HUMAN RELATION

APPROACH

BY: NAINA KARMAKAR

COLLEGE ID: 20273040174 K
MBA 3rd SEMESTER L
M
CONTENT:
Definition of Human Relation
Importance of Human Relation
Human Relation Approach in
Management
- Relay Assembly Test Room
- Interviewing Program
- Bank Wiring observation
Conclusion
Definition of Human Relation
 A human relation is the relationship between human
resources of the organization. It incorporates
management-employees, employees-employees
relationship. It also consists of relationship between the
organization’s human resource & outsiders (such as
clients, suppliers). Human resource is one of the
important assets of an organization. Hence, healthy
human relations lead to increased productivity and
efficiency. It also plays crucial role in growth and
success of the organization.
Importance of Human Relation
 Performance and Productivity: An employee’s
performance and productivity partly depends upon the
quality of relation that he has with management and co-
workers. When the management takes interest in well-
being of employees, it is reflected in the employee’s
performance.
 Job Satisfaction: Free flow of communication, unity
and understanding between employees increases their
job satisfaction level and morale. Job satisfaction
ultimately results in higher productivity and
performance.
 Decreases Employee’s Turnover: Organization that
takes interest in well-being and growth of employees
helps in reducing employee turnover and absenteeism.
 Develops Informal Relation: Development of informal
relationships between human resources of the
organization reduces stress and work pressure on
employees. Employees can freely approach their
superiors for any work related problems.
 Optimum Resource Utilization: Healthy relation
between management and employees facilitates growth
of the organization. In order to build such relation,
management has to understand the needs, problems &
expectations of employees and try to find out solution for
the same. The organizational assistance to achieve their
personal goals, fair opportunities for growth motivates
employees to give their best to the organization.
Human Relation Approach in
Management
 The study of human relations in management or
administration is the study of worker’s relation with
their job, leader and organization. George Elton
Mayo (December 26, 1880 – September 7, 1949) was an
Australian who spend most of his working life at
Harvard University, eventually becoming prof. of
industrial research in the Graduate School of Business
Administration. In this post, he was responsible for the
initiation and direction of many research projects, the
most famous being the five year investigation of the
Hawthorne works of the Western Electric Company in
Chicago.
The Hawthorne experiment which took place over five
year period and covered three phases:
 The relay assembly test room
 Interviewing program
 Bank wiring observation
1. Relay Assembly Test Room 

In the Relay assembly test room, two groups of female operators
consisting of six were selected and located in two separate rooms,
each group performing the same task. They prove 5 hypothesis:
Proper illumination increases productivity. This hypothesis was
rejected because the illumination reduced to moon light,
the output increased.
The rest periods and shorter working days has provided relief and
fatigues. Since output still increase after all of these privileges were
withdrawn.
The third hypothesis relating to relief from monotony to increase
production was not conclusive because monotony had nothing to the
state of mind.
Instead of group incentive plan, an individual piece rate plan was
introduced. The fourth hypothesis was also rejected since it was not
wage but something else that lead to greater output.
The change in supervisory techniques had improved both the attitude
and output.
2. Interviewing Program
In the second phase, Harvard group started a special study of human
attitudes and sentiments. To understand human attitudes and sentiments
Harvard group after interviewing about 21,126 workers who were asked
to express freely and frankly their likes and dislikes on the programs and
policies of the management, working conditions, and how they are
treated by their boss etc. This study succeeded in identifying following
three aspects.
Workers appreciated the method of collecting information of the
problems of the company from them. They thought they had valuable
comments and they felt that they had an equal status with the
management. They also developed a feeling that the work environment
were changed to the better, although no such a change took a place.
There was a change in the attitudes of supervisors because they realized
that the methods of supervision was wrong and was closely observed by
the research team and the subordinates were allowed to comment freely
about their supervisors.
The research learn also realized that they had acquired new skills in
understanding and dealing with their fellow beings. It was felt in the
sense of proper appreciation of the feeling and sentiments of the workers.
It was difficult to understand their real problems.
3. Banking Wiring Observation
 The third phase of Hawthorne study involves observation of
14 male operators in the bank wiring observation room for
a period of six months and recorded the effects of the group
behavior, group norms and group economic incentives
upon output. The conclusion of the bank wiring observation
was that the attitudes of the members of the group towards
the company’s financial incentive scheme was one of
indifference. The group was highly integrated (loyal) with
its own social structure and code of behavior which clashed
with that of management. 
CONCLUSION
 The contribution of Mayo to the administrative
organization has been a great innovation of the modern
times. For the first time, he made an attempt to
understand the problems of the workers from an angle
different other than traditional approach. The
contribution of Mayo is immensely useful not only in
the industrial sector but also in the administrative
system of state, particularly in the case of bureaucracy.
Taken as a hole the significance of Hawthorne
investigation was in discovering “informal organization”
which is now realize exist in all organization.” The
importance of group affection the behavior of workers at
large was brilliantly analyzed through these
experiments.