When "Sister Wives" debuted on TLC, I was hooked. I have always been intrigued with how others live their lives, the decisions they make, and why.
I wrote this for a Management Concepts class about how organizational principles apply to daily lives...
Organizational Management: The Polygamist Principles
Just like supervisors and bosses, we all manage something. Our daily lives are managed by our actions, our thought processes and even our moods. We wake up, jump in the shower and perform a list of tasks to accomplish our daily goals. Even if it is just getting yourself out of bed and into the shower, you’ve managed to do that. I often wonder how I manage to take care of myself and my dog sometimes. With work, school, family and friends, and trying to have a social life, it can all become overwhelming.
I am very intrigued by large families (such as the Dugger family), and large structured groups like polygamist sects. When I can barely manage myself, how do they function and take care of all of those people? Religion and beliefs aside, I often think that they need to have broods of children and wives in order to actually accomplish the things they otherwise would not be able to alone. Is it their management skills or the skills of those they manage? This higher level of management requires organization. This total organization focuses in on Henry Fayol’s administrative principles (Daft, 2008). This sort of “divide, and conquer” way of living really touches on Fayol’s process approach. Henry Fayol defined and followed these 14 principles of administration (as cited in “Organizational,” n.d.). 1. Division of work
2. Authority
3. Discipline
4. Unity of command
5. Unity of direction
6. Subordination of Individual Interests to the Common Interest
7. Remuneration of personnel
8. Centralization
9. Scalar chain
10. Order
11. Equity
12. Stability of personnel tenure
13. Initiative
14. Esprit de corps (Union is strength)
Organizational development can be defined as a planned approach to improving the effectiveness and organizational development of a group. It is a long-term process and effort to improve an organization’s problem-solving efficiency skills. In other words, organizational development is a change effort that is planned. It focuses on the entire organization or culture, and is aimed at enhancing organizational effectiveness (as cited in “Organizational,” n.d.).
This theory of development just reinforces my curiosity on polygamous groups. Do sect leaders of polygamous groups thrive on power and control or do they have the principles of organizational development mastered? Or is it both? Can you learn these principles of organization or are you born with them? Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints
In North America, the FLDS, an estimated 38,000 Mormon fundamentalists continue to practice plural marriage. Founded in Colorado City, Hildale, the Utah-Arizona border, the FLDS is the largest organized group with about 10,000 members. These members span across the western U.S. and Canada. This controversial group split from the Mormon Church after it outlawed plural marriage in 1935. In order to gain acceptance from mainstream America, Mormon Church leaders were determined to shed their polygamous past and gave the settlement residents an ultimatum. Refusing to renounce plural marriage, almost everyone was excommunicated and cast out (Anderson, 2010, p. 45). Before April of 2008, when law enforcement conducted a raid on a small remote compound in West Texas, did very few people know about the FLDS. The lives hundreds of children and women—all with perfected done hair and old-fashioned prairie dresses—were thrust into the spot light. The curiosity grew and many questions arose about the lives and inter-workings of its members (Anderson, 2010, p. 46).
In The Polygamists: An Exclusive Look Inside the FLDS, Scott Anderson (2010) discusses this arrangement of the celestial family. He looks at the woman’s expected primary role and how it contributes and promotes awareness of the organization (p. 51). With the approval of church leadership and Warren Jeffs, Anderson (2010) and National Geographic were given access to the daily lives of the community and its members (p. 48). The principle of plural marriage was revealed in the Mormon Church as early as the 1840’s. In the article, Anderson (2010) states that the covenant was publicly revealed and with it, the notion that a man’s righteousness before God would be measured by the size of his family (p. 50).
“My family came to Short Creek for the same reason as everyone else,” said Joe Jessop, a highly respected member and elder who is the most recognized and controversial patriarch of the FLDS since 2008. He continues, “to obey the law of plural marriage, to build up the Kingdom of God. Despite everything that’s been thrown our way. I’d say we’ve done a pretty good job.” (p. 48). Jessop has five wives, 46 children, and at last count, 239 grandchildren (p. 36).
Applicable principles of organizational administration
Division of work. Sharmaa (2010) states Henry Fayol believes the division of work means specialization and that each person cannot be capable of doing all types of work.
While the communal spirit of the group spills into the home, each wife is expected to manage their own children and each wife may have their own living quarters of a specific wing of the home. The primary role of the women of the FLDS is to bear and raise as many children as possible. The expectation is to ensure the families of the community stay together for eternity and build up the “celestial family”. In the polygamous sects, it is not uncommon for FLDS women to give birth to as many as 16 children. One wife my act as the school teacher, a second might manage the kitchen and the preparation of meals, while a third wife might handle the sewing. The FLDS believe that this division of tasks and labor put a stop to jealously (Anderson, 2010, p. 50).
Responsibility and Authority. These two traits go together and are cohesive. In this regard, a manager does not move away from the responsibility and makes the best possible use of his/her authority (Sharmaa, 2010).
Many critics and outsiders believe that Jeffs micromanaged the community’s every decision. The living and housing arrangements, who married whom, and even the chores were decided by him. Jeffs claimed that no matter how small, God guided his every action (Anderson, 2010, p. 56).
Anderson (2010) writes about how the ultimate authority goes to the prophet, but the women of the FLDS are coveted. Unlike the men who are in constant competition to be seen as worthy of marriage by the prophet, the women are highly regarded to “multiply and replenish the earth” (p. 57).
Discipline. A well disciplined working force or group of employees are essential for an efficient working environment and ensure the quantity and quality of production (Sharmaa, 2010).
Expulsion and the reassignment of the wives and families are the most noticeable forms of discipline within the FLDS. While girls are rarely kicked out, boys are often removed for being “disruptive influences”. Many believe the removal of the boys has nothing to do with disobedience. Dan Fischer, a champion for the Lost Boys, believes that this is a calculated move by the church to limit the male competition for the pool of marriageable young women. “If you have men marrying 20, 30, up to 80 or more women, Fischer states, “then it comes down to biology and simple math that there will be a lot of men who aren’t going to get wives” (Anderson, 2010, p. 56). Donald Richter, an FLDS web site contributor, believes that the reasons for expulsion and the numbers are greatly exaggerated. “This is only done in the most extreme cases,” Richter says, “and anyway, all religious groups have the right to expel people who won’t accept their rules” (Ibid). Unity of direction and command. Henry Fayol believes that the group works towards one particular plan and direction brought forth by one particular person. This creates uniformity, loyalty, and dedication. Working towards this common goal creates harmony within the group and Fayol advocates “one head and one plan” (Sharmaa, 2010).
“We believe in the fundamentalist community and believe covenants are made with God and are not to be manipulated for political reasons, so that presents an enormous obstacle between us and those in the LDS mainstream”, says Willie Jessop, the FLDS spokesman (Anderson, 2010, p. 51). Like the Jessops, members of the FLDS view the life of the founding families as idyllic. Neighborly cooperation and old-fashioned devotion are emphasized. Critics believe that these sects are isolated cults, and the members and children are brainwashed by social control. They are forced to succumb to the controls of one man, the prophet Warren Jeffs. Members of the FLDS believe they and their children are raised in an environment free of social pressures, junk food, and television. They view this as “wholesome” (Anderson, 2010, p. 48).
Subordination of individual interests to general interests. Sharmaa (2010) states the general interests come after the specific interest and common goal of the group. The employees or individuals surrender their own personal goals and interests to work solely towards the vision or goal of the manager/leader.
The acquisition of plural wives isn’t always readily accepted by all of the women. Anderson (2010) interviews Dorothy Emma Jessop, a lively woman who operates a naturopathic dispensary in Hildale. “To be honest,” she says, “I think a lot of women have a hard time with it, because it is not an easy thing to share the man you love.” Dorothy goes on, “but I came to realize this is another test that God places before you—the sin of jealousy, of pride—and that to be a godly woman, I needed to overcome it” (p. 50).
Centralization and decentralization. Sharmaa (2010) claims that the direction and control of the all of the individual parts should have one central point. Fayol believes there should be careful consideration, experience, and judgment when considering these two traits. The nature of the work or chore should be taken into account as well.
In these particular sects, members avoid contact with strangers and the families are shielded behind high walls. The majority of the property is trusted to the church and there are many reasons for the members to stay. They usually lack life skills and often do not know how to apply for jobs or even balance a check book. Anderson (2010) discovers that one of the reasons women stay is due to a certain level of power. Unlike the shy bashful men in the sect, the women are often more confident and most articulate (p. 56).
Order. The arrangement of physical and social factors should be orderly. When there is a division of work, this order stresses strategic selection. Everyone has a specific place, and the appointment of workers for each task/job are considered carefully (as cited in “Henry Fayol’s,” 2010).
Physical factors are very apparent in the everyday life of the sect. Female FLDS members wear modest attire at all times. Ankle-length prairie dresses are worn, even while swimming (Anderson, 2010, p. 52). Melinda Jeffs downplays media reports that “make us sound like a brainwashed cult”, and says that she enjoys sharing life with her sister wife Susanna (p. 41).
Spirit of cooperation. In order for the best possible results to be achieved, the groups and their individuals must sacrifice their own personal interests and contribute all of their energies for the common good of the whole. This loyalty and faithfulness is usually achieved through continuous motivation and for each member to understand their importance and value to the entire group and its common goal (Sharmaa, 2010).
The communal spirit and overall common goals and beliefs of the sect are present within the community as well as the polygamous home. The community and its members continually strive to be as self-sufficient as possible. Anderson (2010) states several members of the church own and operate a large number of businesses such as machine manufacturers, and hotels. They grow their own produce and everyone, including the children who are expected to help. The loyalty and faithfulness to the group is so strong, that a group of men built a four-bedroom home from the ground up in one day (p. 48).
Organizational development provides managers with the vehicle for introducing systemic change. When the principles and techniques are applied, like those in the polygamous sects, they lead to greater group, personal and organizational effectiveness (as cited in “Organizational,” 2010). The achievement of these principles is extremely present in the mentioned polygamous sects. The FLDS leaders create a trusting environment for their followers to willingly and continually accept change. The division of labor and daily tasks encourages everyone to work and willingly participate in the planning process. Because each follower is responsible for their own tasks, it makes them feel responsible and “part of the plan”. The covenant and common goal of the FLDS are strengthened because of the cooperation, communication, and inter-personnel trust within the group. The most notable achievement of the FLDS leaders is that they are effectively able to align everyone within the community and to make them aware of the vision of the organization. The organization in this case, according to the FLDS, is being driven by God.
Please note: I have this entire paper cited in its orignal form, so if you want to get all "plagarism nazi" on me, I can send it to you.
Having more than one wife or husband at a time, usually a man having several wives.
