Chapter 5 - Human Relational Approach & Behavioural Approach
B-Com Part 2 Management Notes
http://karachiboardnotes.blogspot.com/Chapter 5 - Human Relational Approach & Behavioural Approach
* Human relations approach to Management
* Behavioural approach to Management
* Human relations & Behavioural approaches
* Management science approache to Management
Q.1. What is human relations approach to Management? Critically evaluate its contribution to Management theory.
OR
Discuss the impact of Hawthorne Experiments on Management thought.
Human Relations Approach Historical Perspective
Scientific management remained concerned tithe the efficiency and productivity of workmen at the shop floor. Fayol's functional approach to management aimed as improving the managerial activities and performance at top level in the organization. Between 1925, opinion of many experts was directed towards the human element or aspect of the organization. They drew their attention from "work" emphasis to "worker" emphasis. It was clearly felt that earlier approaches to management were incomplete and insufficient in that there was little recognition of the importance of workers as human beings, their attitudes, feelings, needs and requirements. In fact, the technical approach to work methods in scientific management did not produce durable and desirable results in all cases. Individual and group relationships in the work place often prevented maximum benefits to be derived from planning and standardization of work or monetary rewards offered for efficiency. Elton Mayo is the founder of this theory.
Hawthorne Experiments
The human relations approach to management developed as a result of a series of experiences (in all four) conducted by Elton Mayo and his associates F.J. Reothlisherger and W.J. Dickson at the Hawthrone plant of the Western Electric Company at Chicago in United States. The Hawthrone studies were aimed at finding out what factors really influenced the productivity and work performance of workers. These experiments were made with respect to - different levels of illumination in the work place changing in working conditions like hours of work, lunches, test periods and how group norms affect group effort and output.
Human Relations Concepts: Findings of Hawthorne Studies
The main findings of Hawthrone studies were as follows:
1. Physical environment at work place (i.e., working conditions) do not have any material effect on the efficiency of work.
2. Social or human relationship influenced productivity more directly than changes in working conditions.
3. Favourable attitudes of workers and work-teams towards their work were more important factors determining efficiency.
4. Fulfillment of workers social and psychological needs have a beneficial effect on the morale and efficiency of workers.
5. Employee groups formed on the basis of social interactions and common interest exercised a strong influence on workers, performance. In other words, informal organization controlled the norms established by the groups in respect of each member's output.
6. Workers cannot be motivated solely by economic reward. More important motivators are job security, recognition by superiors and freedom to take initiative and to express their individual opinions as matters of their own concern.
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Q.2. Write a comprehensive note on Behavioural approach to management.
OR
Explain the significance of the Behavioural approach in management. What are its main features? Discuss.
Behavioural Or Social Science Approach
Historical Perspective
The Behavioral or social science approach developed as a corollary to the human relations approach.
Social scientists and organization theorists are of the opinion that best results can be obtained by building theories of management and organization based on findings of the Behavioural sciences, such as psychology, sociology, psychiatry, economics, cultural anthropology and philosophy.
Behavioural approach reflects the findings of intensive carried out by Behavioural scientists like Chester I Bernard, Douglas McGregor, Chris Argyris, A.H. Maslow, Herzberg, Rensis Likert etc. many of the conclusions of the Hawthorne studies have been reaffirmed by subsequent research studies. Moreover, certain ideas have been refined, extended and these behaviour scientists have highlighted other important ideas. These scientists have tried to eliminate the exaggeration of the importance of informal relations. The focal point of management action is the behaviour of human being in the organization - management as a technical process only, was given up.
Behavioural scientists conduct research to answer the question. "Why a person or a group of persons behaves or acts in a particular manner? They try in answer in any problems faced by the managers by explaining the behaviour of the people".
Elements Or Concepts or Features Of Behavioural Approach
The Behavioural approach concerns itself with the social and psychological aspects of human behaviour in organization. The behaviour of members of an organization clearly affects both its structure and its functioning as well as the principles on which it can be managed. Behavioural researches have provided sufficient evidence that human element is the key factor in the success are failure of an organization. In several experiments, it has been observed that people prefer to be consulted rather than receive order or information. Less reliance on the use of authority is preferred.
Some of the more important elements or concepts of Behavioural approach may be outlined as follows:
1. Individual Behaviour
Individual behaviour is closely linked with the behaviour of the group to which he belongs. The group dictates changes in his behaviour. Individuals observe those work standards which are prescribed by the group.
2. Informal Leadership
Informal leadership, rather than formal authority of managers is more important for setting and enforcing group standards of performance. A a leader, a manager may be more effective and acceptable to subordinates, if he adopts the democratic style of leadership.
3. Participation
If the subordinates are encouraged and allowed to participate in establishing goals, there will be positive effect on their attitude towards work. If employees are involved in planning, designing the jobs and decision-making, there will be least resistance to changes effected in technology and work methods.
4. Motivation by Self-Control and Self-Development
Behavioural scientists maintain that by nature most people enjoy work and are motivated by self-control and self-development. Managers should try to identity and provide necessary conditions conducive to the proper and sufficient use of human potential. The managers attitude towards human behaviour should positive. They should know that average man is not lazy by nature. But he is ambition. Every man likes to work and prefers to assume responsibilities. MacGregor maintains that employees favour self-direction and self-control. Behaviouralists believe that in place of the concept of social man the concept of self-actualizing man would be more appropriate to explain human motivations.
Chester I Bernard pointed out that material reward is of crucial signification only upto a definite point. The incentives of status, power, good physical conditions opportunities of participation and good social (i.e., cultural interrelationships) are very important.
5. Informal Organization
Behaviouralists particularly Bernard, consider informer organization as an essential part of the formal organization. Informer organization must always be taken into account while determining managerial behaviour.
6. General Supervision Not Close One
As regards supervision of subordinates, Behaviouralists particularly Likert, are not in favour of close supervision. They advocate general supervision, which tends to be associated with high productivity.
Basic Assumptions (Are Propositions) Of Behavioural Scientists
The Behavioural science approach is based on certain assumptions about man and organization, which my be looked upon as their prepositions (statements of opinion or judgement) also. Those may be outlined as follows
1. Organization is socio-technical system involving people and technology as their primary components.
2. The behaviour of the members of an organization clearly affect both its structure and its functioning, as well as the principles on which it can be managed.
3. Individual's behaviour is closely linked with a greatly influenced by the behaviour of the group to which he belongs.
4. A wide range of factors influences work and interpersonal behaviour of people in the organization.
5. Congruence (agreement) between organizational goals and individual goals organizations members would be established.
6. Several individual differences in perceptions, aspirations, needs, feelings, abilities and values of people excite in the organization, such difference along with their changing nature over periods of time have to be recognized.
7. Informal leadership rather than the formal authority of supervisors is more important for increase in employee performance.
8. Democratic leadership style and participative managerial style encourage positive attitude of employee towards work and faster's high moral and initiative among them.
9. By nature most people enjoy work and are motivated by self-direction, self-control and self-development.
10. Conflict in organization may to some extent to inevitable and at times even desirable for development, innovation and creativity in certain cases. Conflicts and cooperation coexist in organizations. Conflicts are not to be suppressed, but are to be resolved and that too not always. Coordinated in vital for achievement of organizational goals.
The above preposition are important elements of Behavioural science thinking. Thus the Behavioural approach represents a significant advance over the human relations approach.
The major areas of research and analysis by the Behavioural scientists are interaction between organizational structure, work performance and employees behaviour, consequences of traditional, coercive controls on humans, influence of technological advances and changes on group behaviour, human needs and aspirations, theories of motivation and leadership, developmental aspects of human resources, organizational behaviour aspects, group dynamics, patterns of communication and their importance in the organization, managerial styles and their impact on employee behaviour, organizational climate, culture and politics, organizational development, change and conflict, organizational rules and status, and so on.
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Q.3. Distinguish between Human Relations and Behavioural approaches?
Distinction Between Human Relations and Behavioural Approaches
As indicated earlier, Behavioural science approach is an improvement over the human relations thinking. This may be explained in the following ways.
1. Areas of Study
The human relations movement kept it limited to the study of psychological needs of people, supervision styles, working conditions, interpersonal relations, communication etc. On the other hand Behavioural scientists have gone very far and wide in the study of organizational and managerial aspects covering the areas as mentioned in the previous paragraph.
2. Human Nature Assumptions
Human relation theorists have made some general, unverifiable assumption about human nature holding "social man" view. In contrast, Behavioural scientists have understood the factual nature of individuals and of their behaviour-holding "self-actualizing man" model.
3. Human Needs
Human relations thinkers presume that people have only social needs, whereas the Behavioural scientists regard individuals as different from one another and dynamic with respect to their needs and attitudes and emphasize both social and psychological needs.
4. Organization Nature
Human relations approach believes organizations to be purely social systems, while Behavioural science approach views organizations as socio-technical systems which are required to accomplish a set of individual, social and corporate (economic) goals.
5. Employee Satisfaction
Human relations theorists advocate that employees satisfaction is achieve through economic and other incentives and then it automatically leads to higher employee productivity. On the other hand, Behavioural scientists assert that employee satisfaction is a matter of a set of factors including fulfillment of social and self-actualization needs and high morale is also necessary for achieving higher employee productivity, which is a composite thing made by different factors including participative management.
6. Conflict Treatment
Human relation thinkers proposed that conflict, competition and disagreement is to be avoided or should always be resolved, whereas Behavioural scientists concede that conflict is not always bad, it may be constructive too, it is inevitable and may not always be resolved.
7. Manager's Role
Under human relations model, manager's traditional role of controller is modified to include responsibility for maintenance of the human system. On the other hand, under the behavioural science model, the manager's basic role is rather dramatically redefined and he is no longer viewed as a controller but rather as a developer and facilitator of the performance of the socio-technical system to which he is assigned.
8. Nature of Approaches
Human relations approach is criticized for being unscientific (i.e. vague and simplistic and for patting forth broad conclusions having personal bias. On the other hand, behavioural scientists have made their propositions based on extensive researches and its sub discipline organizational behaviour also has a strong research orientation.
Contribution
The contribution of behavioural science to management thought and practice consists primarily of creating new insights rather than new techniques. It has developed a useful way of thinking about the role of a manager, the nature of organizations and the behaviour of individuals with organziations.
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Q.4. What is management science approach to management? Critically examine it.
OR
Define management science approach and explain the characteristics of the situation in which management science applications are usually made.
Management Science Or Operations Research Or Approach
Quantitative Approach
A quantitative approach to management thought is known as management science or operations approach.
"C.West Churchman. Russell Adoff and E.Leonard Arnoff" define the management science or operations research OR approach as an application of the scientific method to problems arising in the operation of a system and a solving of these problems by the solving of mathematical equations representing the system. (Introduction to Operations Research. New York Willey. 1957).
The management science approach suggests that managers can best improve their organisation by using the scientific method and mathematical techniques to solve operational problems.
The Beginning of the Management Science Approach
During the World War II, in Great Britain and in America, some mathematicians, physicists and other scientists were called to help solve complex, operational problems that existing in the military. They were able to achieve significant technological and tactical breakthroughs. The scientists were organized into teams that eventually became known as operations research or groups. When the war was over the applicability of or to problems industry gradually became apparent, particularly in the wake of new industrial technologies being put into use or specialists were called to help managers come up with answers to the new problems. With the invention of electronic computer system or procedures were formalized into what is now called "management science school" or "quantitative school".
The early or groups typically included physicists and other "hard" scientists, who used the problem solving method known as scientific method which involves.
(i) Observing the problem system.
(ii) Constructing a model, i.e. a generalized framework from which consequences of changing the system can be predicted.
(iii) Deducting (inferring) from the model how the system will behave it changes were made in existing conditions.
(iv) Testing the model by performing an experiment on the actual system to see whether the effects of changes predicted using the model, actually occur when the changes are made.
The Operations Research groups were very successful in using the scientific method to solve their operational problems.
Now, the management science approach is being used in many companies in India and other countries and applied to many diverse management problems, such as production scheduling, plant location product packaging etc.
Characteristics of Management Science Applications
Four primary characteristics are usually present in situations in which management science techniques are applied. These are as follows:
1. Large Number of Variables
The management problems studied is so complicated that managers need help in analyzing a large number of variables.
2. Use of Mathematical Model
The use of mathematical models the investigate the decision situation in typical in management science applications. Models are constructed to represent reality and then used to determine how the real world situation might be improved.
3. Use of a Computer
A management science application makes use of computers. There are two factors that make computers extremely valuable to the management science analyst.
Today, managers are using such management science tools as inventory control methods, network models and probability models as aid in decision making process. Since management science thought is still evolving, more and more sophisticated analytical techniques can be expected.
Critical Evaluation of Management Science Approach
Management science team presents management with an objective basis for making a decision. Management science techniques increase the effectiveness of the managers decision making. They are best suited analyzing quantifiable factors, such as expenses, sales and units of production. They are used in such activities as capital budgeting management, cash flow management, production scheduling, development of product strategies, planning for human resource development programmes, maintenance of optional inventory levels and aircraft scheduling.
However, is special widespread use for many problems, management science of today has not developed to a point where it can effectively deal with an important aspect of the organization, that is the human side of an enterprise. But no doubt that it has marvelously contributed to the solving of planning and control problems and to the progress in the areas of organizing, staffing and the leading the organisation. Anyhow some managers complain about the complicated nature of the concepts, language and techniques of management science, which are not readily understandable and not easily implemental. Some other managers indicate about the drawback of management science in that if fails to address to the psychological and Behavioural components of workplace activities because the managers are not sufficiently involved with management scientists at the initial level of developing decision making techniques and as a result the later implementation of these techniques remain often unsuccessful. There exits a lack of awareness among the management scientist regarding the problems and constraints actually faced by the managers in orgnanization, particularly because of their remoteness from the actual some of the workplace activities.
OR
Define management science approach and explain the characteristics of the situation in which management science applications are usually made.
Management Science Or Operations Research Or Approach
Quantitative Approach
A quantitative approach to management thought is known as management science or operations approach.
"C.West Churchman. Russell Adoff and E.Leonard Arnoff" define the management science or operations research OR approach as an application of the scientific method to problems arising in the operation of a system and a solving of these problems by the solving of mathematical equations representing the system. (Introduction to Operations Research. New York Willey. 1957).
The management science approach suggests that managers can best improve their organisation by using the scientific method and mathematical techniques to solve operational problems.
The Beginning of the Management Science Approach
During the World War II, in Great Britain and in America, some mathematicians, physicists and other scientists were called to help solve complex, operational problems that existing in the military. They were able to achieve significant technological and tactical breakthroughs. The scientists were organized into teams that eventually became known as operations research or groups. When the war was over the applicability of or to problems industry gradually became apparent, particularly in the wake of new industrial technologies being put into use or specialists were called to help managers come up with answers to the new problems. With the invention of electronic computer system or procedures were formalized into what is now called "management science school" or "quantitative school".
The early or groups typically included physicists and other "hard" scientists, who used the problem solving method known as scientific method which involves.
(i) Observing the problem system.
(ii) Constructing a model, i.e. a generalized framework from which consequences of changing the system can be predicted.
(iii) Deducting (inferring) from the model how the system will behave it changes were made in existing conditions.
(iv) Testing the model by performing an experiment on the actual system to see whether the effects of changes predicted using the model, actually occur when the changes are made.
The Operations Research groups were very successful in using the scientific method to solve their operational problems.
Now, the management science approach is being used in many companies in India and other countries and applied to many diverse management problems, such as production scheduling, plant location product packaging etc.
Characteristics of Management Science Applications
Four primary characteristics are usually present in situations in which management science techniques are applied. These are as follows:
1. Large Number of Variables
The management problems studied is so complicated that managers need help in analyzing a large number of variables.
2. Use of Mathematical Model
The use of mathematical models the investigate the decision situation in typical in management science applications. Models are constructed to represent reality and then used to determine how the real world situation might be improved.
3. Use of a Computer
A management science application makes use of computers. There are two factors that make computers extremely valuable to the management science analyst.
Today, managers are using such management science tools as inventory control methods, network models and probability models as aid in decision making process. Since management science thought is still evolving, more and more sophisticated analytical techniques can be expected.
Critical Evaluation of Management Science Approach
Management science team presents management with an objective basis for making a decision. Management science techniques increase the effectiveness of the managers decision making. They are best suited analyzing quantifiable factors, such as expenses, sales and units of production. They are used in such activities as capital budgeting management, cash flow management, production scheduling, development of product strategies, planning for human resource development programmes, maintenance of optional inventory levels and aircraft scheduling.
However, is special widespread use for many problems, management science of today has not developed to a point where it can effectively deal with an important aspect of the organization, that is the human side of an enterprise. But no doubt that it has marvelously contributed to the solving of planning and control problems and to the progress in the areas of organizing, staffing and the leading the organisation. Anyhow some managers complain about the complicated nature of the concepts, language and techniques of management science, which are not readily understandable and not easily implemental. Some other managers indicate about the drawback of management science in that if fails to address to the psychological and Behavioural components of workplace activities because the managers are not sufficiently involved with management scientists at the initial level of developing decision making techniques and as a result the later implementation of these techniques remain often unsuccessful. There exits a lack of awareness among the management scientist regarding the problems and constraints actually faced by the managers in orgnanization, particularly because of their remoteness from the actual some of the workplace activities.
_______________________________