Organisational Change: “Top‐Down” or “Bottom‐Up” Management?
| Pages | 22-28 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb055191 |
| Published date | 01 January 1971 |
| Date | 01 January 1971 |
| Author | Tom Lupton |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
PERSONNEL REVIEW
Organisational
Change:
"Top-Down" or
"Bottom-Up"
Management?
Tom Lupton
TOM LUPTON
Tom Lupton is
Professor
of
Organisational Behaviour
and
Deputy
Director
of
the Manchester Business
School.
He
has direct experience
of
the
shopfloor,
having entered industry at
the
age
of
14
and
served
an
apprenticeship
in
marine
engineering.
After the
war,
he
went first
to Ruskin
College,
Oxford
and
then
on to
Oriel
College.
Apart from a
brief spell
as an
engineering draughtsman
in the
steel
industry,
he
then
moved into
academic
life,
beginning
as
a research
assistant
in
industrial sociology
at
Liverpool
University.
He
became senior research
worker
there,
before moving
to
Manchester University
to
initiate DS1R (Department
of
Scientific
and
Industrial Research) research
on
"restriction
of output." He
later
moved to
Birmingham's
College
of Advanced
Technology
as
head
of the
department
of
industrial administration
and
then
as
Montague Burton Professor
of
Industrial Relations
at
Leeds
University,
before he
took up
his present post
in 1966.
Professor
Lupton is
the author
of
a number
of
articles
and
books,
including
ON THE
SHOP
FLOOR,
MANAGEMENT AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES,
and SELECTING A WAGE PAYMENT SYSTEM
(with D
Gowler).
His GUIDE TO THE DESIGN OF
PAY STRUCTURE AND PAY SYSTEMS is shortly
to
be published
by
the Department
of Employment.
Most significant organisational changes originate with
higher management, and are "pushed through" in one
way or another. Resistance from the "lower levels" is
usually expected and plans are made to overcome it.
The phrase "selling the change" is commonly used to
describe a process in which management attempts either
to convince those affected that they are likely to gain
as a result, or promises them that they will be compen-
sated for any loss of job, pay, or status. The task of
"pushing through," "selling," making the promises and
handling the administration of the gains or compensa-
tions,
often falls to the personnel people, especially the
administration part.
"TOP-DOWN"
MANAGEMENT THE RULE
Whether the change be the introduction of a new pro-
duct line, a new machine, a new shop-layout, a new
payment system, a new sales organisation, a new manage-
ment structure, a merger, a takeover, a movement to a
new location or the introduction of consultants, it is
invariably managed from the "top-down." The argument
for doing it that way sounds reasonable. After all, it is
said, senior management is going to be held responsible
for what happens to the organisation—to the share-
holders, to the government or whoever else might own
the physical assets. It is up to them, in discharging that
responsibility, to see that at the very least the company
survives and at the most grows and develops. They must
therefore keep an eye on the competitors, the customers,
the suppliers, the unions, the state of technical know-
how, the government etc, and make what changes they
judge necessary to deal with the situation as they see it.
If they judge aright (and whether they do so or not
will depend not only on their own wisdom, but on how
good the information is on which they base their judge-
ments),
then to the extent that they are able to carry
through the changes, so will the organisation be adap-
tive and survive and grow, and its management be
regarded as successful.
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