Human relations movement refers to the researchers of organizational development who

study the behavior of people in groups, in particular workplace groups and other related
concepts in fields such as industrial and organizational psychology. It originated in the
1930s' Hawthorne studies, which examined the effects of social
relations, motivation and employee satisfaction on factory productivity. The movement
viewed workers in terms of their psychology and fit with companies, rather than
as interchangeable parts, and it resulted in the creation of the discipline of human resource
management.

Elton Mayo:
Elton Mayo stressed the following:

1. The power of natural groups, in which social aspects take precedence over
functional organizational structures.
2. The need for reciprocal communication, in which communication is two way, from
worker to chief executive, as well as vice versa.
3. The development of high quality leadership to communicate goals and to ensure
effective and coherent decision making.
It has become a concern of many companies to improve the job-oriented interpersonal skills
of employees. The teaching of these skills to employees is referred to as "soft skills" training.
Companies need their employees to be able to successfully communicate and convey
information, to be able to interpret others' emotions, to be open to others' feelings, and to be
able to solve conflicts and arrive at resolutions. By acquiring these skills, the employees,
those in management positions and the customer can maintain more compatible relationships.

Abraham Maslow:
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his
1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review. Maslow subsequently
extended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity. His theories parallel
many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing
the stages of growth in humans. Maslow used the terms "physiological", "safety", "belonging"
and "love", "esteem", "self-actualization", and "self-transcendence" to describe the pattern
that human motivations generally move through. The goal of Maslow's Theory is to attain the
sixth level or stage: self transcendent needs.
Physiological needs:
Physiological needs are the physical requirements for human survival. If these requirements
are not met, the human body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail. Physiological
needs are thought to be the most important; they should be met first.
Physiological needs include: Air, Water, Food, Clothing, Shelter, Sexual instinct.
Safety needs:
Once a person's physiological needs are relatively satisfied, their safety needs take precedence
and dominate behavior. In the absence of physical safety – due to war, natural disaster, family
violence, childhood abuse, etc. – people may (re-)experience post-traumatic stress
disorder or transgenerational trauma. In the absence of economic safety – due to economic
crisis and lack of work opportunities – these safety needs manifest themselves in ways such as
a preference for job security, grievance procedures for protecting the individual from
unilateral authority, savings accounts, insurance policies, disability accommodations, etc. This
level is more likely to predominate in children as they generally have a greater need to feel
safe.
Safety and Security needs include: Personal security, financial security, health & well-being.
Social belonging:
After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the third level of human needs is
interpersonal and involves feelings of belongingness. This need is especially strong in
childhood and it can override the need for safety as witnessed in children who cling to abusive
parents. Deficiencies within this level of Maslow's hierarchy – due
to hospitalism, neglect, shunning, ostracism, etc. – can adversely affect the individual's ability
to form and maintain emotionally significant relationships in general.
Social Belonging Needs include: Friendships, intimacy, family.
Esteem:
All humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-esteem and self-
respect. Esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People
often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition. These activities give the person a
sense of contribution or value. Low self-esteem or an inferiority complex may result from
imbalances during this level in the hierarchy. People with low self-esteem often need respect
from others; they may feel the need to seek fame or glory. However, fame or glory will not
help the person to build their self-esteem until they accept who they are internally.
Psychological imbalances such as depression can hinder the person from obtaining a higher
level of self-esteem or self-respect.
Most people have a need for stable self-respect and self-esteem. Maslow noted two versions
of esteem needs: a "lower" version and a "higher" version. The "lower" version of esteem is
the need for respect from others. This may include a need for status, recognition, fame,
prestige, and attention. The "higher" version manifests itself as the need for self-respect. For
example, the person may have a need for strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence,
independence, and freedom. This "higher" version takes precedence over the "lower" version
because it relies on an inner competence established through experience. Deprivation of these
needs may lead to an inferiority complex, weakness, helplessness etc.
Self-actualization:
"What a man can be, he must be." This quotation forms the basis of the perceived need for
self-actualization. This level of need refers to what a person's full potential is and the
realization of that potential. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish
everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. Individuals may perceive or
focus on this need very specifically. For example, one individual may have the strong desire
to become an ideal parent. In another, the desire may be expressed athletically. For others, it
may be expressed in paintings, pictures, or inventions. As previously mentioned, Maslow
believed that to understand this level of need, the person must not only achieve the previous
needs, but master them.

Frederick Herzberg: Two-factor theory

Herzberg proposed the motivator-hygiene theory, also known as the two-factor theory of job
satisfaction. According to his theory, people are influenced by two sets of factors.
The idea is that hygiene factors will not motivate, but if they are not there, they can lower
motivation. These factors could be anything from clean toilets and comfortable chairs, to a
reasonable level of pay and job security. The theory deals with satisfaction and dissatisfaction
in jobs which are not affected by the same set of needs, but instead occur independently of
each other. Herzberg's theory challenged the assumption that "dissatisfaction was a result of
an absence of factors giving rise to satisfaction.
Motivational factors will not necessarily lower motivation, but can be responsible for
increasing motivation. These factors could involve job recognition, potential for promotion or
even the work in itself.
Herzberg (1987) describes the growth factors (or motivators) as "achievement, recognition for
achievement, the work itself, responsibility, and growth or advancement," which are intrinsic.
Intrinsic factors include "orientations toward money, recognition, competition, and the
dictates of other people, and the latter includes challenge, enjoyment, personal enrichment,
interest, and self-determination. The hygiene factors (or dissatisfaction-avoidance), which are
extrinsic to the job, are "company policy and administration, supervision, interpersonal
relationships, working conditions, salary, status, and security". This extrinsic factor "refers to
doing something because it leads to a distinct outcome, something external you expect to
receive, and the latter refers to doing something because it is inherently interesting or
enjoyable, an internal reward."

Douglas McGregor: Theory X & Theory Y:

Theory X:
Theory X is based on pessimistic assumptions regarding the typical worker. This management
style supposes that the typical employee has little to no ambition, shies away from work or
responsibilities, and is individual-goal oriented. Generally, Theory X style managers believe
their employees are less intelligent than the managers are, lazier than the managers are, or
work solely for a sustainable income. Due to these assumptions, Theory X concludes the
typical workforce operates more efficiently under a "hands-on" approach to
management.[2] The 'Theory X' manager believes that all actions should be traced and the
responsible individual given a direct reward or a reprimand according to the action's
outcomes. This managerial style is more effective when used in a workforce that is not
intrinsically motivated to perform.
According to McGregor, there are two opposing approaches to implementing Theory X: the
"hard" approach and the "soft" approach. The hard approach depends on close supervision,
intimidation, and imminent punishment. This approach can potentially yield a hostile,
minimally cooperative work force that could harbor resentment towards management. The
soft approach is the literal opposite, characterized by leniency and less strictly regulated rules
in hopes for high workplace morale and therefore cooperative employees. Implementing a
system that is too soft could result in an entitled, low-output workforce. McGregor believes
both ends of the spectrum are too extreme for efficient real world application. [3] Instead,
McGregor feels that somewhere between the two approaches would be the most effective
implementation of Theory X.
Overall, Theory X generally proves to be most effective in terms of consistency of work.
Although managers and supervisors are in almost complete control of the work, this produces
a more systematic and uniform product or work flow. Theory X can also benefit a work place
that is more suited towards an assembly line or manual labor type of occupation.
Theory Y:
In contrast, Theory Y managers act on the belief that people in the workforce are internally
motivated, enjoy their labor in the company, and work to better themselves without a direct
"reward" in return. Theory Y employees are considered to be one of the most valuable assets
to the company, and truly drive the internal workings of the corporation. Workers additionally
tend to take full responsibility for their work and do not require the need of constant
supervision in order to create a quality and higher standard product.
Because of the drastic change compared to the "Theory X" way of directing, "Theory Y"
managers gravitate towards relating to the worker on a more personal level, as opposed to a
more conductive and teaching based relationship. As a result, Theory Y followers may have a
better relationship with their higher-ups, as well as potentially having a healthier atmosphere
in the workplace. Managers in this theory tend to use a democratic type of leadership because
workers will be working in a way that does not need supervision the most.
In comparison to "Theory X", "Theory Y" adds more of a democratic and free feel in the
workforce allowing the employee to design, construct, and publish their works in a timely
manner in co-ordinance to their workload and projects. Aydin reports a study undertaken to
analyze the different management styles of professors at a Turkish University. This study
found that the highly supervised Theory X management affected the research performance of
the academics negatively. In general, the study suggests that the professional setting and
research-based work that professors perform is best managed using a Theory Y management
style.