History of Management Theory - Human Relations Movement

Introduction

Human relations movement emerged around the beginning of twenty century. It is defined as Ў°a movement in management thinking and practice that emphasized satisfaction of employeesЎЇ basic needs as the key to increased worker productivity.Ў±(Samson, D., Daft.2005.P.60) To research about the impacts of human relations movement in New Zealand based company is the core of this essay, and in this case, the example of New Zealand based company is OCEANZ seafood Ltd, which is one of the biggest companies in New Zealand seafood industry, and I have been in this company for nearly one year. Because it is impossible to cover all aspects of the human relations movement, I will relate the Hawthorne Studies (Bartol, K., Martin, D.,Tein , M., Matthews, & G. (2003)) and focus on three key points to discuss the advantages and problems in OCEANZ Ltd; 1. Respecting and concerning with workers, 2. Understanding and satisfying the employeesЎЇ wants and needs, 3. Working together and encouraging workers.

Respecting and Concerning

Ў°Mayo stated that the reason workers are motivated by such things is that individuals have a deep psychological need to believe that their organization cares about them, is open, concerned, and willing to listen.Ў±(O'Connor, E. (1999) P. 117) The role of managers is changed; they need respect and pay more attention to their staffs, to identify and solve problems in company in time. And it is also important to keep the relationship between management and workers in the right path. In order to respect workers, before managers do any decision, they should think about their workersЎЇ sensation. In OCEANZ seafood Ltd, the job in seafood industry is a very hard and boring job, but the people work in this company will not feel about very boring or tired, because the workers have a good management, the manager respects and concerns with staffs in OCEANZ Ltd. That is why when the manager was in this company, most workers happy to stay in this company. So the staffsЎЇ turnover of OCEANZ can keep at a low level in seafood industry.

The workers should be asked how they feel about the work, their boss, and co-workers, by management periodically, (Trahair, R. (1984)) that is stand for a sort of respect. Company asks people to listen and follow, at the same time, the management also should get feedback, and to be willing to listen from employees. In New Zealand based company or organizations, the people pay attention to respect other people, and protect rights of employees. Personally, in this aspect of respecting and concerning with employees, the New Zealand based company or organization is much better than other developing counties. In OCEANZ Ltd, every people is equality, there is a 30m staff meeting every month or couple weeks, depend on the situation of company. In staff meeting, manager would make a summary about previous work, answer employeesЎЇ questions and collect ideas or complaint from employees. Some enquires and demands can be solved immediately. Sometimes, the employees will happy to provide some useful information and good ideas for the company. So when employees feel they are not ignored, they will be motivated; and the most of employees are willing to hard work, so the productivity must be increased, more profits of company can be gained.

Understanding and Satisfying*

Satisfied workers* ---this idea may be just available for some people in some case, but in this case, and in New Zealand, most people go to work for money, so if employer canЎЇt provide ideal conditions, most of employees will not consider about this employer, the conditions are not only remuneration, but also include working time, location, work environment and even car-park in Auckland. So depend on above, in this essay the idea of satisfying be adopted. It is good for management and whole business to understand the workersЎЇ thinking, wants and needs, so have good relations among workers, and between management and workers, it requires this company should open; people in company are willing to talk what they want and need. This is a key point in any company, if the management does not even know or understand their employeesЎЇ needs and wants, the manager canЎЇt satisfy workers well in company, and some workers may be want to run away, so the company may be very hard to run normally with the shortage of works. To compare the human relation movement and learning organization, there is a many similar views, focus on employees, and so on; it represents the human relation movement still stands for a predominant management, and the Hawthorne studies is successful. (OЎЇConnor, E. (1999))

The relation of communication is just a way to contact and know employees; actually, the real goal of management