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ESSAY
Evaluate the view that Human Relations offers a distinctive and
progressive approach to organizational management compared with
Scientific Management.
1.)
Over the time societies underwent radical transformation and a very important
transformation in the human lives is from ‘agriculture-based’ traditional system to
‘factory-based’, urban, wage paid labour. In early capitalism, work organisation of
the factory shop floor was based upon the authority of subcontractors and supervisors.
Labour and labour skills were bought in as a whole and owners employed workers
indirectly. ‘Scientific Management’ approach helped to change this work organisation
and management started to take a closer interest in the immediate control and
discipline of work (Barry et al, 2000). Frederick Winslow Taylor was the one who
formalized the principles of scientific management, and the fact-finding approach was
a replacement for what had been the old rule of thumb. Later in 1920th and 1930th
George Elton Mayo was in charge of certain experiments on human behaviour and his
research findings have contributed to organizational development in terms of ‘human
relations’ and ‘motivation’ theory.
This essay looks at concept of ‘scientific management’ and ‘human relations’
approaches applied to organizational management.
Section two describes the
‘scientific management’ approach and explains some of its principles and objectives.
On section three is given the work of Mayo at Hawthorne company, which lead to the
creation of the ‘human relations’ movements. The fourth section critically analyses
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scientific management approach and compares it with human relations, which offers a
distinctive approach to organisation management.
The last section gives some
conclusions about these two approaches and ends with a comment from a Marxist
perspective.
There are two terms used to describe Taylor’s approach, ‘Scientific
2.)
Management’ and ‘Taylorism’. The first term was used by his supporters, whereas
the term ‘Taylorism’ was given by his opponents and also used by his supporters.
Scientific management’s main objectives were: efficiency, predictability and control
(Huczynski & Buchanan, 2001). To achieve control, Taylor suggested discipline
through hierarchical authority. Work tasks must be standardized by dividing them up
into small and closely specified sub-tasks, were by doing so the predictability of job
performance is achieved. Efficiency, which is an important objective in Taylorism, is
achieved by increasing the output per worker.
The principles under scientific management were as follows:

Management and workers should have a clear division of responsibility
according to their tasks.

All tasks should be performed by using scientific methods.

Workers should be selected scientifically to do the job specified.

The selected worker should be trained to perform the task as required.

To control the workers authority is used hierarchically.
Under scientific management each work task should be divided up into its elementary
motions and these motions must be performed in the proper sequence. Taylor argued
that labour should be left free to perform their tasks, all in accordance with dictates of
science and management should be responsible to plan and control (Huczynski &
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Buchanan, 2001). Taylor’s approach was individually oriented and suspicious of
unions. He sought to isolate individual workers as far as possible from their work
mates and had no place for unions.
Another important person who has developed the idea of fragmentation work tasks
began by Taylor, was Henry Ford. Ford had major innovations and rather than the
‘one best way’ for doing a job, his goal was ‘continues improvement’.
Ford
introduced the assembly line by installing of single-purpose machine tools to
manufacture standardized parts, and used techniques like time and motion to analyse
each job.
3.)
In Chicago, United States during 1920s and 1930s, George Elton Mayo was in
charge of certain experiments on human behaviour carried out at the Hawthorne
Works of the Western Electric Company. The Hawthorne studies have contributed to
organizational development in terms of human relations and motivation theory. Many
different studies were conducted, but four of them in particular stand out and these
investigations demonstrated the overriding influence of social factors on workplace
behaviour. These four studies were: the illumination experiments, the relay assembly
test room experiment, the interviewing programme, and the bank wiring observation
room experiment (Clark, Chandler and Barry, 1995).
Following from the findings of these investigations Mayo came to certain conclusions
as follows:

Pay and conditions are not enough for people to be motivated at work.

Physical conditions are less important in determining workers’ moral and
productivity than sense of belonging, recognition and security.
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Individuals should not be seen in isolation with each other, but as group
members.

The informal group has the ability to motivate individuals and exercise
strong controls over work habits.
Mayo’s social philosophy placed groups at the centre of understanding human
behaviour. Informal groups were important in his view and encouraged managers to
grow them. His human relations approach emphasises the need for positive social
relationship between workers and managers.
Labour productivity, Mayo argued, would improve if managers encouraged their
workers to feel that they belong, by creating ‘pleasanter, freer, and happier working
condition’ (Barry et al, 2000, p.216). Mayo suggests that allowing workers to form
into cohesive groups will result in good moral and increased output.
4.)
Besides being widely adopted, scientific management has been criticised over
the yeas by different commentators. Some of its critics are:

It neglected the importance of work rewards, like job satisfaction and
achievement.

Not understanding the relation of the individual incentive to interaction
with the immediate work group.

Doing a job was chosen with the mechanistic criteria of speed and output
and psychological needs and capabilities of workers were ignored.

Ignored workers social context by focusing only on the workers as an
individuals.
Braverman (1974) argues, despite having many critics, the scientific management
approach with the deskilling of work thesis continue to be applied also in modern
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organisation. On his view, scientific management was a method used to control
labour in capitalist enterprises.
Mayo’s ideas with his ‘human relations’ approach are placed, contra Taylor’s idea of
‘scientific management’.
Hawthorne studies showed that human emotion are
important and should be taken on consideration by the organisations. As a result of
these studies there were relative changes to labour processes.
Terms like ‘Job
enlargement’ and ‘Job enrichment’ with re-grouped tasks and monitoring
responsibility were introduced. In contrast with scientific management, the human
relations approach was based on the logic of social individual and the power of work
group was used to management’s goals.
Beside their differences, Taylor and Mayo shared assumptions (Binns, 2002). Both of
them saw management as science – based elite, and cooperation between employer
with the employees. Some commentators argue that human relations approach arise
from the failure of the scientific management approach and as e replacement of it.
It would be a mistake to see human relations as replacing classical (scientific
management) approaches in any definitive way either historically or theoretically.
Both approaches continue to have contemporary relevance both on their on terms and
in strange cocktails (Clark et al, 1995, p.214).
5.)
The two distinct approaches to the discipline and control of organisational
members are labelled as ‘scientific management’ and ‘human relations’. Many may
see these two approaches as having continues relevance, but they relate to the
historical period from industrial capitalism in United Sates in the nineteenth century
through the early part of the twentieth century.
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Ideas of scientific management grow around the work and reputation of Taylor and
developed by Ford. Under scientific management approach the individual worker
should be selected, trained and supervised. Tasks need to be analysed in detail and
workers are motivated through the use of financial rewards based on piecework.
Scientific management form of discipline has been criticized for its assumption about
human motivation and ignoring the impact of the work group. It disregards the
psychological needs, and ignores workers social context.
The notions of human relations and the social person took shape in relation to the
work of Elton Mayo, which started a new era in management theory. The Hawthorne
studies offered a progressive approach to organisation management. These studies
showed that pay and condition is not the only reason for people at work to be
motivated. Isolation of individuals does more harm than good and the work should be
seen as group activity. Individual’s social needs and the power of the informal group
play an important role in achieving formal objectives.
Although, many commentators place Mayo’s ideas in opposition to those of Taylor’s,
they both were seeking much the same goal. They shared assumptions and tried to
end the antagonism between management and worker.
In this writing human relation is viewed as distinctive and progressive approach to
scientific management, but from a Marxist perspective there is little to choose
between them.
The both approaches serve to sustain exploitation and
commodification (Clark et al, 1995).
End.
Word Count: 1452
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Bibliography and References
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Lecture (Binns, D., October 2002)
Administration, Domination and “Organisation Theory”: The Political
Foundation of Surveillance at Work (Binns, D.,1992, UEL, Occasional Papers,
No: 4)
Organization and Management (Barry et al, 2000)
Labour and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in Twentieth Century
(Braverman, H., 1974)
Work and Authority in Industry (Bendix, R., 1963)
Organization And Identities (Clark, H., Chandler, J., Barry, J, 1995)
Industry and Labour: Class Struggle at Work and Monopoly Capitalism
(Friedman, A. L., 1977)
Manufacturing Knowledge: A History of the Hawthorne Experiments (Gillespie,
R., 1991)
Organizational Behaviour (Huczynski, A., Buchanan, D., 2001)
Competition and Control at Work (Hill, S., 1983)
The One Best Way: Frederic Winslow Taylor and the Enigma of Efficiency
(Kanigel, R., 1997)
The Development of the Labour Process in Capitalist Societies (Littler, C. R.,
1982)
The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization (Mayo, E., 1945)
Choosing Sides: Unions and the Team Concept (Parker, M., Slaughter, J., 1988)
Competitive Advantage Through People: Unleashing the Power of the Work
Force (Pfeffer, J., 1996)
Industrial Behaviour (Rose, M., 1988)
Management Theory (Sheldrake, M., 1995)
Work Organization (Thompson, P., McHugh, D., 1995)
The Evolution of Management Thought (Wren, D. A., 1994)
Sociology, Work and Industry (Watson, T., 1987)
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