The Human Relations Movement: Definition and Significance to Organizational Behavior

Overview of the Human Relations Movement

• Companies used to prioritize profits and sales over employee well-being and development .

• This led to negative attitudes, high turnover, and poor job commitment .

• The human relations movement focuses on understanding and motivating individuals in the workplace .

"When companies focus only on the production profits of their business, they ignore the human behavioral issues of people."

The Origins of the Human Relations Movement

• In the early 1900s, companies realized that monetary incentives were not enough to increase production .

• Elton Mayo, an organizational psychologist, pioneered the human relations movement .

• Mayo recognized the link between worker output and satisfaction, influenced by social factors .

"Elton Mayo was the first to realize that worker output and satisfaction were linked to social factors such as the way employees were treated on the job."

The Hawthorne Experiment and the Hawthorne Effect

• The 1927 Hawthorne Experiment further supported the understanding of worker psychology .

• The experiment found that increased lighting positively affected worker factory output .

• Surprisingly, even when the lighting was decreased, production continued to increase .

• The attention from the study, known as the Hawthorne effect, made workers feel important and resulted in better output .

"The attention from the study made them feel important and resulted in better output, this solidified the acceptance of the human relations movement."

Applying the Human Relations Movement in Practice

• Messy Chocolates, a company with 200 workers, has experienced a decline in production .

• The human resource department suggests adopting a human relations philosophy .

• Three key elements of the theory include: work groups and teams, upward communication, and superior leadership .

"Teams are an important aspect of the human relations movement, as the overall socialization of the individuals provides motivation and productivity."

"Upward communication allows employees to offer feedback and communication to upper management, making them feel valuable to the company's decision-making process."

"Providing good leadership through excellent communication and decision-making motivates employees and offers mentorship and direction."

Benefits of Embracing the Human Relations Movement

• Companies that adopt the human relations movement find that employees are more motivated, productive, and committed to their jobs .

"Companies have found that by adopting this theory, employees are more motivated, productive, and committed to their jobs."