DEMOCRACY AND MEN ON HORSEBACK
Corey, Stephen
Democracy And Men On Horseback DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION, by Ordway Tead. Association Press. $1.25. Reviewed by Stephen Corey IT is easy and popular to talk about democracy. It is difficult and...
...Few would receive a high score...
...The strong executive is expected to be a man on horseback...
...Tead apparently has...
...When his will is opposed, he is supposed to get tough and to order people around...
...One reason for the trouble administrators have being democratic is that our culture does not conceive of administration in democratic terms...
...Administrators, irrespective of the enterprises with which they are associated, seem to find it exceptionally hard to be democratic or, as Mr...
...MOST arguments in support of democracy in administration tend to be sentimental...
...The most that can be said for democracy is that intelligent men are convinced it is the best of many alternative methods for getting group work done...
...He is expected to be highhanded...
...The former means that every special group interest is safeguarded only as there is an explicit voicing of that interest in the deliberations of the organization by a representative chosen by and from that group...
...While it would not be fair to say that Mr...
...Tead contends that democracy in administration is implied when: (a) the constituency has been carefully defined, (b) sub-groups have been identified that seem logical and convenient within the constituency, (c) means have been provided for these sub-groups to be represented and to be articulate, (d) a continuing body has been created where representative deliberation can take place, (e) arrangements have been made for regular deliberations, (f) provision has been made for the kind of leadership in the deliberative process that will enable the group to reach clear and sound judgments as quickly as possible, (g) every effort has been put forth to supply the members of the deliberative body with fullest possible access to facts relevant to the issues under discussion, (h) agreements have been reached with as little affront to the good will of the minority group as possible, (i) of their success, (j) there has been continuous review and evaluation of the effectiveness of all of the above steps...
...The reviewer hopes his book wins many converts...
...Despite this pragmatic warrant the fact remains that when the going gets rough too many of us want a strong man, a czar, to get the job done...
...Much of the argument for democratic administration in such institutions is derived from two principles: one, the principle of representation of interest, and two, the principle of .coordination...
...He made his task somewhat simpler by directing what he had to say to the heads of organizations and associations existing "for religious, civic, social work, educational, and character building purposes—organizations whose major concern centers about the development of personality...
...We are furious at a dictator who is working toward objectives that do not appeal to us, but should he have in mind the same over-all goals that we seek, we are apt to think he is a great fellow...
...This is an interesting check list to use in studying the operations of any organization...
...To behave democratically in all walks of life calls for a great deal of spiritual sophistication...
...Tead's short book is not free from good sentiment, he goes much farther and describes the basic principles that are intrinsic to democratic administration...
...Most of us have not yet reached this advanced stage of development...
...THE justification of democratic procedures, in the long run, must be and is a pragmatic one...
...Tead's arguments, and who is convinced that any activity is more likely to succeed if all persons interested in it contribute to the development of policy and procedure, is liable to be considered, even by his administrative subordinates, as being vacillating and lacking in force-fulness and decisiveness...
...These principles are followed by an elaboration of some sensible and specific procedural suggestions which will help to bring such coordination about...
...It is difficult and frequently unpopular to behave democratically...
...He must have clear ideas regarding what he wants done and he must proceed to get these things done directly, and by Wednesday if possible...
...Tead paid some attention to the inevitable and widespread resistance to democracy when administrators practice it...
...While Mr...
...There is no easy way to bring about consensus in a group or to bring about the smooth operation of any enterprise that involves a large number of people...
...Tead puts it, to have "respect for the integrity of the person and for the primary value of developing persons as worthy and worthful ends in themselves...
...The principle of coordination changes the emphasis from special groups to the organization itself, and states that the latter functions smoothly only as there is a conscious, coordinated process of advance agreement throughout the organization upon the general policies and methods which will give its aims effect...
...LATER on in the book Mr...
...The occasional administrator who accepts Mr...
...Tead makes democratic administration appear easy, the reader would have a better insight into the obstacles had Mr...
...Democracy represents an advanced stage of civilization, so far as emotional maturity and enlightened attitudes toward inter-personal relations are concerned...
Vol. 9 • December 1945 • No. 50
