Is your workplace authoritarian or collaborative? Is Your Workplace Healthy?

Published on

February 23, 2021

Kevin William Grant

Authoritarian organizations develop cultures that tend to blame problems on individuals, and task accomplishment becomes a secondary priority.

Exercising power and control within the organization means productivity and profits generally suffer. Because there are currently so few collaborative organizations, abused workers must generally try to cope within authoritarian workplace systems.

Authoritarian Organizations

Authoritarian organizations have the following characteristics:

This type of organization is the most widespread.
It has an enforced power structure that is rigid and hierarchical.
An autocratic approach to leadership creates the following situations:
- Leaders make all decisions on processes, tasks, and goals based on their ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice or feedback from subordinates.
- The leadership style is to get the job done at any cost.
- Individuals and teams are not empowered.
Morale suffers, and employee happiness declines in the long term.

Collaborative Organization

Collaborative organization are characterized by the following:

This type of organization is less common.
It has a flat organizational structure.
Individuals in positions of authority have empathy and align their needs with those of their workers; leaders listen to their employees.
Leaders promote high levels of cross-team collaboration.
Everyone works together to make decisions; task accomplishment is the prime objective.
Communication is honest and open.
Its flexibility means it can adapt and evolve as things change.

Collaborative organizations allow employees to feel more connected to their jobs and coworkers, reduces workplace stress, makes their jobs easier, allows for more work freedom, and in general makes them happier people. Collaboration not only positively impacts the lives of employees at work but also at home.

Collaborative Workplaces Don't Tolerate or Support Workplace Abuse

Workplace abuse, bullying, harassment, and discrimination are less likely in collaborative organizations, since peer pressure suppresses these negative forces. Experiencing a collaborative workplace leaves a lasting positive impact and makes it difficult to return to an authoritarian system.