CHAPTER 1
Introduction to
Human Relations
“The rules for work are changing,
and we’re all being judged, whether we know it or not, by a new
yardstick—not just how smart we are and what technical skills
we have, which employers see as givens, but increasingly by
how well we handle ourselves and one another.”
-Daniel Goleman, Author, Working With Emotional Intelligence
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
The Nature, Purpose, & Importance
of Human Relations
How would you describe
the study of human relations?
• Human Relations Defined:
The study of why beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviors can cause problems in personal
and professional relationships
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Human Relations in the
Age of Information
• In the Age of Information:
– Increased reliance on information technology
often comes at a price - less personal human
contact
– Over-emphasis on information causes us to
lose sight of nonverbal cues and clues
How do these tendencies affect our abilities
to interact and relate with others?
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Major Trends Giving New Importance
to Human Relations
• Trend: Instability of the labor market due to
mergers, closings, bankruptcies, downsizing,
and outsourcing
• Trend: “Free Agent Nation” of self-employed,
temporary, and part-time workers creates
opportunities and challenges
How do these trends affect
human relations?
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Major Trends Giving New Importance
to Human Relations
• Trend: Increasing focus on customer service to
clients, patients, and customers
• Trend: Growing epidemic of workplace
rudeness, insensitivity, and disrespect
How do these trends affect
human relations?
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Major Trends Giving New Importance
to Human Relations
• Trend: Increasing use of team organization and
worker participation in problem-solving
• Trend: Increasing work force diversity in many
dimensions, such as ethnicity, age, physicality,
values, expectations, and work habits
How do these trends affect
human relations?
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Human Relations Challenge:
Managing Three Relationships
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The Influence of
Behavioral Sciences
Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology
Individual
Group dynamic
• Human Relations not only studies the “whys”
of behaviors, but also how that knowledge
can be applied in practical ways.
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
The “Total Person”
Emotional Control
Self-Awareness
PERSONAL
LIFE
Physical Fitness
Self-Esteem
WORK
LIFE
Creativity
Values
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Need for a Supportive Environment
• A supportive environment can lead to:
– Greater personal career satisfaction
– Greater employee commitment
– Increased organizational productivity and
efficiency
• Requires full commitment and support of
management
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Major Forces Influencing
Worker Behavior
Reflect on the organizational
culture of your school or
work place.
How does the culture
influence the behavior of the
students and faculty or
workers?
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Major Forces Influencing
Worker Behavior
Supervisors/Management influence:
•Productivity
•Customer relations
•Safety
•Loyalty to the organization
Group membership functions by:
•Satisfying social needs
•Providing emotional support
•Lending help in solving problems
and reaching goals
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Major Forces Influencing
Worker Behavior
What kind of job
motivates you to work
up to your potential,
and with zest?
What drains you?
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Major Forces Influencing
Worker Behavior
Family influences:
•Increase in dual-income families
•Problems on the job, such as
tardiness, often linked to family issues
Personal characteristics:
•Behavior often reflects a match
between environment and
individual’s characteristics
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
The Development of the
Human Relations Movement
Early attempts to
improve productivity:
Focused on plant layout &
mechanical process
Concern for things
Later attempts to
improve productivity:
Focus on nature of work &
workers as complex humans
Concern for people
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Human Relations Movement
• The Impact of The Industrial Revolution
– Shift from home-based craftwork to factory
production had profound impact on nature of
work and workers’ role
– Little understanding of employee needs and
relation to production
– Increased output, but processes still lacking in
efficiency and uniformity…until…
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Human Relations Movement
• Taylor’s Scientific Management
– Frederick Taylor redesigned jobs to increase
efficiency
– Productivity increased but required little
thinking by worker
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Human Relations Movement
• Mayo’s Hawthorne Studies
– Original Intentions: To study effects of
illumination and ventilation on worker fatigue
– Fortuitous Discoveries:
• Workers increased performance when they
felt important and had greater freedom from
supervisory control
• Interaction among workers created an
“informal organization”
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Human Relations Movement
• From the Great Depression to New Millennium
• During Great Depression
– Interest in human relations research waned as
other concerns gained momentum
• During postwar economic expansion
– Interest in human relations field increased
– Important theories emerge (McGregor, Maslow,
Herzberg, et. al.)
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Themes concern two goals:
1) Personal growth and development
2) Achievement of organizational objectives
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.