THE FOUR GODS OF MANAGEMENT1

(Charles Handy)

Each of the four gods lends their name to a cult or philosophy of management and a
organizational culture.
Each of these cultures also has a formal, more technical name, as well as a design.
diagrammatic. The name, the drawing, and the Greek god each have their own nuance and the combination of these
Matrices shape the concept I am trying to introduce. They also help retain ideas in memory.

THE CULTURE THE SYMBOL O GOD

Club Zeus

Function Apollo

Task Athens

Existential Dionysus

These names, signs, and gods do not correspond to definitions, for cultures cannot be defined.
precisely, only recognized when you find them. If you know the organizations well, the descriptions
they will be recognizable as the reading progresses.
It is important to understand that each of the cultures or the ways in which things happen is good–
for something. No culture or mix of cultures is bad or wrong in itself, it just is not
appropriate to the circumstances. The fact that you do not like or approve of one of them makes it inconvenient for
you – and not wrong or bad or inefficient in itself. This principle is the core of the Theory of Property
Cultural and I will always return to it again and again.

SOURCE: HANDY, Charles. Gods of Management: transforming organizations. SP: Vertex, 1987.
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THE GROUP CULTURE (ZEUS)

The symbol is that of a spider web. The organization that employs this type of culture
It will probably have, like all other organizations, divisions of labor based on functions or products.
These are lines that radiate from the center outwards, like the lines of a traditional organizational map.
But in this culture, it's not the lines that matter. Here, the crucial lines are the circular ones, those that
they involve the spider in the center, as these are the lines of power and influence, diminishing in importance
the farther they are from the center. The relationship with the spider matters more in this culture than anything else.
formal title or position description.
Zeus is your patron. The Greeks chose, or created, their gods to represent certain forms.
of the world as they saw them. Zeus was the king of the gods, who ruled on Olympus by the lightning (when angry)
the rain of gold (when in love). It was feared, respected, and occasionally loved. It represented the
patriarchal tradition, irrational and often benevolent power, as well as impulsivity and charisma.
Historically, its culture is the most commonly found in small business organizations.
boat fanatics – who thinks he can sell the boats he builds, puts his son to help him in
manufacturing, your nephew to sell them, your cousin to take care of the accounting – it’s Zeus, and this is the way
through which Zeus slowly weaves his web. But this culture also prevails in brokerage firms, in
investment banks, in many political groups, in situations of restarting activities of all kinds
etc.
Group culture is excellent for decision speed. Any situation where speed is vital will be
benefited by this type of administration. Naturally, speed does not guarantee quality. It depends on the...
the capacity of Zeus and his inner circle - an incompetent, aged, or disinterested Zeus
it will quickly contaminate and slowly destroy its own web. Selections and successes are therefore,
correctly regarded as critical variables in these organizations, and a lot of time is spent on them
effort.
Culture reaches the speed of an unusual form of communication - empathy. One afternoon I watched
a young executive of a small brokerage firm operating on the Stock Exchange. He took a series of
rapid buying and selling decisions in proportions that seemed alarming to me, without calculators or
formulas and without resorting to any specialist.
"How do you make these decisions" - I asked - "and what authority and formal approval do you need?
in your company?
Oh! – he said – "I make my own decisions, but I always try to double guess what the
specialist would do.
"And what if you fail?" - I asked.
"The curtains close for me" – he replied.
Group culture can be cruel if your empathetic conjecture is wrong. But empathy does not
needs memorandums, committees, or formal authorities. In fact, group cultures have little
documentation. Zeus does not write, speaks, face to face, if possible; if not, then by phone. Many of the Zeus of
Success is illiterate and commonly does not involve calculations. Empathy depends on affinity and trust.
You cannot guess what another man is thinking unless you think like him. There is little
empathy between opposites. Your nephew, your cricket companion, your bar companion, are more capable
to read your mind intuitively and quickly, rather than a stranger on the street. Don't underestimate nepotism; it can
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being a good foundation for empathy. However, empathy without trust is dangerous, as it can be used against
You. Again, it is harder to trust a stranger than someone you or your friends know.
a long time ago. The selection for group cultures is generally preceded by an introduction and
frequently confirmed by a meal. You know your friends at the table.
These cultures, then, are groups of people with similar inclinations introduced by people from
similar inclination, acting based on empathetic initiatives, with more personal contact than formal.
They are bully clubs, because if empathy or trust is misapplied, the man is disconnected from the group.
Weak groups will not survive, because they will have to apply other methods of communication (and thus lose
speed) or risk making many mistakes.
Group cultures are inexpensive. Trust costs less than control procedures, and empathy.
it costs nothing. The money is channeled into what matters, people and the promotion of personal contact: the phone
and the travel tickets are expensive, for Zeus will not write if he can speak. They are efficient cultures in
situations where speed is more important than correct detail, or the cost of a delay is higher than
that the cost of a mistake (which can normally be rectified in a subsequent negotiation) is good.
cultures to work with - as long as one belongs to the group - because they value the individual, giving them freedom
and reward their efforts.
Group cultures make history, and the figures of Zeus are the most beloved administrators.
journalists. (Most organizations started as group culture, and many did not change when
they should, as the speed of decision and the personal brand of the leader generally become less important
when the organization reaches its first level of routine). These cultures rely on networks of friendship,
old companions and comrades and, therefore, they may seem, because they are nepotic closed clubs,
unpopular these days of meritocracy and equal opportunity. They have a taste of paternalism, and the cult of
individuals, in possession and personal power. They are the kinds of things that tarnished the Industrial Revolution. They are
outdated and scorned cultures as examples of amateurish management and ruins of privilege. No
they should be. Naturally, these management methods can be misused and frequently the
they are - a demon Zeus will do demonic things - but this organizational nobility is very efficient in
the right situation, as it is based on personal contact, is a good foundation for getting things done.

THE CULTURE OF THE FOUNDATION (APOLLO)

When we think of an 'organization', we usually visualize the culture-rule. It is a culture that

base your approach around the definition of the function or the work to be done, not around
personalities.
Apollo is your patron, for Apollo was the god of order and rules. This culture assumes that man is
rational and that everything can and should be analyzed logically. The task of an organization can then be
subdivided compartment by compartment, until an organizational flow chart is obtained, with a
system of determined functions (specified in something called 'job description') and maintained
for a whole set of rules and procedures (call it a manual, catalog, information system or
whatever you want).

Its symbol is a Greek temple, as Greek temples draw their strength and beauty from the pillars.
pillars represent the functions and divisions in a functional organization. The pillars come together
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administratively only at the top, on the frontispiece, where the heads of functions and divisions come together to
to form the council, the administrative committee, or the presidency. The pillars are also connected by threads of rules and
procedures. A typical career would involve connecting to one of the pillars and gradually rising to the top, with
occasional visits to other pillars ("to broaden the base"). It is a symbol of bureaucracy, if you will.
I wanted to, but 'bureaucracy' has become a corrupted word, and this culture has its merits.
The Apollo style is excellent when one can assume that tomorrow will be like yesterday. Yesterday can be
So examined, parts removed and then reassembled in the form of improved rules and procedures.
for tomorrow. Stability and predictability are conditions assumed and encouraged. And thank God for
They. Knowing that the sun will rise in the morning can be the most comforting reminder in those most
morning discouragers. Therefore, wherever the assumptions of stability are valid, it makes sense.
encode the operation so that it follows a set and a predictable pattern. In general, individuals are
necessary for the operation of the standard, although, with the advancement of technology, stability may become more and more
automated. Therefore, in the culture function, individuals are part of the machine, the human parts
interchangeable from Henry Ford's dream. The function, the set of duties, is fixed. The individual is he, or she,
it is coupled to the function. The individual's name is irrelevant; a number would be much better. That he has.
a personality is positively inconvenient, because it could then try to express its
personality in its function and thus change it. And this would disrupt the entire logic of the operation. In a culture
as a function, you do your job – nothing more, nothing less. Efficiency keeps the train on time, neither
neither advanced nor delayed. Efficiency is achieving the standard goals. Surpass them, and it will mean that the
the same must be reviewed.
“An interchangeable human part” sounds gloomy. “The occupant of a role” sounds like a
a kind of organizational intruder. For many, the culture of function is a denial of humanity, because of
from your insistence on the similarity. But for others, it is a blessed exemption.
How pleasant it can be to know exactly what to expect from someone, How relaxing it is to be, some
Sometimes, anonymous; how nice it is not to have to take initiatives, leaving all that creative energy for the
home or the community or sports.
The culture of Apollo is psychological and almost always contractually secure. Apollo was a kind god.
from Ancient Greece, protector of children and little sheep as well as of order. Once inside his temple
Greg, you will be able to count on your stay there for the rest of your life. First of all, the temple assumes that
it will be there even if there is a prediction of twenty years of what he, and even you, will do. The temple will take care of your
life at work will tell you what to do, where to go, what you can earn. You may even get a life insurance.
provide a house or a car, make the purchase of products at lower prices accessible, or provide assistance
legal. He can and will do some or all of these things, due to his assumptions about the predictability of
future.
Therefore, it is not by chance that life insurance companies constitute an almost pure example of the
cultural function. The notion of predictability is built within the general character of your work. The
monopolies, including the civil service, state industries, and local government, can reasonably assume the
predictability, as long as there is no competition to disrupt their vision of the future. Organizations
with a long history of success with a product or service or tradition can also be forgiven for
to think that things will continue as before. And if that's the case, then the more you rationalize, codify,
standardize, the more efficient it will be. If you have the same set of menus for breakfast, lunch and
dinner every day, the purchase of supplies for your home will be extremely simplified, costs will be
reduced, and the administrative energy needed will be minimal. It may be boring naturally, but where the
food is not a joy but merely the fuel necessary for life, you will find a pantry
airline.
The cultures of Apollo are efficient when life is predictable. They hate change – the reverse.
Usually respond to a changing environment by first ignoring it, then doing more of what they already do.
In these cultures, solutions tend to be stylized. When costs rise, prices increase. If the
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sales are falling, selling is becoming more difficult. If the burden of administration is increasing, it is done
They will be. The Greek temples built on firm ground. If the ground starts to shake, the pillars tremble and
they must be supported. If they are not, the pediment will fall. Translating the analogy, the function cultures respond
to the drastic changes in the environment (changes in consumer preferences, new technologies, new sources of
resources), establishing a large number of cross-functional linkage groups, in an attempt to maintain
the structure. If these measures do not work, the administration falls or the entire temple collapses, entering into
merger, bankruptcy or undergoing a reorganization of consultants.

ZEUS OR APOLLO?
Once I worked in an organization like a Greek Temple.
It was a safe, predictable, and promising career. But at 28, it was boring. An acquaintance, with
who I lamented, said:
Why don't you join us? We are looking for an economist to conduct our analysis of
projects.
"Who are we?" - I asked.
"An investment bank" - he replied - "specialized in developing countries"
"But I'm not an economist," I said, "I studied philosophy at university."
"Ah! But it was the right university, wasn't it?" he asked, as if that made everything perfect.
Come and have lunch with the council on Tuesday.
I went to have lunch. We talked a lot about many things – politics, sports, the world. No one spoke.
about employment, the economy or my previous experience. The following week, they offered me the position of
economist, a new position. Two months later I joined them.
They gave me a nice office, a pleasant desk, and the Financial Times – and then they left me.
alone. No one called, there were no memos, no letters, nothing. After a week, I went to look for my
friend.
It's very good to be here
"Good to have you" - he replied.
"But ...?" - I said.
What?
I would like to see the specification of my work, to have an idea of my responsibilities and role.
reference reports and the overall structure of the organization.
"What is all this chatter, buddy?" he asked, seeming surprised and worried. "Not
We use this type of vocabulary here. What concerns you?
What am I supposed to do?
"Why? The same as us" - he replied - "To search for opportunities to use our resources,
traveling and contacting people, finding hot news; you know the kind of thing that interests us, take charge-
be a little more of this.
I returned to my office alarmed, both with myself and with them. But then I thought I had found the
output, They wanted an economist, because they were secretly very concerned about this way
impetuous in doing things. It became clear that it was urgently necessary to create an assessment project
serious professional. Fortunately, it happened that I brought with me, from my previous job, a set of
procedures and tables for an evaluation project. These could be readily adapted, and so, I
could you propose the introduction of a bit more organization and procedures in the current madness.
It was ready in a week. The president thought I should present my ideas in a
board meeting. They all listened very attentively and politely.
In the end, the president thanked me for all the work I did and then said:
I suppose that a project would have to be quite marginal indeed, to justify all this analysis and
procedure.
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"Well," I started, "it is obviously vital for marginal propositions, but one can only know that it is
marginal, after this type of formal analysis has been done.
Hmm ... See, you are probably wrong
when they know they are not). But in this group, we always think that we succeed not by becoming
better decisions than those of our competitors in marginal propositions, but for more decisions
quick in obvious propositions.
I defended myself, but I knew he was right. They were correct, negotiating with companies. The
Speed was vital, the precision of a decision was only relative. They were Zeus. I was Apollo.
I would never be part of your group. In the end, I realized that I had a different kind of reasoning and I left.
before they fired me.

THE CULTURE OF TASK (ATHENS)

This culture takes a very different approach to management.

Administration is seen as being basically related to the continuous and successful
problem solving. First, the problem is defined; then, appropriate resources are allocated for it
solution. Performance is judged in terms of results obtained, problems solved.
Its symbol is the network, because it obtains resources from various parts of the organizational system to centralize
los num problema particular. O poder pousa nos interstícios da rede, não no topo, como na cultura de Apolo,
or in the center, like in organizations of Zeus. The organization is a network of command units.
closely linked, each unit being largely independent, but with a responsibility
specific within the overall strategy.
Her god is a young woman, Athena, the warrior goddess, patroness of Odysseus, the cunning one.
problem solver, two craftsmen and pioneers. This culture recognizes only skill as the basis
of power or influence. Age does not impress, nor does the length of service, nor the kinship with the
owner. To contribute to your group, all you need is talent and creativity, a new
approach and new intuition. It is a culture where youth flourishes and where creativity is above all.
Youth, energy, and creativity associated with Athens fit very well with the task culture.
È bom trabalhar nesta cultura, se você conhece o seu trabalho. Uma vez que o grupo tem um propósito
common (the solution to a problem). There is a sense of enthusiasm and mutual commitment, a
little of the work conflicts that entangle the first two cultures. Leadership in a group of
common purpose is rarely problematic: there is generally mutual respect, a minimum of delicacy
processual and a desire to help, more than to explore, when others are in difficulty. It is a
Resolute command. It is said in teams, where the culture of function has committees.

TASK CULTURES IN BLOOM

A friend, an executive of a venerable and traditional heavy engineering company from England,
I went on a professional visit to one of the aerospace companies in Southern California at the end of the
the 60s, when the space race was at its peak and the United States Department of Defense was the largest
client of the world, commissioning a long succession of solutions for high technology problems,
frequent in a cost increase basis.
Although he did not know it, the aerospace companies at that time were the synthesis of the culture of
successful task. Normally 30% of your PhD administrators. Their formal organizational structures
They were of the matrix type. They worked in project groups, which were constantly dismantled and reorganized.
We were, at that time, financially bubbling.
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He returned to England dazzled.
"It was extraordinary" – he said – "In those companies, not only does the sun shine every day, but
the administrators are young, intelligent, receive high salaries, have fun, and the organization profits. In
my company” – he continued sorrowfully – “we believed that these things were incompatible.
This is ideal. It works well, exceptionally so, when the organization's product is the solution.
of problems. Consulting companies, research and development departments, agencies of
propaganda - above all, advertising is a solution to an expressed need of the client - they are all
problem-solving factories. But put a task culture in a repetitive situation and there will be
problems. Variety, not predictability, is the yeast of this type of organization. Ask the followers of
Athens to make pencils, and they will invent the best (and most expensive?) pencil known, or they will break the
contract, or they will give up.
Task cultures are expensive. They are made up of specialists who command market salaries.
They exchange many ideas, and that costs money. Problems are not always solved at first glance. It is
it is necessary to experiment, and consequently there are inevitable mistakes. Mistakes cost money, even if
they are quickly corrected. Therefore, expensive crops tend to flourish in times of expansion,
when products, technologies or services are new, or when there is some kind of cartel arrangement, that
it provides a floor for prices. In times of expansion, you can escape high prices - there is a bigger pie
than enough to be shared. Similarly, new technologies or new products create, during
for some time, a kind of monopoly situation that lasts until the technology is established or emerges
competitors. During this monopoly situation, the costs or the task structure can be covered by the
higher selling prices. In summary, task cultures work well when someone ventures into
new situations. Fortunately, they are those situations in which success is rewarded with the money that the
pay.
However, difficult times come, whether it's the end of an adventure or the need to have solutions.
permanent or routine, and the task culture is seen as excessively expensive. These cultures are not
levels. Athens does not concern itself with domesticity or the routine tasks of a home. Thus the
task cultures typically have a short lifespan. If extremely successful, they become large and pay off.
therefore with the routine and maintenance work - which requires Apollo cultures. However, failure is a
problem that they find difficult to solve (it is difficult for a cooperative group to dismiss half of its
members) and in difficult times, Zeus usually appears to deal with the crisis. Or the members may go
aging and wanting more routine or more personal power.

ATHENS IN A STORM
Ten years ago, advertising was thriving in Europe. Agencies were actively competing, but in
quality and service, not in price, which was still set at a standard percentage of the cost (effectively a
cost increment system). The agencies were full of well-paid creative talents, usually
young people.
I was invited to examine the administration process of an agency. It was a model of culture.
of task. Every place was a network of temporary project groups (called 'current accounts'),
gathering individual resources from specialized functions. Most of the employees worked in
three or more checking accounts. Strict standards were applied to the final products (the advertisements), but the
control and the systematization of the means were minimal. How and when the groups worked was a problem.
them. The placement of personnel for the groups was virtually the only centralized administrative task. The
salaries were high, but based on specialty, according to the labor market (there was great mobility
among the agencies). There was very little formal hierarchy, but an informal class system based on
rename, which was not closely associated with age. Money was not a crucial factor: there was always some.
Success was measured by public approval, which meant new customers knocking at the door. The place
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it resembled a luxurious art school, where everyone seemed to be spending vast sums to
maintain your hobby. In fact, 'management' was neither a term used nor a desired concept.
Two years later, the global recession, inflation, and companies' reduced budgets hit
directly the advertising market, striking the agencies at their most vulnerable cost factor: the
salaries of their employees, their human resources. The agencies began to compete on price. The
companies demanded better and faster services to reduce expenses. Costs had to be
controlled, since the company could not operate for longer on a cost-increasing basis in a
expanding market.
Budgets, computerized prints of individual expenses, management committees,
redundancy, reduction of the workforce, salary freeze, reduction of mobility
beginnings of personnel unification - the symptoms were numerous. Upon revisiting the agency, the culture of task
had disappeared. The 'checking accounts' were managed. The methods were abundant. People talked about
"management" and indeed the people at the top had changed, to form a group of more minds
administrative matters, which talked about profit margins, cost efficiency, and systems. Mistakes would not be allowed,
were controlled and eliminated - as well as experiments that accompanied them. Compliance and
predictability began to season the advertisements. There were no more bad advertisements, but some
They think that no more brilliant advertisements were made.
Suddenly, it has become extremely similar to any other business. The art school had become
an advertising factory. The culture of task had transformed into a culture of function, with a few
figures of Zeus at the top.
Necessary? Maybe. Sad? Certainly. Task cultures do not survive the storms.

THE EXISTENTIAL CULTURE (DIONYSUS)

Dionysus, the god of wine and music, presides over this culture, because he and no one else represents the
existential ideology among the gods. Existentialism starts from the assumption that the world is not part of a
higher purpose, that we are not simply instruments of some god. Instead, despite the fact
that somehow our existence is an accident, if someone is responsible for us and for our world, that
we are ourselves. We are responsible for our own destinies. This is not a recipe for the
selfish complacency, as it applies the categorical imperative of Kant that what we want to determine or
what we wish for ourselves should also apply equally to the rest of humanity. Wines and orgies do not
they work, unless someone makes the wine and someone potentially includes us.
The organizational implications of existential thinking are significant. In the other three cultures, the
The individual was subordinate to the organization; the style of the relationship may vary, but the individual is there to help.
organization to achieve its goal and, one way or another, is paid by the organization to do so. In
existential culture, the organization exists to help the individual achieve their goal.
How can this be? Well, let's think about doctors: four of them, each from a different specialty, but that
they agree to share an office, a telephone, a secretary, to form a partnership. Or else
let's think of architects, lawyers, or a cooperative of artists. Yours is a culture of community
existing for its participants. Its symbol is a group of individual stars freely gathered in a
circle. But the symbol will remain unchanged, if one or two stars depart. The stars are not
mutually interdependent.
Existential culture is therefore excellent where the individual's talent or skill is the resource.
crucial to the organization.
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This is the preferred culture by professionals, as they can preserve their own identity or
freedom, not feeling like the property of anyone. And yet, one can participate in an organization, with the
colleagues and the added flexibility and even bargaining power that society brings.
The Dionysians do not recognize a 'leader' although they may accept coordination for their own.
long-term convenience. In their organizations, management is a domestic task, something like that
like the maintenance of a house. And, like a housekeeper, an administrator has little renown: a
administrator among prima-donnas is at the end of the status list.
As culturas de Dionísio são esplêndidos locais de trabalho. Eu mesmo trabalhei em uma delas – uma
universidade. Geralmente os profissionais têm segurança de trabalho, escalas de remuneração adequadas,
shared territories or spheres of influence, guarantees of independence. For them, this is wonderful. But
it is not for those who have to lead, or organize, or manage such people.
There are no sanctions that can be applied. Dismissal, money, threats, or punishments are out of the question.
leader's jurisdiction. Even decisions about promotions and personnel selection are generally made,
by groups of equals. Professionals do not receive orders willingly, nor do they fill out forms or
They make concessions regarding their projects. Each teacher likes to be a king without interruptions in their classroom.
in class, just as a doctor is a god in their office. You only enter when invited,
criticism of requests, directing by consent, for these are permission organizations, where the administrator
governs with the consent of the governed, and not with the authority delegated by the owners. They can be
Democratic, but it is very difficult and exhausting to deal with them.
One cannot expect to find many of these organizations and certainly not in the industrial landscape or
commercial, where organizations, by their characteristics, have objectives that outlive their employees.
In fact, the Dionysian culture is something that causes tremors in any organization or manager.
traditional - precisely because of the lack of delegated control. Where it can be managed only by
consent, each individual has the right to, in such a way that any coordinated effort becomes an issue
endless negotiation. Just where each individual can do their own work, and could, in fact, operate
Without organization, there are fewer problems. Former hypermarkets – where each merchant does their own.
own businesses, although under the same roof, a cooperative of independent producers – generally
they can be managed (they wouldn't use this term) and without much difficulty. There would be few objectives
conflicting few needs compromising individual desires for the common good.
However, organizations have placed the common good above individual needs and thus tend to
transformar os dionisíacos em atenienses, a cultura existencial em cultura de tarefa. Naturalmente, quando
judged from the perspective of their own interests, they are right to try to do this. Individuals,
however, they appreciate the notions of individuality and personal professionalism present in the Dionysian idea. There is a
growing group of "new professionals" – individuals who define themselves according to their field of
businesses, not just doctors and lawyers, but also now the 'systems analyst', 'the researcher', 'the
"public relations counselor", "the consultant". These individuals see themselves as independent professionals,
who lend their talents to an organization. They are mostly young, usually talented, and can
to run an open market regarding both salary and reputation. They behave like
Dionysian, and since they are talented, they can succeed, as organizations need them so much that if
they arrange to manage them with their consent. Therefore, increasingly, the groups of experts and
Any research or development activities are acquiring an existential flavor.
Wherever personal talent is valuable, the Dionysian flavor is likely required, and the
organizations do well to know and accept it. However, the cult of Dionysus is growing and is
related to individual talent. We would all like to have the benefits of existentialism without its
responsibilities and risks. Existentialism in the company is a new phenomenon. We will return to it in the
second part of this book.
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CULTURE IN FAMILY
Have families changed their cultures?
A long time ago, the head of the family acted like a Zeus at his table. He was lord, and everyone
they knew this. They did what he wanted, when he wanted.
So Apollo became fashionable. Each one had their duties and their status. Men were making money.
and the women were preparing the food while the children were making the beds.
Democracy brought Athens to the family. Not duties, but tasks, projects, and activities of
small groups have become essential. Why you two...? 'or' 'Can we...?'
And now Dionysus. A temporary connection of individuals. If individual interests start to
to diverge, the connection cannot be forced. Joint activities (e.g. holidays) cannot be assumed or
taxes, only negotiated.
Do organizations follow a similar type of cultural inevitability? If so, in what part?
do we meet on the path?
WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
You probably did not fully identify with any of the four gods. Many
people, including the Greeks, are very complex and honor more than one philosophy. In the same way, the
your organization will likely include aspects of the four cultures.
Does my classification apply to your experience? Only you, by yourself, can judge; but, in a
recente pesquisa sobre as corporações americanas, Michael Maccoby apresentou as suas quatro classes de
organizational characteristics:
The Forest Warrior - His goal is power. He lives and works as if he were in a forest,
where the winners destroy the losers. There are two subtypes: the lion and the fox, different in the way they
they walk in their forests.
The Company Man - Identifies himself as part of the powerful protective company. He is
related to the human side of the company, your interest revolves around the feelings of the people who
it surrounds, but also has the commitment to maintain the integrity of the organization.
The Player - The player is the new man. His main interest lies in a challenging
competitive activity. Likes new ideas, new techniques, and new approaches. It is like the player of
a team, playing for the corporation.
The Artisan - Is interested in the process involved in achieving something, in making a
handicraft work. Many scientists from organizations fit into this category. They wish to do more of their
own work than driving or managing the system.
The similarity with the four Greek gods is unmistakable.
There is also a historical meaning in the order in which I placed the gods. Many organizations
they start as group cultures, an almost rural nobility built around the personality of the founder,
owner or patriarch. They are the traditional tribes - the first form of organization, I suppose, informal,
intuitive and personal. This form of Zeus administration lasted for a very, very long time. Take as an example the
railways in England, built in the 19th century, incredible examples not only of engineering but
of coordinated manual effort, in which more than 200,000 men worked together with the spade and the pickaxe -
even your organizations worked based on the subplacement of groups of employees, which in turn,
they worked for a Zeus. The introduction of the factory is what changed things, with the idea that work
could be subdivided into its component parts, instead of multiplied, so that, instead of
100 working groups operating 100 different machines divided the parts of the machine. This change in
work technology demanded rules and methods - the culture of the function. This culture produced huge reductions
of costs, when linked to the new technology of steam and, later, electricity. However, it became a culture
very work-function oriented and slow to react to the unexpected.
On the other hand, the committee of experts was always nearby. But this only happened when the
the wave of accelerated changes began to be the widely used basis by management. It then started to
 11
called project team or task force. As happens so often, it was probably the
innovative pressures of the war that favored the implementation of task culture as a method of
organization.
And today, the increasing specialization in technology is starting to make all of us Dionysian.
The idea that the Armed Forces, for example, will soon be just groups of scientists is not a possibility.
so remote like that.
If we examine the history of most organizations, we will see that they have moved from a group culture
(Zeus) for the function culture (Apollo), to which they subsequently added the task cultures.
(Athens) and existential (Dionysus), as they needed to change and develop. But most of the
organizations, of any size, are a mix of the four.
However, organizations need to do more than just equip themselves with a mix of
cultures and their auxiliary gods. First, cultures need to be internally consistent, because the
assumptions of order and rationality will not yield results in the Athenian part (task culture) of the organization
and vice versa. Secondly, naturally, it is necessary to place the right culture in the right job: a group culture
(Zeus) in a checking account department would almost always be inefficient. These are the two main causes.
common confusions of administration, and we will continue to examine them. Meanwhile, the game of the Banquet can
to liven up an occasional boring night.

THE BANQUET GAME

Try this rudimentary form of cultural diagnosis at the next party or banquet you attend.
participate. Ask the person next to you what they do for a living.
If he answers "I work for X," giving the name of an individual you have already heard of,
he reveals belonging to a Zeus culture.
If he says 'I work with the company or organization Y', continuing, perhaps to define his
work, he will be part of a Apollonian function culture.
If he first gives the name of his position and then that of his organization, like, for example, 'Work
with marketing, at the company W", so he probably sees himself and his work in the organization as a
task culture.
If he simply says, 'I am a lawyer' or 'I paint,' he is a Dionysian.
The mixture of differences
Why would these such different gods be necessary in the same organization? Well, on one hand, the
life is just a set of tasks to be executed. Organizations are just larger sets of
work to be done. These jobs seem to fall into three types: 1) steady state; 2) development; 3)
Asterisk. Let me explain.
STEADY STATE describes those jobs that are programmable because they are predictable. They can
to be maintained by systems and routines, by rules and methods. In a typical organization, they could really be
considered as 80% of the amount of work to be done.
Development work refers to those that attempt to deal with new situations or problems.
In many cases, the result can be a new system or routine that ensures that the next time that the
If the event occurs, it will not be a problem, but simply an incident in the steady state. These are the works.
that, when done well, ensure the adaptation of the organization. In many of them, the groups responsible for
such jobs include the word "development" in their designation (as in "development of ".
products" or "system development".
However, not all problems can be situated in this area. Some constitute what I
would better describe situations ASTERISK. Such situations are exceptions, they are occasions when the book of
rules failed, these are emergencies where instinct and speed are probably better than analysis
logic or creative problem solving. Such situations must be resolved through personal intervention.
 12
Each of these types of work has an associated symbol and a god. The wrong god associated with a
Wrong work causes a confused administration and, as a consequence, a lack of efficiency.

The steady state is a square.

and Apollo, of the culture of function, your god

Development activities require a creative cell and Athens is your goddess, with her
ability to solve problems.

The ASTERISKS situations are represented, of course, by a *, and here Zeus or Dionysus
they divide the honors (a connection that has caused some confusion).
The 'administration' occurs when these activities are appropriately associated and with
some common purpose or direction. Symbolically.

*
The ASTERICOS situations are naturally represented by a *, and here Zeus or Dionysus
they share the honors (a connection that has caused some confusion).
The 'administration' occurs when these activities are appropriately associated and with
some common purpose or direction. Symbolically.
DRAWING
Therefore, the 'administrator' must embrace within themselves the four cultures. They must be able to match
to each god in the appropriate circumstances. If you want an explanation for the attraction exerted by the
administration, here is the answer – the simultaneous appeal of the four gods. And if the administrators always seem
Tired, they could very well have, after this quadruple cultural shock, a cultural schizophrenia.
Naturally, most people couldn't do it. Many of them retreat when tired or
"stressed," to their favorite culture. Thus, the organizations, which are made up of managers and
administrators tend, above all, to the cultural limit. When individuals or organizations reach the
cultural limits, they start to establish jobs in a way that serves their cultural inclinations. The
followers of Zeus will see development problems as asterisks situations, requiring their
personal intervention. Apollo's followers will want to do everything according to the rules, even if it is
Obviously, the most complicated path to follow. The followers of Athens love creativity. They are ready.
a inventar soluções para os problemas supérfluos (o fenômeno “Concorde”) ou encontrar respostas que,
Although impeccable, they are extremely expensive to execute. Being suitable is not a challenge for the Antenese.
only for Apollonian. Confused administration.

ZEUS IN THE CARPET WAREHOUSE

My wife worked as a designer and interior decorator. She often used to complain that
administration problems did not require complex and elaborate theories of administration to be
selected.
"Common sense" - she said - "and the ability to read and write. Consider the problems I have with
carpets. Last week, I ordered a red carpet that was supposed to be delivered on Tuesday to Kingston.
 13
Instead, they sent a blue carpet on Thursday to Richmond. For me, there were no major
"Problems" - she added. - "I called Fred from the carpet store and blanked out on him. Everything
he assured me. - "Bill will go to the place, take the blue carpet, bring it back, and take the red carpet.
for your client this afternoon.
And so he did.
They always get it right the second time. But their expenses must be enormous. Efficiency means
"just do it right the first time".
 14
Naturally, she was right. But doing it right the first time would mean a verification system and
control, combining delivery note orders with transport schemes and dates. Everything very straightforward, but
involving papers, folders, and files. A tedious paperwork, at least for Fred, who was always running around
warehouse for thirty years and liked to keep everything in his own head. This way he can spend the day giving
orders, solving problems, appeasing angry customers, providing drivers, all with your
personal intervention. Your notion of happiness is to have three phones ringing, a face at the window and another at the door,
everyone needing him at once. So he feels indispensable, powerful, valuable.
He is a Zeus sabotaging the steady state. An asterisk in a square. A bad combination of
culture means expense and, in this case, a Bill running unnecessarily in his van.
This is how organizations usually end up with the wrong cultures in the wrong places, with
jobs defined more by favorite gods than by gods suitable for the work. Even as individuals,
In our daily lives, we are guilty of this theistic favoritism. Like a sworn Dionysian with
traces of Athens, I can't perform the routine maintenance tasks of a house that I designate
as 'suburban trivialities.' Inevitably, our house is prone to a never-ending series of emergencies, which
they require creative solutions and personal inspiration. The stable state is minimal, and cells and asterisks abound.
More examples of confused administration:
Development cells may be required to address state coordination issues.
stable, with all its systems. If they cannot, asterisk situations arise, and it becomes
necessary for action in the style of Zeus. However, if there are many cases like this, the steady state becomes undermined by
cells and asterisks, greatly reducing their strength. Reverting to easier symbols, the pillars of the temple
are affected by a kind of bland cultural decay. An excess of projects is a sign of danger in a
organization of the type of Greek temple.
In an attempt to minimize costs, Apollo organizations may try to standardize and
systematize everything, even the development workers. A follower of Apollo will tend to use the
past to predict the future. Apollonian planning, for example, would be a euphemism for 'projections'. The
the initiative will then be suffocated by the 'competent channels', and the energies of the followers of Athena or Zeus
diverted to the system.
In the 1960s, planning departments were in vogue in large organizations.
In many cases, these have correctly become creative cells with an Athenian task culture. Composed
by young, talented, and enthusiastic individuals, arguments, predictions, and alternative perspectives spring from them.
Unfortunately, all of this has a very small impact on the main stream of the organization (the state
manufacturing and marketing or management and services stable). The cells were similar to wasp nests
hanging from the gutters of the Greek temple. Almost always the departments were situated, territorially, in the
the end of the central office building and, structurally, linked to the administration through its director
newer. They found it easier to communicate with other creative cells, even those from
competitor organizations (in conferences, courses, or conventions), than with their colleagues from the state
stable. But this "organizational irrelevance" facilitated the amputation of the cells, necessary due to the
economic depression of recent years.
 15
In a competitive talent hunt, large organizations tend to replenish their talent pool.
skilled labor with an influx of young graduates or professionals. Correctly or incorrectly,
people are often educated according to a problem-solving model, the task culture
Athenian. If this individual's interest and performance are maintained, they need to work on tasks
of development in problem-solving cells. But for many organizations, key positions
In administration, they are in a stable state. The transfer is not easy. Athenian notions of teams of
projects - participatory management and each man is a specialist - can really enter into
path of routines and administration. The alternative - to place young Athenians as apprentices at the base
two pillars of the stable state ('keep your hands busy', 'learn the knots of the hard path', a few
months starting have never done harm to anyone") - can constitute an immense cultural shock for the
new recruit, creating a disillusionment with life in organizations, which may never be lost.
Asterisk situations are interesting. They usually occur where you least expect them. Not in
All organizations, but I name. At the top, decisions have long-term implications - they are problems of
development, which are more suitable and productively resolved by Athenian cells. The situations
asterisks are generally made up of dilemmas in human relationships - which, of all situations, are the
less subject to forecasting or scheduling. Personal conflicts, imminent disputes, intergroup rivalries,
personal crises, crucial decisions about the relationship or promotion – these are the sparks that ignite
asterisk work. Naturally, they can occur both in the board or council as well as in the factory or
offices, but numerically and proportionally they will have less significance. It is the supervision at the intermediate level
of management that Zeus should reign, or where the seller or driver has to act on their own and use
your initiative, when the rule book has no usefulness. Unfortunately, it is in the intermediate sectors
It is at the end of organizations that the figures of Zeus are less tolerated. They are more numerous at the top,
although times are changing in some organizations, where the idea of a presidency, a
triumvirate or quadrumvirate of superior talent acting as a team or (cell) is becoming more
frequent, as an adaptive recognition that the primary task of the management is that of
development, and not of personal intervention. (Naturally, the ritual and duties remain.
representation of a tribal chief. Here the figure of a Zeus is suitable to represent the organization in
formal or representative occasions, a type of constitutional monarch.
The differences, then, are necessary and good for organizational health. Monotheism, the pursuit of
a single god must be lost to most organizations. But the choice and combination of gods
They cannot be done carelessly. God wrong in the wrong place means punishment and lack of efficiency.