohuman system
universal element of organization
nationalism : individual as part of state
bring out individual differences and
integrate them into a unity
1909 : statistical department of the
American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T)
acceptance of Gestalt psychology
Charles Horton Cooley
enlargement of the social self through association and social looking glass
major ideas and roles
togetherness
communication as way to integrate organization
new society based on group principle, not an individualism
role of informal organization in achieving equilibrium
retained the personal aspect but gave bottom-up interpretation
group thinking
collective will
unusual ideas of authority
true self is the group self
lectures given at the Lowell Institutes in Boston , 1937
purpose of lectures : develop a theory of organizations and to
stimulate others to examine the nature of cooperative system
man can have no rights apart from society or independent of
society or against society
The Functions of The Executive
great spiritual force evolving itself from men, utilizing each, completing his
incompleteness by weaving together all in the many membered community life which
is the true theopany
formal organization is that kind of cooperation among men that is
conscious, deliberate, and purposeful
1. ensure the survival of organization by maintenance of an equilibrium of
complex character complex character in a continuously fluctuating
environment
2. examine the external forces to which adjustments must be made
small neig hborhood --> community group --> state group --> national group --> international group
people can create a new social consciousness and live together peaceably in the world state
The Nature of Cooperative Systems
through conference, discussion, and cooperation, people could evoke
each other's latent ideas and make manifest their unity in the pursuit of
common goals
cooperative system began with individual as a discrete being
based on purposes,desires, impulses of the moment, alternatives
Creative Experience
through group experiences, individuals
could reach a greater release of their
own creative powers
the disparity between personal motives and organizational motives led to
effective-efficient dichotomy
effective = goal was attained
efficiency = degree to which individual motives were satisfies
Mary Parker Follet : The Political Philosopher
measured by its capacity to survive
hypothesis : conflict of interests could be
resolved in one of 4 ways
cooperative efficiency was the result of individual efficiencies
The Searc h for
Organizational Integration
common purpose
integration involves invention to satisfied both sides without domination, surrender or compromise
definition of organization
Dennison's manufacturing firm case
3 universal element of organization
increasing quality and higher price to
counters competitive price
the same factors that cause change also provide the means for solving
problems presented by change
Chester Barnard : The Erudite Executive
theory of human interactions
communication
loyalty, esprit de corps, belief in organizational purpose
the possibility for the healthy resolution of conflict is part of the
natural process of human intercourse
offering objective incentives
search for integrative unity, commonality of will, human cooperation earned her
reputation as political philosopher
economy of incentives to secure the willingness to cooperate
changing subjective attitudes through persuasion
achieving unity of effort
personal satisfaction would come from accomplishing the purpose of the organization
Formal Organizations : Theory and Structure
channels of communication should be definitely known
formal channel
same problem in politic & business
developing effective leadership
ideas of constructive conflict and integrative unity of business
the aggregate of the personal contacts and interactions
and the associated grouping of people
collective bargaining for labor problems
communication
maintenance of cohesiveness in formal organization by
regulating willingness to serve
The Business Philosopher
3 functions
informal organization
all members of the organization who accepted responsibility for work at any
level contributed to the whole
collective bargaining was competitive & adversarial
further research by Douglas McGregor
maintenance of feelings of personal integrity and self-respect
universal an indispensable part of formal organization
motives
defining authority & responsibilities
achieving coordination and control
principles of communication
line of communication should be direct/ short as possible
organization, through the executive function, modified individual actions
and motives through influence and control
struggle and the victory of one side over the other
integration
Conflict Resolution
willingness to cooperate
material, non material, associational
voluntary submission of one side
compromise
cooperation within formal organization afforded possibilities for expanding the powers of the
group beyond what the individual could accomplish
a system of consciously coordinated activities or forces
of two or more persons
the theory of government based on individualism no longer has place in
modern political theory
3 goals
3. analyze the functions of executives at all levels in managing an
controlling formal organization
people could choose whether or not they will enter into a specific
cooperative system
development of a social consciousness
new concept of democracy
advocated cooperation and building
mutual understanding as a worthy goal
constructive conflict requires respect, understanding, talking it through, creating win-win solutions
authority as the character of a communication in a formal organization by virtue of
which it is accepted by the members
the personal, subjective acceptance
relation of the firm to its environment of stockholders, creditors, customers, competitors,
suppliers, and community : stakeholders
aspect of authority
integrative unity of society and the economy
the objective
power-with instead of power-over , co-action to replace consent and coercion
communication order understood
consistent with organization purpose
depersonalize orders and shift obedience to the law of the situation
4 conditions of authority
from scientific management : authority should go with knowledge & experience
compatible with personal interest
essence of good human relations : working with someone, not working under someone
mentally and physically able to comply with the order
The Acceptance theory of Authority
orders were accepted without questioning authority
superior
rejected both authoritarian's striving for power & Gandhi's noncooperiation
Authority and Power
zone of indifference
authority of position
circular response
a process based on the opportunity for each party to influence each other
through open interaction over period of time
respect & confidence of personal ability
open disclosure of costs, prices, and market situations
believer of employee representation plans
authority of leadership
final authority was an illusion
all organization depend on leadership that can develop the capacity and willingness
of member to cooperate
responsibility lies in the job, not to someone, and accumulated in interweaving functions
impossible to achieve unless there was a unity and cooperation among all elements
executives operated as interconnecting centers in a communication system
views of control
provide a system of communication
promote the securing of essential personal efforts
decision making and delegation
each situation generated its own control
formulate and define purpose
views of coordination / 4 fundamental
principles of organization
maintenance of morale
maintenance methods
maintenance of a scheme of inducements
fact-control rather than man-control
correlated-control rather than super-imposed control
3 executive functions
reciprocal relating of all the factors in a situation
direct contact of all the responsible people concerded
in early stages
The Function of the Executive
maintenance of scheme of deterrents
a continuing process
limiting factors that sorround the decision making process
strategic factors
The Task of Leadership
purpose of organizing & coordination was to ensure controlled performance --> organization was control
views of leadership
logical
mental process
defining purpose of the organization
non logical
sensing of the organization as a whole and the total situation reveal to it
based on reciprocal influence in the context of the situation
primer task of leader
executive process
coordinating
evoking responses to the law of the situations
create group power
common purpose as invisible leader
combination of science and service, training & discipline --> success leader
integrative motivation : profit, service, self development, love of creating something
inspire many researchers & sociologists
A Final Note
approached management through human values, psychology and the
laboratory of collaborative work experience
made significant contribution for management thought
14- The Search for Organizational Integration - Lenny 29006014.mmap - 13/10/2006 -