Valta, johtajuus, tuho ja toivo J. R. R. Tolkienin teoksessa Taru Sormusten Herrasta eli "Management by Sauron"

Abstract

Englantilaisen fantasiakirjailijan, professori J. R. R. Tolkienin teos Taru Sormusten Herrasta on ilmestymisajankohdastaan (1954-1955) lähtien nauttinut suurta maailmanlaajuista suosiota. Tämä vanhojen englantilaisten hyveiden hengessä kirjoitettu, mutta innokkaat lukijansa 1960-luvun kuohuvien massayliopistojen opiskelijoista löytänyt teos on kokenut viimeisimmän tulemisensa 2000-luvun alussa tehtyjen elokuvien myötä.

Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan kyseisessä fantasiaromaanissa esiintyviä vallan ja johtajuuden ilmiöitä, Keski-Maan yhteiskunnallisia valtarakenteita sekä kamppailua, jota Valtasormuksen omistamisesta käydään. Tämä tieteidenvälinen lähtökohta merkitsee niin hallintotieteen kuin kirjallisuudentutkimuksenkin menetelmien triangulatiivista käyttöä.

Keskeinen kysymys on se, voiko Tolkienin teoksella olla kaunokirjallisen funktionsa ohella jotain konkreettista annettavaa nykypäivän työyhteisöjä johtaville esimiehille. Tutkimustehtävää lähestytään neljän eri tutkimusongelman kautta, jotka ovat: 1) Minkälaisia johtajia teoksessa kuvataan ja kuinka heitä kuvataan? 2) Minkälaisia johtajuuden ja johtamiskäyttäytymisen malleja teoksen perusteella voidaan muodostaa? 3) Minkälaisia hallinnollisia valtarakenteita teoksen kuvaamassa maailmassa on tunnistettavissa? 4) Minkälaisia johtajuuden myyttejä teoksessa on tunnistettavissa?

Tutkimuksen varsinaisen ytimen muodostaa kahdeksan eri henkilöhahmon (Gandalf, Saruman, Sauron, Galadriel, Denethor, Théoden, Aragorn ja Frodo) johtajaprofiilianalyysi, jonka laadinnassa syväjohtamiseksi kutsutulla johtamismenetelmällä on keskeinen osuus. Syntyvä kokonaiskuva on teoksen fantasialuonteesta huolimatta yksityiskohdiltaan monipuolinen, inhimillisen todentuntuinen ja nykyaikainen. Tutkimusaineistoa koskevana empiirisenä yleistyksenä nousee esille erityisesti nöyryyden, aktiivisuuden ja toivon sekä ylpeyden, passiivisuuden ja tuhon käsitteiden välinen yhteys.

Tämän yhteyden, kuten myös laaja-alaisen ajallisen perspektiivin ymmärtämisen ohella teoksessa esiintyvien luonnon ja teknologian, toveruuden, anteeksiannon, johtajuuden, vallan, henkisen kasvun ja taakan kantamisen teemojen peilaaminen esimiehen tai asiantuntijan todellisuuteen voi auttaa yksilöä kehittymään työyhteisön jäsenenä. Tutkimus osoittaa, että nykypäivän työelämässä toimivalle esimiehelle tai asiantuntijalle Tolkienin teos voi näyttäytyä vaihtoehtoisena mallina hahmottaa työyhteisön todellisuutta.

This doctoral dissertation examines the epic fantasy story The Lord of the Rings written by English academic and philologist J. R. R. Tolkien from the perspectives of power and leadership. This dissertation considers one essential question: Apart from its literary function, does Tolkien´s work offer any concrete lessons for leaders of modern organizations?

In pursuit of this objective, four perspectives are employed: 1) What kind of leaders are described in Tolkien´s work and how are they described? 2) What models of leadership and leadership behavior can be distilled from this work? 3) What power structures described in the work can be recognized in the real world? 4) What type of leadership myths can be recognized in the work?

The opening chapter contains the introduction. The second chapter introduces the objective and perspectives of the study as well as the former analogical study. In the third chapter, the essential concepts are introduced as well as the theoretical basis for the analysis and interpretation of the study results. The subjects of this chapter are postmodern textualism, power and leadership. Applying the concept "postmodern textualism", one understands that the theme of leadership can be understood in a variety of ways. Even if leadership schools were initially complex, varied and ambiguous, most have become more concentrated over the years.

The third chapter contains a number of various theories of leadership differing from one another in the point of view of their origin and starting point. Their introduction serves as a cumulative orientation to the model of Deep Leadership revealed at the conclusion of the chapter. This model and its concepts play a critical role when carried over to the analysis of the material.

The strength of Deep Leadership theory lies in the fact that, when including the personal willingness and qualities of the leader as well as the effects of leadership behavior and leadership in the main areas of this study, the theory successfully justifies its assumptions by resting on a wealth of former leadership studies.

The fourth chapter studies fantasy literature, providing the definition of its concepts and its historical development. The fifth chapter presents Tolkien´s compact biography, essential to the perspectives of this study. The sixth chapter introduces the structure of the material and the motives for action. The seventh chapter includes the actual analysis and interpretation based on this analysis. The eighth chapter presents the conclusions. The final chapter presents the English Summary with references and enclosures found at the end.

This study s logic is based on the hermeneutic circle made up of dimensions of postmodern textualism, power and leadership. Each of these dimensions must be considered both as part of the whole circle as well as through each of the three individual dimensions separately. The practical focus of this study is to discover what Tolkien´s work reveals about power and leadership in the real world. In addition, the aim of this study is to help leaders in organizations, developers of organizations and experts to better understand their work while also recognizing their challenges. This interest is the most important basis in deciding whether or not to carry out the analysis and the interpretation of the material through the activities of the characters in the work.

This study will probe eight cases of characters described in The Lord of the Rings. These characters represent various models of leadership that can be classified into three different groups: 1) Active characters that start action 2) Somewhat passive characters that react to the activities of these active characters and 3) Heroic characters that specialize in project work.

The Wizard Gandalf acts as the supporter and guide of the free nations of Middle-Earth. Due to his origin at the ideological level, Gandalf wages war on The Dark Lord Sauron, representing active characters starting action. Sauron is also an active character. The motives of the work start from him and everything that takes place is a counteraction to Sauron´s expansive threat. The Wizard Saruman, who is united with Sauron, also seeks command of Middle-Earth actively. Characters that react to the threats outside of their own sphere of power and influence and are passive to some extent include The Lady Galadriel, an Elf and the old and humiliated Théoden, King of Rohan from the race of Men, who before his death finds his lost bravery and leads his people to a great victory. Another human being, Denethor, Gondor´s Steward, who committed suicide having ordered his men to burn him alive, sticks to the past and refuses to react to change. Heroic characters who specialize in project work and who actively react to threat are represented by Aragorn, the heir of the ancient King Isildur who is after the crown of his forefathers and, of course, Hobbit Frodo Baggins, the bearer of The One Ring.

The study results based on the leadership profile of the characters reveal that, for leaders in the modern world, Tolkien´s text can act as another alternative model for perceiving the reality of the working community. In addition to understanding the wide temporal perspective, the themes of nature and technology, companionship, forgiveness, leadership, power, spiritual growth and carrying the burden in Tolkien´s work can be projected into the real world, thereby helping the individual develop as a member of the working community.