ROBERT ALDRIN B.

ORTIZ
MHRM

THE LOCUS OF CONTROL IN THE STORY: WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?

The story written by Spencer Johnson involves four characters who lived in a maze, composed
of two mice – Sniff and Scurry, and two little people – Hem and Haw. All four have different
diverse personalities which we can classify as, based on their characteristics, into different
types of locus of control. Their personalities are shown best when the biggest source of their
favourite food – cheese – is gone.

Sniff

Sniff, as the name suggests, sniffs out change early before others are aware of it. He is the first
amongst the other characters who noticed how their cheese slowly diminishes and may soon be
insufficient for their needs.

As a manager, Sniff can have the qualities of the self-centered locus of control for being secured
with constantly changing and shifting environment. He doesn’t need to be pushed by others to
get the work done. He is intuitive, and knows his purpose in his life. He was able to identify and
easily overcome the loss of cheese and kept moving on to find a new one.

In organizational physics, we can say that Sniff possesses an Innovator style of management for
having the ability to respond with the changes happening in the environment much more
quickly than other management styles. He gets excited about creating new things and likes other
people to get excited with him.

Scurry

Scurry is the type of mouse that sees what is needed and takes action immediately. As an
employee he can be seen as someone enthusiastic to learn new things and strives for greater
success. As a manager, he adopts the work-centered locus of control for having a foresight of
what should be done for the success of the company.

In organizational physics, Scurry is adopting the producer style of management for focusing on
what to do now and working hard to get it done rapidly.

Hem

Hem is one of the little people in the maze who hems and haws in the situation and lives in that
moment. He is having trouble to adopt to change, as he denies and resist it for thinking that it
will lead to something much worse. He is blind to explore more of his world for being familiar

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ROBERT ALDRIN B. ORTIZ
MHRM

and comfortable with his usual routinary life. He is best seen to possess the principle-centered
locus of control for being situated in the principle that he believed is right. He doesn’t want to
change regardless of external conditions.

In organizational physics, he is a stabilizer style because he has the ability to make things
systematized and controllable. Hem is the little person who gets stuck to the place without
cheese because he thinks finding new cheese – change – can be seen as a really big threat to
someone who excels control and stability.

Haw

Haw laughs at himself for not wanting to change at first, and later on moves to explore the maze
in search of a new cheese. He is one of the little people who learn to adapt in time when he sees
that changing will lead to something better. One of the factors of his hesitation is his friend,
Hem. He was worried of leaving him behind because of his fear of learning new things. In this
regard, he adopts the friend centered locus of control because of his dependence with Hem.
Even when he does embrace change, he never forgotten his friend by writing phrases on the
wall which describes his experiences in hopes that his friend will open his eyes and soon follow
him.

In organizational physics, Haw is a unifier style because of his ability to empathize and connect
with a friend, and even left writings on the wall for Hem to follow.

In the end, the parable of this story boils down to this phrase – change is inevitable. It will one
day come to our lives and we would deal with it differently than others. Those who moved on
will have a chance of comfort, and those left behind will remain condemned in their failure to
succeed.

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