PARTICIPATORY AND NON-PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMNT

Management of education can be of two types- Participatory Management and Non-

Participatory management- depending upon the involvement of people and practitioners in
the management process
What is Non-participatory Management?

Non – Participatory Management is a management style wherein one person controls all the
decisions and takes very little inputs from other group members.

It is also called as Authoritative Leadership/ Autocratic Leadership. Autocratic leaders make

choices or decisions based on their own beliefs and do not involve others for their suggestion
or advice.

Non-participatory management is traditional, bureaucratic and centralised. In non-

participatory management all decisions come from the top – the Boss or the central authority.
Practitioners and community members do not have any opportunity for participation in the
formation of plans. They have to simply execute the plans imposed from above without
questioning ‘Why’. The manager is regarded as the ‘all knowing’ person. He formulates
plans, decides policies, gives direction, exercises control, takes disciplinary or corrective
measures and often gives suggestion. The manager has the primary business of getting things
done.

Characteristics:

 Group members have little to no input on decisions. Team members are not entrusted
with important choices.
 Requires leaders to make almost all of the decisions
 Provides leaders with the ability to dictate work methods and processes
 Tends to create highly structured and very rigid environments
 Discourages creativity and out – of box thinking
 Establishes rules and tends to be clearly outlined and communicated
 Few mentorship opportunities- Autocratic leaders are typically not available for
mentoring, and leadership roles are kept separate from the workforce.

Advantages Of Non – Participatory management:

 Fast Decision Making: Since there is only one person (autocratic leader) in charge of
everything, the decision making process is fast and helps achieve the goals quickly.

 Improves productivity and efficiency: Quicker decision-making and information-

sharing from an autocratic leader will boost the productivity of any team.
  Structured and disciplined approach: The processes involved in work and discipline
in work standards are clearly defined, ensuring the organization and team move
forward together.

 Clear Communication: Autocratic leadership constantly supports one-way

communication, and the leader assigns specified duties and work patterns to the
employees. Furthermore, the instructions will be delivered directly to the personnel,
and it is one of the most significant advantages of autocratic leadership.

 Control: A leader with good leadership characteristics has more decision-making

power. They can keep a careful eye on what others are doing and ensure workplace
conformity. This will ensure that the organization meets its goals and focuses on their
tasks.

 Helps in crisis management: Autocratic leadership is an excellent leadership style

when dealing with crisis situations. The leader is in complete charge of the situation
and is focused on problem-solving, facing all the challenges, and navigating
hierarchies.

Disadvantages of Non-Participatory Management:

 Micromanagement - Autocratic leaders are responsible for success or failure when

they lead on any project. Hence, they supervise every small task in any work. This
might make it very difficult for employees to execute their work. This will hamper
productivity and affect the work culture over a period of time.

 Lack of creativity -A team can generate several ideas as compared to a single person.
In autocratic Leadership there is no place for discussion, feedback, and improvement
on processes, with which lacks innovation and creativity

 Dependable system - Since the leader is more authoritative and takes the final call,
individuals might struggle in the leader’s absence and are dependent on the autocratic
leader. This does not help the individuals grow and restricts the growth of the team
and the organization.

 Discourages ideas and inputs - Since the autocratic leader makes the final decisions,
he/she might reject ideas basis his personal preference, which discourages team
members from giving new creative ideas.

 Might affect Work Culture negatively - If the autocratic leader in charge strictly
follows ethics and morals without breaking the rules, it creates a very positive culture
and work environment. If the vice-versa happens, organisations will have to deal with
high attrition rates and a mental breakdown for employees/team members.

 Less room for employee growth - As discussed before, there is less hold on decision
making and no room for idea discussion. The feedback consideration is also less for
any processes/projects. Since the leader will have a complete hold, team members
might not get a chance to improve their soft skills, essential for individuals.
  Hurt employee morale- Employees may be less likely to enjoy their job if they feel
that their voices are not important.

What is participatory management?

Management involves three basic processes: Planning, implementation and

evaluation. When administrators, teachers, students, community members and voluntary
agencies are actively involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of educational
programmes such management is called participatory management.

The concept of participatory management has a number of connotations. First, it means that
both the centre and the states participate in the policy formulation, implementation and
evaluation. In other words the centre-state relationship is that of partnership in the
management process.

Second, it also implies that management of education at the state level involves participation
of district level and block level officers.

Third, at the gross root level, teachers, parents, community members, supervisors, students
and voluntary agencies participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of policies
and programmes. Thus, participatory management is democratic and decentralised
management.

Advantages of Participative Management

Increase in Productivity: An increased say in decision making means that there is a strong
feeling of association now. The employee now assumes responsibility and takes charges.
There is lesser new or delegation or supervision from the manager. Working hours may get
stretched on their own without any compulsion or force from the management. All this leads
to increased productivity.

Job Satisfaction: In lots or organizations that employ participative management, most of the
employees are satisfied with their jobs and the level of satisfaction id very high. This is
especially when people see their suggestions and recommendations being implemented or put
to practice. Psychologically, this tells the individual employee that, ‘he too has a say in
decision making and that he too is an integral component of the organization and not a mere
worker’.
Motivation: Increased productivity and job satisfaction cannot exist unless there is a high
level of motivation in the employee. The vice versa also holds true! Decentralized decision
making means that everyone has a say and everyone is important.

Improved Quality: Since the inputs or feedback comes from people who are part of the
processes at the lowest or execution level. This means that even the minutest details are taken
care of and reported. No flaw or loophole goes unreported. Quality control is thus begins and
is ensured at the lowest level.

Reduced Costs: There is a lesser need of supervision and more emphasis is laid on widening
of skills, self management. This and quality control means that the costs are controlled
automatically.
Comparisons of Participatory management and Non-participatory management

Sl.No Participatory management Non-participatory management

1 It is democratic It is authoritarian
2 It is decentralised It is centralised
3 It is flexible and people oriented It is rigid and bureaucratic
4 Decision emerges within Everything comes from above
5 It gives freedom and dignity to each Members cannot but obey the rules -
member orders
6 Motivation comes from within Motivation is provided by the manager
7 The focus is on the contribution of The focus is on the manager
individual members
8 The manager is more like a leader The manager is more like an
administrator
9 It promotes creativity and innovation It emphasizes order and discipline
leading to high productivity
10 It is based on give and take sharing There is no sharing of experiences
and learning from other’s members have to accept the decision of
experiences the manager
11 It is progressive system of It is a traditional system of management
management
12 It involves participation of people at It involves decision at the top level. The
the grass root level. Hence it depends manager is all powerful
on people’s power
13 All the employees work with the All the employees work under the
manager manager
14 The manager exercises power with The manager exercises power over the
the manager people
15 The success of management depends The success of management depends
upon the cooperation of all upon the ability and experiences of the
concerned manager to direct others