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.

However, the degree of freedom is unclear, both in today's society where “nothing is really forbidden, nothing is really possible” (Ehrenberg, 1998) and in liberated companies. Studies show that information overload creates “distractedness, confusion, and poor decision making” (Birkinshaw and al, 2015). In The Weariness of the Self, Alain Ehrenberg (1998) wrote: "the postmodern individual is doomed to “self-determination in indeterminacy”".

Furthermore, we can observe the reverse of the “overjustification effect” when an action which was previously guided by extrinsic motives (such as salary and quantifiable advantages) becomes at least equally guided by intrinsic motives. Therefore, the fact that young workers aren't particularly passionate about a job is a windfall for companies because they may be more likely to “desire what they are told is desirable” (Stenger, n.d.).

Liberated management practices are based on a set of norms and value. To be a “winner”, one needs to play by the rules of the game, which are equally formal and informal, both based on performance and subjective preferences. The “ideal” worker has excellent communication skills, is flexible (willing to work extra hours), creative and takes initiatives. A high emotional intelligence is required to really thrive in a liberated environment. As Getz and Carney (2012) put it:

Liberated cultures apply a number of norms- “non written rules”- that all must respect if they don't want to be subject to a “smooth excommunication”. (p.324)

Advocates of liberalism argue that in the Internet age, everyone is equal because the only variable is performance, and the sole decision maker is the market. According to Gary Vaynerchuk (2015), “the internet is the white man's card”. However, nepotism has by no means disappeared. Furthermore, we could argue that new discriminations based on personality and emotional intelligence have appeared, without erasing the “old ones” based on gender, age and race.

Therefore, one should not be fooled by the apparent fun and relaxed atmosphere of liberated companies as their primary goal is to be profitable. Despite their growing role in society, big corporations should not exceed their responsibilities and try to replace families or social lives. Liberated management might work best for employees who find a balance between lucidity towards their company and openness to change.