Abstract
Between the wars leadership style was mainly autocratic and was well suited to the demands of stable structured work patterns. The leader was seen as the expert who was capable of making effective decisions on most work matters since he dealt with a pattern of recurring work problems. At the same time, the educational level of most workers was low and their social values, shaped by the British class system with its emphasis on levels of authority, status and influence, were such that autocratic decisions were accepted without question, indeed expected. During the period 1945 to 1970, the growth of union power was the main force which caused leaders to adopt what could be called the consultative/negotiative style. The aim of consultation was to gain commitment to decisions made by management and resulted in the creation of the so‐called works councils. The aim of negotiation, on the other hand, was to reach compromise decisions and resulted in the employment of an army of industrial relations experts, and an explosion in industrial relations procedures and government legislation. Now, as we are moving towards tomorrow's world, we are entering a new phase.
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