Management by fear

Management by fear is a management strategy for controlling people by using threats in a direct and indirect way that relies on the person’s built-in fear.

Direct management by fear is the classic way of invoking fear and relies on the fact that the person using this management strategy, the perpetrator, is also the person that is invoking fear in the recipient.

Indirect management by fear on the other hand, is a more complex way of invoking fear. The perpetrator may be invoking fear without coming in contact with the recipient. There is however always a recipient affected indirectly.

History

The concept started as an expression in the Swedish comedy show Percy tårar. Percy Nilegård scares his employee, and then turns around calling his methods of controlling his employees Management by fear. The concept though, is much older. It's described already in the famous Il Principe by Niccolò Machiavelli in 1513.

Recognition factors of management by fear

There are many different ways of management and to be able to acknowledge a specific management strategy as management by fear, some factors needs to be taken into account:

• There is always a perpetrator and at least one recipient
• There is always some kind of fear scenario
• The aim for the perpetrator is often power
• The perpetrator has some kind of economical or political agenda
  ^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Control freak
• Culture of fear
• Micromanagement
• Narcissistic leadership
• Setting up to fail
• Toxic leader
• Toxic workplace