BEHAVIORAL APPROACH

BEHAVIORAL APPROACH

The behavioral school of management emphasizes what the classical theorists ignored – the human element. This approach to management emphasizes individual attitudes and behavior and group processes, and recognized the significance of behavioral processes in the workplace. Overall he worked on good interpersonal relationship. The major contributors and their thinking to management thought are appended below:

Mary Parker Follet:(Focusing on Group Influences): She made important contribution to the field of Human Resource Management and understood the significance of the human element in organizations. She gave much more importance to the “functioning of groups” in the workplace.

Follet suggested that organizations function on the principle of “Power with” rather than “Power over”. Power, according to Follet, was the ability to influednce and brings about a change. She advocated “Power-Sharing”.

Follet also advocated the concept of Integration, which involves finding a solution acceptable to all group members. She believed that managers are responsible to keep the group together and objectives are achieved through group interaction.

Her humanistic ideas have influenced the way we look at motivation, leadership, teamwork, power and authority.

Elton Mayo: (Focusing on Human Relation): Elton Mayo, "the father of Human Relations Approach”, led the team to which conducted a study, called “Hawthorne Studies”, to evaluate the attitudes and psychological reactions of workers in on-the-job situations. This study was based on only one company. The experiments were conducted in four phases:

a) Illumination experiments.
b) Relay assembly test room experiments.
c) Interview phase.
d) Bank wiring observation room experiments.

Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Studies
Pre-judgment Findings
Job performance depends on the individual worker. The group is the key factor in job performance.
Fatigue is the main factor affecting output. Perceived meaning and importance of the work determine output.
Management sets production standards Workplace culture sets its own production standards.