Opening Chapter 6, Sen asks, “Why bother about the finesse of political freedoms given the overpowering grossness of intense economic needs?” If we wanted to boil the chapter down to one sentence, the answer is that political freedoms and economic needs are connected. Without political freedoms, people have little to no avenue to pursue macroeconomic changes. Sen indicates there is little “general evidence that authoritarian governance and the suppression of political and civil rights are really beneficial in encouraging economic development.”
One of the concepts that struck me while reading Chapter 6 is the idea of permissive advantages. The concept suggests that when individuals or groups are given more freedom, they can capitalize on that freedom to achieve beneficial results. An open-door policy is a permissive advantage. The Daily Scrum is a coordination meeting based on permissive advantages. Political freedoms and liberties, such as voting and free speech, are permissive advantages. Having these freedoms provides a beneficial, though not necessarily guaranteed, edge compared to authoritarian states or organizations. The effectiveness of any permissive advantage is directly impacted by how they are exercised. If you do not use them, they have little to no impact. For example, team members who do not participate in team planning get no benefit from the concept of a team’s self-organization.
The frameworks that guide, lead, and manage knowledge work are built on the concept of permissive advantages — which require considerations to work well. The lack of reflection on the considerations is one of the reasons why every framework and movement has a significant number of failures.
Important considerations include:
- Balance – Pushing the boundaries can have unintended consequences. Some boundaries are required, or chaos will reign. There needs to be a balance between freedom and responsibility. For example, a leader who spends all of their time dealing with an open door will get nothing done.
- Context – The effectiveness of permissive advantages depends on context. Leveraging group planning techniques during a crisis where split-second decisions are required is an example of context. I have observed an opposite problem where too many strict rules and guidelines are defined “just in case”. The decision tree required to take advantage of an advantage renders it illusory.
- Responsibility – Any freedom can be abused. When that occurs, the natural reaction is often to curtail the freedom of permissive advantages.
All of these considerations are intertwined. Considering freedoms as permissive advantages highlights the potential benefits of allowing individuals and groups to act with fewer constraints, but it’s a concept that requires careful consideration of the risks and the importance of balance. Balance, unfortunately, does not seem to be a human strong suit.
Refocusing briefly on the importance of democracy and development, consider the power of the ability to draw attention to general or societal needs and then demand action. Sen has made the point several times that no famines have occurred in functional democracies (we will go deeper on this topic later in the book). “The rulers have the incentive to listen to what people want if they have to face their criticism and seek their support in elections.” In the 21st century, it is easy to become complacent or disenchanted, leading you to stop participating. This disrupts the connection between the voting public and their leaders, leading to lower levels of development and potentially even deeper political rifts.
Previous installments of Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen:
Week 1: Context and Logistics
Week 2: Introduction and Preface
Week 3: The Perspective of Freedom
Week 4: The Ends and the Means of Development
Week 5: Freedom and the Foundations of Justice
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