To What Extent Does the Human Relations Approach to the Design of Work and Management of People Represent an Improvement over Work Designed and Managed According to the Principles of Scientific Management?
This paper compares and contrasts two popular management schools of thought, Scientific Management and the Human Relations Approach. Both methods are designed to maximise business potential through better organisation, but they differ greatly in the way they seek to achieve it. Scientific Management represents an organisation centred approach that is based on improving worker output through optimised technical methods and strict management. The Human Relations Approach focuses on the workers themselves and suggests strong worker relationships, recognition and achievement are motivators for increased productivity (Daft, 2006). This essay will define each management method and consider the main contributors to these schools of thought. It will review several associated theories and how they supported the principles of Scientific Management or the Human Relations Approach. Finally the essay will consider the place of each management method in modern day business before concluding to what extent the Human Relations Approach represents an improvement over the principles of Scientific Management in the design of work and management.
Scientific Management is the term given to the application of scientific principles to factory or labour intensive work in order to improve efficiency and productivity of the workforce. The ‘science’ in management can be evidenced far back in history. The creation of grand structures such as the Egyptian Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China; the Roman roads, aqueducts, and Hadrian’s Wall all required precision of a scientific nature without computers, calculators or modern measuring equipment (Grimes, 2006). Historically this approach has served industry well and the science of management has been considered by several notable influencers. One contributor to the theory was Adam Smith, who, in the 18th century, proposed specialization as a method for efficiency and documented the merits of dividing labour, separating out tasks and
Scientific Management is the term given to the application of scientific principles to factory or labour intensive work in order to improve efficiency and productivity of the workforce. The ‘science’ in management can be evidenced far back in history. The creation of grand structures such as the Egyptian Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China; the Roman roads, aqueducts, and Hadrian’s Wall all required precision of a scientific nature without computers, calculators or modern measuring equipment (Grimes, 2006). Historically this approach has served industry well and the science of management has been considered by several notable influencers. One contributor to the theory was Adam Smith, who, in the 18th century, proposed specialization as a method for efficiency and documented the merits of dividing labour, separating out tasks and
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