Introduction To Human Relations

            The study of human relations helps us understand how people fulfill both personal growth needs and organizational goals in their careers. Many organizations are beginning to realize that an employee's life outside the job can have a significant impact on work performance, and some are developing training programs in human relations that address the total person. Increasingly, organizations are discovering that many forces influence the behavior of people at work.

            Human relations is not a set of foolproof techniques for solving people&-related problems. Rather, it gives people an understanding of basic behavior concepts that may enable them to make wiser choices when problems arise, to anticipate or prevent conflicts, and to keep minor problems from escalating into major ones.

            The development of the human relations movement has involved a redefinition of the nature of work and the gradual perception of managers and workers as complex human beings. Two landmarks in the study of motivation and worker needs are 'Frederick Taylor's work in scientific management and Elton Mayo's Hawthorne studies. Many industry leaders predict an increased emphasis on human relations research and application. The reasons for this trend include higher educational of employees and managers, worker organizations pressing for attention to employee concerns, a weakening of the traditional work ethic, and increased federal legislation affecting organizations.

            Seven major themes emerge from a study of human relations: communication, self&-awareness, self&-acceptance, motivation, trust, self&-disclosure, and conflict management. These themes reflect the current concern in human relations with personal growth and satisfaction of organizational objectives.