The Human Behavior

School

Presented by :
Gorky Singh
Neha Kapoor
Sarish Chawla
The Human Behavior School
Outcome of thoughts propounded by
behavioral scientists
Considers organization as people
Organizational effectiveness depends upon the
relationships among people working in the
organization
Goals of the organization are accomplished
through and with people
Became more prominent since the inclusion of
Hawthorne experiments conducted by Elton
Mayo

In this approach the management considers
individuals working within the organization as
the most important
Human relations approach and behavioral
science approach are used interchangeably
Human behavior school is heavily oriented
towards psychology, sociology, social
psychology, philosophy and anthropology
Knowledge of biology, physics, mathematics,
ecology and geography also applied


Many psychologists and sociologists have
made major contributions to this school of
thought.
Psychologists like Maslow, Frederick
Herzberg, Lymann Porter have made
significant contributions in the field of
individual needs, human aspirations, job
factor, styles of leadership, motivation etc
Sociologists like Gouldner have made
significant contributions to the scientific
study of organizations
Recently, organization change has become
the most fascinating subject of research
among behavioral scientists
Subjects Contributing to the study
of Human Relations
Psychology
Sociology
Social Psychology
Philosophy
Anthropology
Ecology and Geography
Political Science
Characteristics of Human
Behavior School
1) Workers' attitudes are associated with productivity.
2) The workplace is a social system and informal group
influence could exert a powerful effect on individual behavior.
3) Style of supervision is an important factor in
increasing workers' job satisfaction.
4) The studies also found that organizations should take steps to
assist employees in adjusting to organizational life by fostering
collaborative systems between labor and management.
5) Manager should possess skills for diagnosing the causes of
human behavior at work, interpersonal communication, and
motivating and leading workers.
Thus, the human relations school focuses on issues of
communication, leadership, motivation, and group behavior.
Broad Features of Human
Behavior School
Management is getting things done through
people, and hence a manager needs to
understand human relations
Emphasis on interpersonal relations
Getting greater production through good
human relations
Motivation, leadership, communication,
training, participative management, group
dynamics are assigned importance
Draws concepts heavily from psychology and
social psychology
Main contributors and thinkers
Elton Mayo
Roethlisberger
Douglas McGregor
Keith Davis

Elton Mayo, his life and
experiments
George Elton Mayo (26
December 1880 - 7 September
1949)
Australian psychologist,
sociologist and
organization theorist.
known as the founder of
the Human Relations
Movement
known for his research
including the
Hawthorne Studies and
his book The Human
Problems of an
Industrialized
Civilization (1933).
George Elton Mayo (26
December 1880 - 7 September
1949)
 lectured at the University of
Queensland from 1911 to
1923 before moving to
the University of
Pennsylvania, but spent
most of his career at
Harvard Business School
(1926 - 1947), where he
was professor of industrial
research.
 On 18 April 1913 he
married Dorothea
McConnel in Brisbane,
Australia. They had two
daughters, Patricia and
George Elton Mayo (26
December 1880 - 7 September
1949)
One of the most
celebrated social
scientists of the age
Internationally acclaimed
Experiments provided
new scientific
foundations for
management
Skilled and charming
lecturer


Principles of Human Relations
Theory
 Human relations theory is characterized by a shift
in emphasis from TASK to WORKER
 Go beyond physical contributions to include
creative, cognitive, and emotional aspects of
workers
 Based on a more dyadic (two-way)
conceptualization of communication.
 SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS are at the heart of
organizational behavior--effectiveness is
contingent on the social well-being of workers
 Workers communicate opinions, complaints,
suggestions, and feelings to increase
satisfaction and production
Human Relations Movement

Hawthorne Studies
Illumination Studies – 1924-
1927
Illumination Studies – 1924-
1927
 Conducted at “Hawthorne Works”, a Western
Electric factory outside Chicago


 Conducted by The National Research Council (NRC)

of the National Academy of Sciences with
engineers from MIT


 Measured Light Intensity vs. Worker Output



 Result – Each change (including decreases)

resulted in higher output and reported
greater employee satisfaction

 Conclusions:
 Light intensity has no conclusive effect on output
 Productivity has a psychological component –
Researchers interaction with the workers
influenced higher performance
Relay Assembly Test Experiments
1927-1929
 Relay Assembly Test Experiments
1927-1929
 Group of 6 Women – (5) Assemblers and (1) Layout Operator

 One Observer – Explained every incremental change and recorded
results

 Manipulated factors of production to measure effect on output:
 Pay Incentives
 Length of Work Day & Work Week
 Use of Rest Periods
 Company Sponsored Meals

 Management Visits / Special Attention

 Result – Most changes resulted in higher output and reported
greater employee satisfaction

 Conclusions:
 Experiments yielded positive effects even with negative
influences – workers’ output will increase as a response
to attention
 Strong social bonds were created within the test group.
Workers are influenced by need for recognition, security
Mica Splitting Test Group - 1928-
1931
Measured output changes with changes in
work conditions only:
 Special Observation Room
 Length of Work Day
 Use of Rest Periods
 Workers stayed on established Piece-rate
compensation


Result - Productivity increased by 15%

over standard output base


Conclusions:
 Productivity is affected by non-pay
considerations
 Social dynamics are a basis of worker
performance
Plant Interview Program – 1925-
1932
 1925-1927 – Objective Questions
 Work Conditions
 Work Relationships
 Yes/No Answers


 1928-1932 – Conversational / Non-directive

 Attentive Sympathetic Listening
 Concern for personal needs
 Increased in time from 30-90 minutes


 Result – Remarkable positive employee

perceptions:
 Working Condition Improved (no real changes)
 Better Wages (no real changes)


 Conclusions:
 New Supervisory Style improved worker morale
 Complaints reflected personal and/or social
barriers that needed attention in order to raise
productivity
Bank Wiring Observation Group – 1931-
1932
 14 Male Workers


 Few Special Conditions

 Segregated work area
 No Management Visits
 Supervision would remain the same
 Observer would record data only – no interaction with workers

 New incentive pay rate was established for the small group

 Any increases in output would be included in departmental pay
incentives

 Result – Negative changes in output

 Conclusions:
 Well established performance norms existed in the group
 Informal Social Organization dictated little deviation
from established production standards – Systemic
Soldiering
 Informal Social Organizations protect workers from
managers who
 Raise production standards
 Cut pay rates
“The Hawthorne Studies”
Illumination Study (November 1924)
 Designed to test the effect of lighting intensity on worker productivity
 Relay Assembly Test Room Study (1927-1932)
 Assembly of telephone relays
 Production and satisfaction increased regardless of manipulation
 Workers’ increased production and satisfaction related to supervisory practices
 Human interrelationships are important contributing factors to worker
productivity
 Bottom Line: Supervisory practices increase employee morale AND
productivity
 Interviewing Program (1928-1930)
 Investigate connection between supervisory practices and employee morale
 Employees expressed their ideas and feelings (e.g., likes and dislikes)
 Process more important than actual results
 Bank Wiring Room Observation Study (November 1931 - May 1932)
 Social groups can influence production and individual work behavior
 Informal organization constrains employee behavior within formal
organizational structure
Hawthorne Studies -
Implications
 Illumination Study (November 1924)
 The mere practice of observing people’s behavior tends to alter their
behavior (Hawthorne Effect)
 Relay Assembly Test Room Study (1927-1932)
 Relationships between workers and their supervisors are powerful
 Human interrelationships increase the amount and quality of worker
participation in decision making
 Interviewing Program (1928-1930)
 Demonstrated powerful influence of upward communication
 Workers were asked for opinions, told they mattered, and positive
attitudes toward company increased
 Bank Wiring Room Observation Study (November 1931 - May
1932)
 Led future theorists to account for the existence of informal
communication

 Taken together, these studies helped to document the
powerful nature of social relations in the workplace and
moved managers more toward the interpersonal aspects of
organizing.
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Impact of the Hawthorne
Studies
Human Relations recognizes that there are
other factors beyond rational economics that
drive individual behavior.
Productivity and satisfaction are inextricably
linked—You cannot forget the human side of
the equation!!
Hawthorne Studies - Criticisms
 Not conducted with the appropriate
scientific rigor necessary
 Too few subjects
 No control groups
 Subjects replaced with more
“cooperative” participants

 WORTHLESS
 GROSS ERRORS
 INCOMPETENCE

Current and Future Challenges in the
21st Century
The trend toward globalization has changed the
speed and the way we do business today.
Technology has enabled the innovation and
speed in the global economy.
It is important to understand how to work with
people around the world.

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Current and Future Challenges in the
21st Century
Use knowledge effectively to continually
innovate in order to compete in the new
global economy.
Increase awareness of the need for ethical
business practices, as well as new corporate
governance requirements.
Develop plans to prevent and/or deal with
crises that may occur.

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Nine Guidelines to Effective Human
Relations

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Handling Human Relations
Problems
Human relations problems often occur when
the psychological contract is not met.
Psychological contract – The shared
expectations between people.
Three alternatives to resolve human relations
problems are change the other person,
change the situation, and change yourself.

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Mayo said

“Man’s desire to be continuously associated in work

with his fellows is a strong, if not the strongest,
human characteristic. Any disregard of it by
management or any ill-advised attempt to defeat
this human impulse leads instantly to some form of
defeat for management itself.”
hank you