Human relations movement facts for kids

The Human relations movement is a way of thinking about how people act in groups, especially at work. It looks at how our feelings, friendships, and how happy we are at our jobs can change how much work we get done.

This idea started in the 1930s with studies called the Hawthorne studies. These studies showed that when workers felt good about their social connections and were happy, they worked better. The movement helped people see workers as individuals with thoughts and feelings, not just as parts of a machine. This led to a new field called human relations management.

Elton Mayo's Ideas

Elton Mayo was an important researcher in the human relations movement. He believed in a few key things:

• Teamwork: He thought that natural groups of people working together were very powerful. Social connections were more important than strict company rules.
• Two-Way Talk: Communication should go both ways. Workers should be able to talk to their bosses, and bosses should talk to their workers.
• Good Leaders: Strong leaders are needed to share goals and help everyone make good choices together.

Many companies today want their employees to have good "soft skills." These are skills like talking clearly, understanding others' feelings, and solving problems. When employees, managers, and customers have these skills, they can work together better.

Human Relations vs. Scientific Management

Some people see the human relations movement as the opposite of Taylorism or "scientific management." Frederick W. Taylor started Taylorism. It tried to use science to make workers more efficient and productive. Taylorism often treated workers like parts of a machine, focusing only on how fast they could work.

Elton Mayo's work is often seen as discovering the "social person." This means workers are seen as individuals, not just robots. They have their own needs and feelings. This idea helped people understand that happy workers are often more willing to help the company reach its goals.

However, some experts say that ideas similar to human relations were around even before Mayo's famous Hawthorne studies. They argue that Taylor himself also thought about what makes people want to work. But Taylor's main goal was always about making work faster and more efficient.

The human relations movement focused on the social needs of workers. It believed that good communication, strong leadership, and natural groups of people working together were very important for a company's success. It helped companies understand that taking care of workers' social well-being could make them more cooperative.

See also

In Spanish: Relaciones humanas para niños

• Group dynamics
• People skills
• Social psychology