Autocratic Model

This model is based on: Power

The autocratic model, prominent during the 1800s and 1900s,

gave owners and managers the authority to command and form

decisions while they expected employees or workers to obey

without question.

The following are some key concepts that were followed

in an autocratic model.
  Owners and managers ran the company and had all the

control. They made decisions and gave orders.

 Managers followed a formalized dictatorship system and

had the authority to command using phrases like “You

must do this, or else…”

 Employees/Workers were expected to follow orders and

were not allowed to share their ideas.

 Employees had to depend a lot on their bosses.

 Managers had the power to hire, fire, and oversee every

aspect of their work.

 Many employees had to settle for lower wages, and their

performance was minimal as they had to satisfy the needs

of their families and themselves.

Drawbacks
The drawbacks of this model include lack of security, minimum

wages, dependency on the top managers, and unproductive

employee performance.

2. Custodial Model
This model is based on: Paternalism and Economic Security

In an autocratic model, employees felt insecure and frustrated

towards their bosses. As a result, managers began to consider

the security of the employees both socially and economically.

Consequently, in the 1930s, companies introduced welfare

programs, which led to the development of the custodial model

of organizational behavior. The custodial model aims to provide

employees economic security through competitive pay and

additional benefits.to build employee loyalty and motivation.

The following are some key concepts followed in the

custodial model.

 Companies offer economic and non-economic benefits to

employees, like high pay scale, corporate cars, and other

incentives.

 Employers also enjoy the benefits of retirement incentives

and reduced overtime.

 Employees show their dependency and loyalty toward the

company, not to the boss, managers, or supervisors.

 Employees may experience greater psychological well-

being.

Drawbacks
Although this strategy provides job satisfaction, it can make

employees less motivated to do their best. Some low-

performing employees will also stay in the company to enjoy

the benefits without adding much to the company’s success. In

addition, only well-off organizations can afford to offer these

benefits to their employees, which can be costly.

3. Supportive Model

This model is based on: Leadership

The supportive model relies on leadership qualities rather than

dictatorship (autocratic) or economic benefits (custodial). This

model approach states that employees are self-motivated and

require management support to achieve their best

performance. From the Hawthorne experiment, Elton Mayo and

F.J Roethlisberger concluded that an organization is a social

system, and a worker is a critical system component. They

discovered that workers’ behavior, personalities, and needs

contribute to company success.

The following are some key concepts followed in the

supportive model.

 Organizations provide the environment for employees to

develop professionally.

 Employees are motivated by managers to reach their job

satisfaction.

 Employees’ ideas are recognized, valued, and taken into

consideration.

 Organizations work towards building better relationships

between employees and managers.

Drawbacks
Companies may have to spend more on resources and training

employees to make them skilled in this organizational behavior

model. Also, implementing this model in developing countries is

less successful because the social and economic needs of the

workers are different. Meaning some may need economic

benefits, and some need status and recognition.

4. The Collegial Model

This model is based on: Partnership

The collegial model extends upon the principles of the

supportive model. This model states that there are no bosses or

subordinates; all employees work as colleagues on a team.

Here, managers and every employee have to participate and

coordinate with each other to achieve the target rate. The

manager’s role is to guide the team and generate a positive

and motivating work environment.

The following are some key concepts followed in the

collegial model.

 Managers contribute equally to the team, and the focus is

on team performance.

 Employees feel as an important member of the team.

 Employees take responsibility for their tasks.

 Employees are also involved in important decisions

meetings, and their opinions are valued.

 Employees become disciplined when they receive

acceptance and recognition for their contributions.

Drawbacks
There may be role conflicts among team members in the

collegial model. The success of this model depends on the

management’s ability to cultivate the feeling of partnership

between the employees. Employees who are not treated

equally by managers won’t contribute their full efforts.

5. The System Model

This model is based on: Partnership

The most emerging model of today’s corporate era is the

system model. This organizational behavior model emerged to

develop a positive work culture and community feeling among

the co-workers. Nowadays, employees need more than salary

and job security; they need work that is ethical, respectful, and

integrated with trust. In this model, managers are more

compassionate and caring towards their team. This ultimately

results in the long-term commitment and loyalty of the

employees and the company’s success.

The following are some key concepts followed in the

support model.

 Organizations give employees all the support they need to

increase their efficiency and output.

 Managers’ role is to create positivity, hope,

trustworthiness, courage, and self-determination.

 Managers also make the employees feel part of the project

and organization.

 Employees feel more inspired and meaningful and become

self-disciplined and self-motivated.

 Also, employees become more responsible for their actions

and goals.

Drawbacks
Small organizations with limited resources may find it

challenging to implement this model effectively. This model

also becomes static after some time and may not change

according to the evolving organizational structure.

Theories Behind Organizational

Behavior Model
There are three main theoretical approaches on which the

organizational behavior model operates.

 Cognitive: The cognitive theory by Edward is based on

the idea of expectation and incentive. For example, a sales

employee will work hard to reach his target sale and

expect a bonus or incentive.

 Behaviorist: The behaviorist theory framework by Pavlov

and Watson relies on the power of observation. Like,

employees see their co-workers getting praised for

reporting to the office on time, so they will also try to be

punctual.

 Social learning: Social learning theory depends on

employees learning by seeing what works and what

doesn’t in the workplace. For instance, when a department

improves customer service using a new software tool,

 other departments adopt similar strategies. This sharing of

knowledge among employees benefits the entire

organization.

Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the five organizational behavior models have

evolved due to a growing understanding of human behavior. No

single model can be declared perfect, as they have all served

as stepping stones towards more productive and useful

approaches. Companies adapt and change these models to

meet the needs of their employees and society. As these

models continue to evolve, we can anticipate the emergence of

even more innovative organizational behavior models. This

evolution promises greater effectiveness and success in the

future.