Liberated management: finding balance between paradoxes, from complete autonomy to excessive emotional commitment
In The Managers of the Soul, Valérie Brunel (2008) wrote: “the strength of capitalism is to always adapt to individual aspirations and to integrate them in its own logic”. To a certain extent, liberated companies have created a bridge between the system (capitalism) and individual aspirations (personal development) by fulfilling the three fundamental needs of the self-determinacy theory : autonomy, competence and relatedness. Hence, the need for autonomy is reinforced with a downplayed hierarchy and a sense of freedom (casual clothing, flexible hours, risk-taking initiatives encouraged). The need for competence is fulfilled since promotions are mostly based on performance. Moreover, employees are given feedback on a regular basis, which is gratifying. Lastly, the need for relatedness is reinforced through a strong corporate culture that creates a sense of belonging and community. A lot of liberated companies also encourage their employees to buy shares of the company. Howe...
