This question has two parts; be sure to answer both. First, explain at least one of Mary Parker Follett's ideas on how organizations should become more democratic. Next, suppose you work at an advertising agency as an account manager. You are responsible for keeping your clients (the advertisers) happy, but you do not do the creative work of designing the ads. Explain how you might manage a conflict with one of your most talented ad designers, who does not agree with the client's ideas and does not want to implement them.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Mary Parker Follett believed organizations can become more democratic with managers and employees working cooperatively. Some of her most important ideas on how organizations can become more democratic are (1) organizations should be operated as "communities," with managers and subordinates working together in harmony; (2) conflicts should be resolved by having managers and workers talk over differences and find solutions that would satisfy both parties—a process she called integration; and (3) the work process should be under the control of workers with the relevant knowledge, rather than of managers, who should act as facilitators.

As an account manager at an ad agency, you know that you need your artists and designers to create eye-catching advertisements based on the client's ideas and your ideas for translating the client's wishes into words and images. Ideally, you would identify the source of the conflict—why exactly does your designer not like the client's idea? From that point, you can offer additional perspective—"Maybe the client's ideas are bad, but the client pays the bills, and we have to give the client what he wants." From there, you can work with the designer to push his boundaries of creativity to find ways to use the client's ideas but in a manner that is appealing to the designer's artistic sensibilities.