What Are the Experiences Of Team Leaders Whose Manager Adopts a Dialogic I-Thou Attitude In Relating With Them?

Abstract

The research project explored the potential for applying the dialogic I-Thou (Buber 1958b and 1965) approach to relating between persons in organisations. It specifically explored the experiences of eight team leaders, in a call centre, whose manager had trained in self awareness and the theory and practice of the dialogic way of relating.

The research provided a valuable insight into how the nature of the employer-employee relationship influences employee self image and how self image influences employee choices about performance. The research further suggests that the dialogic offers considerable potential as a strategy for promoting a culture of humanity in organisations. This article presents a case for applying a dialogical attitude to employer- employee relationships as an approach to team development and for its use both as a model of leadership and as an integral part of leadership development.