Writing in the ‘Best Workplaces’ supplement published with the FT on 20 May 2010, Will Hutton, Executive of The Work Foundation, muses why the ‘great place to work’ is not universal, given that it produces such good results for its companies. He writes: “One of the conundrums of the modern workplace is why ‘high performance’ or ‘people-centred’ management is so patchy. Some do it brilliantly. Most don’t. But if it works, why is it so rare?”

My take on it is that its advocates underestimate the power of traditional management attitudes. Respect and trust at work are two of its most important ingredients. People are generally respected and trusted by family and friends, but once through the office or workshop door many find their managers neither trust nor respect them. Information is released only on a ‘need to know’ basis, and command and control management methods shriek ‘we don’t trust you’ at every turn.

These traditional attitudes seem deeply embedded in our culture, and do not change that much with the passing of the generations. The torch of ‘management’s right to manage’ still burns brightly. Perhaps if we understood more about the origins of these attitudes, we might find a better way ahead.