Robert r blake biography

Robert Blake biography and books

Vincent van Vliet

July 8, 2023

Robert Blake (1918 – 2004) was an American management theoretician. Together with Jane S. Mouton, Blake developed the Managerial Grid model in 1954, which was based on field research. This Managerial Grid model is still used in organizations across the globe in issues related to (strategic) leadership. This article covers Blake’s biography and publications.

Bio of Robert Blake

In 1940, Robert Rogers Blake obtained his Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in psychology and philosophy from Berea College in the United States. In 1941 Robert Blake obtained his Master’s degree (M.A.) in psychology from the University of Virginia in the United States.

Shortly after, he married and he served in the American army during the Second World War until 1945.

After the war, Blake continued his academic career and he received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas in 1947.

From 1947 to 1964 Robert Blake was as a teaching professor in the area of management and psychology at the University of Texas. In addition, Blake lectured at Harvard University (United States), the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom).

Robert Blake also supported a special study at the Tavistock Clinic in London. He participated in a number of ground breaking psychoanalytic studies in the area of group therapy. Then he got involved in a training institute called the National Training Laboratories (NTL), which was focused on group behaviour.

He intended it to be a once-only participation, but in the end he continued working there in several roles (for instance as a board member) for 10 years. He considered these years to be richest learning experiences of his entire career and a complement to his role at Tavistock Clinic.

During his NTL years he worked closely with Herbert Shepard, who was employed by Exxon at the time. Together they conducted a ten-year study of Exxon to develop

Robert R. Blake and Jane S. Mouton

Abstract

Although Robert R. Blake and Jane S. Mouton taught and applied social psychology comprehensively and across boundaries, they were best known for creating and teaching the Managerial Grid. Based on the two fundamental functions of leadership – task structure and human relations – they took the position that there was one best way to lead and mange. This normative stance emanated from the combination of a manger’s concern for production (task) and concern for people (relationship). Blake and Mouton’s 5-day Grid Seminar in the 1960s became popular worldwide. Competition soon emerged in the form of contingency theories and situational leadership models best represented by Hersey and Blanchard’s model. They among others argued that the Grid did not take into account the situation which varied according to subordinates’ levels of job knowledge and experience. Thus a manger’s approach should range from telling, selling, participating, or delegating depending on the situation as defined by subordinates’ levels of maturity regarding their job knowledge.

Using a 9-point scale, Blake and Mouton argued further that the degree of the two concerns for production and people established a “style” of management and that a 9,9 combination of the two concerns (maximum degree of 9) determined the style that was a participative approach to leadership and management – the best way to manage and lead. A 9,1 combination, an authority-obedience style; a 1,9 was “country club” management; a 1,1 was an “impoverished” style (all poor choices); and in the middle of the Grid 5,5 was a second-best, compromising style.

Blake and Mouton got their ideas from social psychology, field research especially at Humble Oil in the Houston area and from their consulting work. As a result of their professional activities over the years they coauthored 30 books. Even though Blake and Mouton were grounded in considerable research, sound theory, and years of p

Robert Rogers Blake was an American

Books by Robert R. Blake

The New Managerial Grid
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3.71 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions

Leadership Dilemmas-Grid Solutions (Blake/Mouton Grid Management and Organization Development Series)
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3.77 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 1991 — 4 editions

The Managerial Grid
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3.88 avg rating — 8 ratings — 9 editions

The managerial grid III: A new look at the classic that has boosted productivity and profits for thousands of corporations worldwide
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3.12 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 1985

Productivity: The Human Side
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3.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1981 — 2 editions

The Grid for Sales Excellence: Benchmarks for Effective Salesmanship
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1970 — 5 editions

Change by Design (Organizational Development Series)
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3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1989 — 3 editions

Cómo trabajar en equipo: Una teoría para impulsar la productividad de su grupo empresarial
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liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1987 — 3 editions

The Christian Atheist: Integrating Science, Psychology, Medicine and Spirituality in the 21st Century
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2002 — 4 editions

Solving Costly Organizational Conflict: Achieving Intergroup Trust, Cooperation, and Teamwork (Jossey Bass Business & Management Series)
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1984

MANAGERIAL GRID : LEADERSHIP STYLES FOR ACHIEVING PRODUCTION THROUGH PEOPLE
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1966

The versatile manager: A grid profile
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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1980

The Managerial Grid: Key Orientations For Achieving Production T

Robert Blake (psycholog)

Robert R. Blake (ur. 21 stycznia1918 w Brookline, zm. 20 czerwca2004 w Austin) – amerykański teoretyk zarządzania.

Życiorys

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Z wykształcenia był psychologiem – w 1941 otrzymał tytuł magistra psychologii na Uniwersytecie Wirginii. W 1947 obronił doktorat z psychologii na Uniwersytecie Teksasu, gdzie pracował do 1964. Wykładał także m.in. na Uniwersytecie Harvarda, Uniwersytecie Oksfordzkim i Uniwersytecie Cambridge.

Razem z Jane Mouton przedstawił w 1964 roku koncepcję siatki stylów kierowania, która opisywała je w zależności od stopnia nastawienia menedżerów na ludzi i zadania.

Przypisy

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↑Stuart Crainer, Des Dearlove (eds): Financial Times Handbook of Management. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2004, s. 232. ISBN 0-273-67584-2.

Robert Rogers Blake (January 21, 1918

Robert Blake (1918 – 2004)