What are the different types of management?

According to the American psychologist, Rensis Likert, there are four main types of management: directive management, persuasive management, participative management and delegative management. Here is an overview of each.  

Directive management (M1)

Under directive management, also called authoritarian management, the manager demonstrates authority and fully assumes their hierarchical superiority. They give clear and strict directives to subordinates, without concerning themselves too much about feedback or questions. Directive management is an organisational, vertical and results-oriented management style. Here, the directive manager does not seek to gain the trust of teams or to ensure their well-being, but closely monitors and controls performance. Their sole objective is to achieve the desired goal. They are a natural leader, and as such, their decision-making is rapid and pragmatic; the relational aspect is largely brushed aside. While this management style ensures high productivity and real operational efficiency, it can very often lead to a decline in employee commitment and an increase in stress, both of which have a significant impact on the quality of life at work. Directive management should thus be used as a last resort, in an emergency or crisis situation, for example. It also requires managerial skills such as pragmatism, natural authority and strong leadership.  

Persuasive management (M2)

Persuasive management places more value on the human aspect. It is a paternalistic management style: the manager is focused on obtaining results, while taking care to unite teams around clear objectives and very specific directives. The persuasive manager has full control over decisions, but also listens to the team's questions and suggestions. This type of manager also demonstrates pedagogy, explains directives and ensures that employees fully understand the stakes involved. The persuasive manager focuses on coaxing, motivating and ensuring the support of teams while fully assuming his or her hierarchical superiority. This type of management is therefore both an organisational and a relationship leadership style. Persuasive management has the advantage of creating good team cohesion and greater employee motivation, but it is still very structured in that it does not offer employees much freedom.  

Participative management (M3)

Participative management is one of the new, increasingly popular management methods, especially in start-ups. Here, the human being is at the centre. The participative manager emphasises the involvement of employees in the daily life of the company and in strategic decision-making. It is therefore a horizontal, cross-functional management style that ignores hierarchical codes. The participative manager plays the role of coach and guide rather than leader. They place everyone on the same footing, thus establishing a real bond of trust, and proximity. The core values of this mobilising leadership style are active listening, team empowerment, benevolence, team spirit and personal development. The manager supports, advises and motivates teams, calling upon collective intelligence to respond to different problems. They ensure the commitment and well-being of employees on a daily basis, and strongly encourage initiative-taking. This management model has the advantage of fostering creativity and innovation, and thus strengthening the company's competitiveness. However, this approach can be risky if the manager is new to this type of leadership, in that it can rapidly lead to a certain lack of structure and to a shaky organisation. Lastly, participative management is a vector for other types of leadership such as collaborative management and innovation management.  

Delegative management (M4)

Delegative management, also called consultative management, is a type of management that gives employees total autonomy. This type of management confers employees a good deal of freedom: they are very involved in decision-making and have considerable daily responsibilities. The delegative manager will not hesitate to delegate, and will generally take a back seat, letting teams take control of the various actions. However, they remain available to respond to colleagues' requests. Their role is therefore more strategic than operational. Delegative management has the advantage of giving employees a high level of responsibility, but it can also generate pressure that is not conducive to their well-being.  

So which management style should you choose?

Strictly speaking, there is no single good management style, or one best management style. It should be remembered that the leading fundamental quality of any good manager is adaptability. All managers must adapt their management style to the personality and profile of each and every one of their employees, as well as to the context (crisis management, restructuring, turnaround plan, etc.). This is called situational management. Consequently, a manager must be agile and able to alternate skilfully between different leadership styles.