Behavioural approach is an extension of Human Relations approach
Human Relations Approach to Management
The human relations movement drew heavily in support of its findings on a series of famous experiments called the Hawthorne Studies which were conducted from 1924 to 1933 at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago, Illinois. The neglect of human aspect and over-emphasis on machines, materials and abstract functions led to the development of this approach. Prof. Elton Mayo is considered as the initial profounder of the Human Relations Approach to Management
Management functions & processes are discharged by a number of individuals (human beings) and successful management is one that gets the best from these individuals. Management therefore involves getting this done with and through people. Understanding worker response and inter-personal relations is essential in the development of any management approach. The core of human relations approach is “being nice to workers” and it is focussed on the following six propositions:
1. A focus on people, rather than upon machines or economics.
2. People exist in an organizational environment rather than an organized social context.
3. A key activity in human relations is motivating people.
4. Motivation should be directed towards team work which requires both the co-ordination and co-operation of individuals involved.
5. Human relations, through team work, seeks to fulfill both individual and organizational objectives simultaneously.
6. Both individuals and organizations share desire for efficiency, that is, they try to achieve maximum results with minimum inputs.
The human relations approach emphasises on the individual and focuses on inter-personal approach. It studies the individual, his needs and behaviour. Its main concepts are motivation and job satisfaction.
The human relations approach neglected behavioural pattern of groups. Man is a social animal and he never thinks alone. He is greatly influenced by what others, with whom he is associated think or behaves. Thus it is the group that sets the pattern of human behaviour. It is necessary to study the organisational behaviour as a whole, involving the study of the attitude, behaviour and performance of both individuals and groups in organisational setting. This led to the more improved and modern approach called the Behavioural Sciences Approach to Management.
Behavioural Sciences Approach to Management
The behavioural approach views the enterprise as a social organism. It is termed as behavioural sciences approach because it adopts a multi-dimensional and inter-disciplinary study of employees behaviour applying principles from behavioural sciences like psychology, sociology and anthropology. The objective is not only to study, but to predict the future behaviour of employees. Motivation, leadership, communication, group dynamics and participative management are inbuilt in this approach, as means of securing better employee performance and willing release extra energy towards contribution to the accepted goals of the organisation. Several sociologists and psychologists like Abraham H. Maslow, Douglass McGregor, Frederic Herzberg, Chris Argyris etc. have contributed towards the development and enrichment of this approach.
The main propositions of behavioural science approach can be sumarised as under.
1. An organisation is a socio-technical system.
2. Interpersonal or group behaviour of people in the organisation is influenced by a wide range of factors.
3. The goals of the organisation are to be harmanised with an understanding of the human needs.
4. Multitude of attitudes, perceptions and values are prevalent amongst employees and these characterise their behaviour and influence their performance.
5. As a result some degree of conflict is inevitable in the organisation and this need not be viewed undesirable.
The behavioural approach recognises the quality of leadership as a determining factor in management success. It focuses on group relationship and recognises the role of individual psychology and group behaviour in organisational effectiveness. It is thus an improved version of human relations approach and help to understand and control the behaviours of employees.
