Comparing Scientific Management and Human Relations Approaches

who, in the eighteenth century, proposed specialisation as a method for efficiency and documented the virtues of spliting labor, dividing out undertakings and concentrating the workers on these undertakings (Grimes, 2006). One of the greatest influences on direction theory during the twentieth century was Fredrick Winslow Taylor, who, aided by his book 'Principles of Scientific Management' (1911) popularised the scientific attack to such a grade he earned the rubric male parent of scientific direction (Daft, 2006).

Taylor performed groundbreaking surveies in an attempt to better workplace productiveness. He believed that workers were incapable of pull offing themselves and productiveness could merely be achieved if a more intelligent adult male (the director) directed their every move. In making so he removed all duty for the design and planning of work from those who perform it, and placed it in the custodies of the directors whose function was focused on pull outing the maximal attempt from the worker. Taylor believed directors placed excessively much accent on productiveness and non plenty on the procedures by which the work was done and this led to wastage in human attempt. Taylor performed a series of surveies size uping workers to detect the most efficient techniques (Freedman, 1992).

In one survey, Taylor analysed the efficiency of shovelling. In add-on to worker technique, optimal shovel tonss were calculated and shovels were redesigned for each stuff. Workers could now switch greater tonss for a longer continuance with less weariness. This 'Science of Shovelling' allowed for a dramatic decrease in factory staff whilst keeping productiveness (NetMBA.com, 2000). Productiveness may hold been increased, but at the disbursal of the employees. In contrast to the Human Relations Approach

there was practically no respect for the employees themselves. Taylor's rules of Scientific Management had replaced skilled labors with unskilled labors and workers were selected on strength, velocity and non much else (Taylor, 1911). Where the Human Relations attack promotes employee authorization, the scientific attack reduces the employee to a series of insistent undertakings and strips them of any sense of worth (Taylor, 1911).

Despite the neglect for the worker, the timing of Taylor's rules of Scientific Management was perfect. Large fabricating concerns such as Ford and General Motors were sing rapid enlargement and were looking to direction methods to increase end product and concentrate the efficiency of their workers. Many of Taylor's rules were adopted in mill production and throughout the twentieth century the application of scientific rules had a pronounced affect on productiveness. Ironically, as a consequence of increased production, the general criterion of life improved and so did worker dissatisfaction with the method. Union-management and a popular involvement in the 'human factor' (by behavioral scientists) resulted in a productiveness lag. This prompted administrations to relocate their work force to developing states with cheaper labor, a mirror of the original conditions that allowed scientific direction to boom in the West (Oman, 2000). Administrations were now looking to new direction methods to fulfill the increasing demands of their work force and regain productiveness and many found it in the signifier of the Human Relations Approach (Wilson 1990).

The Human Relations Approach represents a important going from the automated and dehumanized attack of Scientific Management. Where Scientific Management concentrates on technique and end product, the Human Relations Approach focuses on the person and organizational alteration through human

interactions (Baldridge 1972). It challenges the construct of directors think and workers do and topographic points teamwork and motive at the bosom of any productive administration (Daft 2006).

An early subscriber to Human-Relations theory is Mary Parker Follett who added a humanistic dimension to the survey of administrations. Follet placed more value on people instead than techniques and believed that administrations had a societal duty to their workers. Many of her thoughts on struggle declaration, inclusivity and worker authorization continue to be used in modern direction today (Tonn 2003). Another subscriber to the theory was Chester Barnard who believed administrations were systems of coordinated human activity. Barnard had an alternate position to the Scientific Management position of a director as person who gives orders. Alternatively, Barnard believed in the director as a leader whose function was to advance workplace harmoniousness and guarantee the work force cooperated fruitfully (Hoopes, 2002). The individual most associated with the Human Relations Approach is Elton Mayo, a Harvard University professor. In the 1920s Mayo was executing a series of surveies called the Hawthorn Studies. The consequences of these surveies challenged the rules of Scientific Management and marked the beginning of the Human Relations Movement (from which we derive the Human Relations Approach) (Grimes 2006).

The Hawthorn Studies (named after the mill where they took topographic point) investigated a assortment of working conditions and their consequence on productiveness. One of these surveies, the Relay Assembly Test Room, focused on a little group (referred to as a primary working group) consisting of six adult females. The group's productiveness was monitored under a battalion of altering conditions and the surveies revealed that end product by

and large increased whenever a variable was altered. This was irrespective of whether the variable accommodation was positive or negative. It was concluded that the size of the group itself had played a factor in the betterment. It appeared the group had developed the ability to self-motivate (Anonymous, 2007: Section 3). It was besides suggested that the survey itself had contributed to the addition. This phenomenon has come to be known as the Hawthorn Effect where productiveness improves if a group or single perceives they are having involvement from direction (Daft, 2006). The Bank Wiring Observation Room Study, revealed that a normal working group (this clip there were 15 people) falsified end product records, opposed direction alteration and intentionally engaged in 'soldiering', suppressing their production and end product to avoid increased productiveness marks (Anonymous, 2007: Section 3).

The Hawthorne Studies popularised the Human Relations Movement and the consequences of their finds can be seen in modern direction. Many of today's successful administrations have expeditiously implemented primary working groups (more normally referred to as squads) and moved off from the larger normal working groups. Effective directors are more like leaders who facilitate a bipartisan channel between the upper and lower degrees in the administration and directors more actively demonstrate involvement in their squads through regular employee reappraisals and assessments. This Human Relations attack to the design of work and direction benefits both the administration and the employee through a better apprehension of corporate ends, concerns and thoughts. Employees are more than simple machines set to execute mechanical undertakings ; they are the organisations' best hope for success. The concern environment is altering. The Industrial epoch has given

manner to what economic expert Charles Goldfinger refers to as an intangible economic system where cognition, trade name and thoughts are traded (Highdeal, 2002). In this new economic system the potency of the employee is an organisation's greatest plus and 'tapping in' to this potency is a major concern. Employees must be encouraged to accomplish their upper limit and motive is the key.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow produced a theory of motive based on surveies into human behavior. His Hierarchy of Needs focused on basic demands built-in to all persons and arranged them by importance in the order of physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, self-actualisation. The theory suggested that each demand must be satisfied before the following demand becomes a motive. At the most basic degree are the physiological demands required to prolong life, such as the demand to eat nutrient. Following this, we all desire to be safe and secure (Grimes 2006). The Scientific Management attack to worker occupation design merely fulfils these two basic demands. In fact, it plays on them, for workers at the clip had no farther motive available to them and tolerated the restricted and humdrum working conditions so they could supply nutrient and shelter to themselves and their households. The Human Relations Approach to worker occupation design continues to turn to Maslow's theory of demands and picks up where the scientific attack leaves away. The accent on societal groups satisfies the love and belonging and improves production through increased employee end product. The esteem demand is satisfied by a more attentive direction attack (or the Hawthorn Effect). Finally, self-actualisation is accomplished through the scene and achieving of personal ends

that represent betterment and patterned advance for the worker and the concern (Grimes 2006).

Frederick Herzberg, a major influence in modern motive theory and Godhead of the Motivator-Hygiene theory. Herzberg suggests:

'The growing or incentive factors that are intrinsic to the occupation are: accomplishment, acknowledgment for accomplishment, the work itself, duty and growing of promotion. The dissatisfaction-avoidance or hygiene... factors that are extrinsic to the occupation include: company policy and disposal, supervising, interpersonal relationships, working conditions, wage, position and security.' (Herzberg, 1987: 9)

It is interesting to observe that the dissatisfaction factors echo the nucleus rules of Scientific Management. These include supervising (by directors), working conditions, salary (pay inducements) and position (directors are superior to workers).

The research referenced by Hertzberg is shown in Appendix A. The diagram shows the composite consequences of research affecting 1,685 employees in a assortment of different callings over 12 different probes. Clearly, motive is a cardinal subscriber to employee occupation satisfaction in present twenty-four hours concern and should be considered in the design of work and direction of staff. The rules of Scientific Management see the inducement of salary as a sole incentive which, harmonizing to the diagram in Appendix A, represents merely a little country of modern twenty-four hours motive (Hertzberg 1987).

So if workers are motivated, appreciated and rewarded, and if they are given chance, duty and acknowledgment, will they truly introduce and go more productive? Does a Human Relations Approach to occupation design truly show an betterment over occupation design based on the rules of Scientific Management? The replies can be found in the workplace patterns of some of the most successful concerns today that have employed the Human Relations Approach

to stupefying consequence.

Merely 9 old ages ago Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Stanford University graduates started Google in a garage (Raphael, 2003). Now Google boasts a planetary aggregation of gross revenues and technology offices and over 6,800 employees (Carr, 2006). Page and Brin don't merely purchase into the construct that a better work force direction means better concern, they actively preach it. One employee states "Larry and Sergey are sometimes more interested in the people here than the merchandise. '' When enrolling they seek out squad participants and guarantee a suite of benefits instantly await those they employee (Raphael, 2003). Fortune magazine lists Google as figure 1 in their 100 Best Companies to Work For 2007 and lists a few of the many benefits including "free repasts, swimming watering place, and free physicians onsite '' (CNN Money.com 2007). Google gets about 1,300 r'sum's a twenty-four hours but still has problem happening the right staff (CNN Money.com, 2007). You need encephalons, motive and great thoughts to acquire a occupation at Google but in return you receive flexibleness, grasp and absolute trust to carry through your occupation in the manner you feel best. Google's gross was $ 6,138 million in 2005, it dominates internet and is now a serious rival to Microsoft (CNN Money.com, 2007).

Another of Fortune magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For is Starbucks Coffee. Starbucks (2007) has 'always figured that seting people before merchandises merely made good common sense.' Their mission statement lists six steering rules most of which re-enforce their Human Relations Approach. Top of the list is their desire to 'Provide a great work environment and dainty each other with regard and

dignity.' (2007). Employees are referred to as 'Partners' and are offered a scope of benefits including fillips, wellness coverage, tuition fees, a portion option strategy and important price reductions (Starbucks 2006). Starbucks besides believes in publicity and recruiting from within. This combination of factors consequences in a staff turnover of merely 15 % as opposed to rivals 30 %. All 'partners', irrespective of rank are encouraged to pass clip in shop. Gordon Lyle, UK HR manager at Starbucks claims to hold spent three months on the store floor (Personneltoday.com 2007). This is a far call from the rules of Scientific Management which promoted a clear division between direction and worker.

The concern environment has changed significantly since the rules of Scientific Management were foremost implemented. Arguably, the rules were successfully applied to big graduated table, labour heavy, fabricating but the fabrication industry now produces shorter merchandise runs with an of all time altering fluctuation of merchandises. In add-on, preciseness machinery now performs many of the undertakings that used to be accomplished by the worker assembly line. It is possible that factory-based industries may profit from the control and predictability of a standardized, procedure-based system but alterations in statute law, worker rights and societal influence all demand a more Human Relations Approach.

The rules of Scientific Management are outdated. This became apparent in the 1980s when General Motors lost important market portion. The loss was blamed on out-of-date direction methods yet these were the same methods that contributed to the success of General Motors when they so readily adopted the rules of Scientific Management some 50 old ages antecedently. As a effect, General Motors had to set about

a critical reorganization and direction was replaced by a new squad with a fresher attack (Oman, 2000).

Modern direction can no longer concentrate entirely on the administration. Improvements in the criterion of life and more plentiful occupation markets mean that employees are less concerned about occupation loss. If their demands are non met, they are more likely to alter their occupation, go forthing the administration and taking their 'potential' with them. It is no longer plenty to believe that motive is dependent on the 'carrot' of performance-based salary inducements or that productiveness is dependent on aggressive direction and way. Employees are now seeking other degrees of wages within their functions. Achievement, promotion and duty represent nucleus demands and elements of these must be built into the design of work and direction. Modern administrations, such as Starbucks, have proved these constructs to be true and demonstrate contented staff and happier clients.

Administrations now operate in a new Intangible Economy that relies on an wholly different set of production factors including worker cognition, teamwork, positive input, invention and velocity to market (Wikipedia, 2007). Google has dominated internet by gaining the importance of these cardinal constructs and implementing a workplace civilization to back up them. Taylor stated ''the best direction is a true scientific discipline, resting upon clearly defined Torahs, regulations, and principles'' (1911) but in today's concern clime it is proved that a more humanistic attack can bring forth superior consequences.

There are many success narratives where modern concerns have strategically implemented the Human Relations Approach to great advantage, but modern concern is non the ground for its success. The Human Relations Approach is non reliant on societal, political or

economic clime ; its roots are embedded in a clear apprehension of the human mind, what motivates us, compels us and satisfies our demands. The rules of Scientific Management had no mention to these demands and can therefore ne'er satisfy or actuate the work force to the same grade. From this we can reason that the Human Relations Approach to the design of work and direction of people represents a important betterment over work designed and managed harmonizing to the rules of Scientific Management.

Since the terminal of the nineteenth century, when mill fabrication became widespread and the size of administrations increased, people have been looking for ways to actuate employees and better productiveness. A demand for direction thoughts originate which lead to classical subscribers such as Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol bring forthing direction theories such as Taylor' Scientific Management and Fayol's Administrative Management. In the late 1920's and early 1930's the Hawthorne surveies were conducted where Elton Mayo was the overriding figure and contributed to the Behavioural point of view. This brought about a Human Relations Movement which included Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y attack. Similarities and differences can be found between the theories due to the relevant clip period they were implemented, the motivations or end of the theory and how they view administrations. However the usage of eventuality theory can assist contradict the unsimilarities which occur as it allows the relevant elements from each theory to be applied to specific state of affairss.

Frederick Taylor vs. Henri Fayol

Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol are both considered classical subscribers to direction theory. Both were developing and expression their point of views at similar

clip period with the purpose of 'raising criterion of direction in industry' (Brodie,1967, p7) in a period were really few publications and theories on direction. While both theories were developed with the same act uponing factors such as war, societal battles and industrial revolution (Urwick. 1951, p7) each developed rather different direction theories. Frederick Taylor is considered the Father of Scientific direction and he developed scientific rules of direction, concentrating on the person, instead than the squad and aimed to better efficiency through production-line clip surveies, interrupting each occupation down into its constituents and planing the quickest and best methods of executing each constituent. When implementing his thoughts he looked separately at each worker to orient to their intelligence, background and abilities. For illustration Taylor considered 'the most of import object of both the workingmans and the direction should be the preparation and development of each individual' (Taylor, 1947, p 12) and when using his theory at Bethlehem Steel with the pig-iron animal trainers, 'one adult male after another was picked out and trained' (Taylor,1947, p47) on and single degree. In contrast Henri Fayol's Administrative theory 'focused on the entire organisation instead than the single worker, defining the direction maps of planning, forming, commanding, organizing and commanding. '' (Daft, 2000, p.48). While Scientific direction and Administrative direction are both from the classical epoch Taylor focuses more on the single so Fayol does.

Frederick Taylor vs. Elton Mayo

Elton Mayo is portion of the Human Relation Movements and most of his work is based on a series of societal experiments known as the Hawthorne Studies. Both Taylor and Mayo theories focus on the person and have similar ends

for their theory such as ways to actuate workers to increase efficiency. In order to accomplish this they try to place workers demands, which would so let directors to "pull strings or act upon these demands, doing it easier for employees to better their public presentation '' (Miles,1975, p 45). However they differ greatly what an employee demands and what motivates them. Mayo focuses on work relationships as the key to bettering workplace productiveness, inspired by the Hawthorne surveies. He studied the effects of physical working conditions on employee productiveness and weariness. These surveies suggested that leaders are able to positively act upon employee motive and productiveness by demoing concern for employee relationships. What these surveies besides showed is that people desire to hold good human dealingss in the work topographic point, 'Man 's desire to be continuously associated in work with his chaps is a strong, if non the strongest, human characteristic' (Mayo, 1945, p 43).

If these desire we non met so people would experience less motivated. In the Hawthorne surveies productiveness increased and Mayo credited this to teamwork by saying 'What really happened was that six persons became a squad and the squad gave itself wholeheartedly and spontaneously to cooperation in the experiment. The effect was that they felt themselves to be take parting freely and without reconsideration, and were happy in the cognition that they were working without coercion from above or restriction from below.' (Mayo, 1933, p 46). These theories differ greater as Mayo theory is based on the belief that workers are motivated by societal factors and these societal demands need to be satisfied for workers to be productive while

Taylor's theory is based on the belief that workers are largely motivated by pecuniary agencies.

Taylor believes 'what workingmans want from their employees beyond anything else is high rewards (Taylor, 1947, p22) and thought 'men will non work at their best unless assured a good broad addition, which much be permanent' (Taylor, 1947, p26). Taylor theory suggests that to the best manner to actuate employees is to increase their rewards when they have achieved the desire result. However while these theories are apparently different Mayo's attack focused on the conditions under which the work was done, but merely like Taylor it disregarded the undertaking itself and the nature of the occupation as a factor of motive and occupation satisfaction. Hence, the two theories try to fulfill workers demands to better their public presentation. While Mayo and Taylor differ on what motivates employee their theories can be considered similar in relation to their purpose and occupation itself.

Frederick Taylor vs. Douglas McGregor vs. Elton Mayo

McGregor's direction theory involves the thought that there are two types of directors Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X directors assumes that 'the mean human being has an inherit disfavor of work and will avoid it if he can' (McGregor, 1960, p 33) and because of this 'most people must be coerced, controlled, directed, threatened with penalty to acquire them to set forth equal effort' (McGregor,1960, p34). Theory Y directors assumes employees can 'exercise autonomy, accept duty and see work to be every bit natural as remainder or play' (Robbins, 2004, p 616). McGregor believes that employees fall under Theory Y. Taylor's theories relate to McGregor's as it could be considered Taylor theories

fall under theory X. Taylor belief that 'there is no inquiry that the inclination of the mean adult male is toward working slow' (Taylor,1947, p19) that soldiering was a consequence of natural inherent aptitude and the value he placed on pecuniary motive seems to conform to McGregor's Theory X.

However Taylor is non wholly similar to Theory X as Theory X believes workers are non fulfilled entirely with pecuniary wagess and will merely desire more when they have been received. Mayo's thoughts tend to follow McGregor's Theory Y as Mayo's theory suggests that good relationships, leting teamwork to happen, and positive leading will leader to greater productiveness. This is similar to McGregor's Theory Y emphasizing 'the necessity for selective version instead than a individual signifier of control' (McGregor, 1960, p48). McGregor believes that Theory Y directors 'will be challenged to introduce, to detect new ways of organisaing and directing human effort' (McGregor, 1960, p 54) efficaciously this will better the manager's effectivity. However this differs from Mayo's theory purpose to try to actuate the employees alternatively. While Taylor's theory is similar to McGregor's Theory X and Mayo's Theory is similar to McGregor's Theory Y they do non absolutely fit. Differences such as intents of the theories and the extent to which the thoughts in the theories are followed do occur.

Henri Fayol vs. Elton Mayo

The theories proposed by Fayol and Mayo differ greatly in all countries. Fayol "emphasized direction maps and attempted to bring forth wide administrative rules that would function as guidelines for the rationalisation of organisational activities '' (Scott, 1992, p. 36) and looked at an organisation as a whole. While Mayo focused on motive

techniques and single satisfaction. Fayol emphasised the production procedure and adjusted worlds to this procedure, while Mayo 's Human Relations attack emphasised the coordination of human and societal elements in an administration through audience, engagement, communicating and leading. He was depicting the construction of formal organisation non the existent 1. The employee of an administration is seen as a machine in Fayol's theory instead than an of import portion of the organisation. Mayo's theory sees the employee's needs as being of import as his theory is based on the thought when the workers are happy they will be more productive.

Henri Fayol vs. Douglas McGregor

Thesiss two theories differ greatly chiefly because Fayol's theory suggests how an administration should be run and McGregor's is an illustration how an administration is run. Fayol's theory is a guideline and describes the construction of a formal administration non a existent 1. Fayol's theory allows flexibleness to be applied depending on the administrations, his work is besides rather general and can be applied to most administrations. For illustration his 14 Points are considered to be general rules of direction while Fayol's work is still really relevant it differs from McGregor's theory which categorises directors. McGregor's theory is an thought on how directors view their workers. McGregor presentations that companies are run by Theory X or Theory Y directors, this theory is non a guideline, troughs are either categorized as Theory X or Y. By categorizing directors McGregor presentations their sentiments of workers and the consequence these sentiments can hold in the administration. McGregor's theory besides shows how directors can take to switch fault for bad public presentation on employees. The theories

of Fayol and McGregor differ as Fayol's theory suggests how an administration should be run and McGregor explains how troughs view employees in existent administrations.

The theories suggested by Frederick Taylor, Henri Fayol, Elton Mayo and Douglas McGregor all have similar and dissimilar qualities. Each theory can be practical for different state of affairss in an administration depending on the situational factors and what the administration hopes to accomplish. By utilizing eventuality theory administrations can draw elements from each theory when relevant. This attack is seen as the most practical by a batch of people, since it adapts specific direction behavior in specific state of affairss. It implies that there is no best theory if employee dealingss or there is no best direction manner each theory and each direction manner has its positives and negatives, but the best attack towards direction manners and employee dealingss is to be dependent on the state of affairs. By non disregarding lesson from both classical theories such as Taylor and Fayol and more modern theoretician such as Mayo and McGregor eventuality theoretician can accommodate the points between the different direction theories

Mentions

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