1. Organizational Communication
Human Resources Approaches
Chapter 3

2. The Human Resources Approach see workers as Assets
Have you ever heard of human assets? Human Resources includes human assets which are people. People are a company’s greatest asset.
For example: Teachers – are the biggest asset of an educational institution but also important are the clerical staff, the administrators, the maintenance workers, and the student assistants. All work in helping the “wheels” turn.
How about Politicians, police, pilots, administrative assistants, farm laborers…the list could go on and on. All play vital roles in the success of their individual organization or public agency.
Human Resources Approaches

3. Human Resources Approach
The Human Resources Approach combines both the Classical Approach and the Human Relations Approach.
Good
Job !
Well Done
The Human Resource Approach combines both the Classical Approach and the Human Relations Approach…Like putting chapters 1 and 2 in a big pot, stirring it up, and serving Chapter 3
Perhaps you may recall from Chapters 1 and 2
The Classical Approach expects employees to provide physical labor – sometimes referring to the machine metaphor, whereas, The Human Relations Approach sees workers as individuals motivated to do a good job.
Human Resources Approaches

4. Human Relations Principles
If an employee is satisfied, he/she should work more productively
Work Factors
Satisfaction of Higher-Order Needs
Job Satisfaction
Productivity
Do Human Relations Principles work?
If an employee is satisfied, he or she should be more productive.
It looks intuitively appealing,
It assumes good things about employees,
It treats employees well by enriching and challenging their jobs,
It fulfills needs for esteem and self-actualization,
It generates a climate of worker satisfaction, and in the end
Productivity flourishes
So, work factors influence satisfaction of higher order needs which leads to job satisfaction which equals productivity.
Job characteristics can serve as motivators, but different aspects of motivation may vary. For example, some employees may be motivated by extra break time or extra time for on-the-job-training whereas others may be motivated by something else. Can you think of something that may motivate workers?
Job characteristics can serve as motivators, but aspects to motivate may vary.
Human Resources Approaches

5. Early Fundamental Aspects of the Human Resources Approach
Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
Likert’s System IV
The three Early Fundament Aspects include:
Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
Likert’s System IV
Let’s start by talking about Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
Human Resources Approaches

6. Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid Found on Page 52 of Organizational Communication9
Country Club Management
(1, 9)
Team Management
(9, 9)
Concern for People
Middle-of-the-Road Management
(5, 5) 1
Impoverished Management
(1, 1)
Authority-Compliance
(9, 1)
Concern for Production
Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid can be found on page 52 of the textbook.
You can see that it concentrates on how managers can combine the values of the human relations school – the concern for people and the classical school - the concern for production into a style that works well with both.
As you can see:
Impoverished Management (1, 1)
Has a Low concern for people and low concern for production
Country Club Management (1, 9)
Has a High concern for people and low concern for production
Authority-Compliance (9, 1)
Has a High concern for production but a low concern for people
Team Management (9, 9)
Seems to be the best – it has a High concern for people and a high concern for production; and
Middle-of-the-Road Management (5, 5)
This one attempts to balance concern for people and production without causing any waves.
Human Resources Approaches

7. Human Resources Approaches
Likert’s System IV
System I
The Exploitive Authoritative Organization
System II
Benevolent Authoritative Organization
System III
The Consultative Organization
System IV
A Participative Organization
The Exploitive Authoritative Organization, System I
Uses threats and fear for motivation, communication is usually top down,
Decision making and control are at the top-level where
Orders are given
The Benevolent Authoritative Organization, System II
Uses rewards are for motivation but communication is limited
Decision making and control is at the top-level
Orders and comments are used for goal setting, and
Managers believe this styles is best for workers
The Consultative Organization, System III
Is a little better than the other two systems. Decision and control is at the top-level, but, employees are consulted and their views are considered and then goals are set and there is a high level of communication at all levels
Participative Organization, System IV
This system is clearly the best. Decision making is performed by all employees,
Goals are set by work groups, all levels of the organization are consulted and
control includes all levels. Communication and interaction is extensive at all levels of the organization
Human Resources Approaches

8. Human Resources Approaches
Comparison of the Three Approaches Found on Page 57 of Organizational Communication
Classical Approach
Human Relations Approach
Human Resources Approach
Communication content
Task
Task and social
Task, social, and innovation
Communication direction
Vertical (downward)
Vertical and horizontal
All directions, team-based
Communication channel
Usually written
Often face-to-face
All channels
Communication style
Formal
Informal
Both, but especially informal
You can find this chart on page 57 of your text.
This chart shows a comparison of the different approaches we have talked about so far. As you may recall from chapter 1, the classical approach is task oriented with vertical downward communication with a written channel of communication and all members are addressed formally.
The Human Resources Approach combines the best of the Classical and Human Relations
Human Resources Approaches

9. The “What” of Human Resources
Team Management and Employee Involvement
Designed to encourage all workers to participate in the organization’s success
The goal is to create a “knowledge-enabled organization”
Employee participation
The What of Human Resources deals with
Team Management and Employee Involvement
This is designed to encourage all workers to participate in the organization’s success with the
goal to create a “knowledge-enabled organization”
using employee participation through group activities
Human Resources Approaches

10. Human Resources Approaches
Summary
The Human Resources Approach came to be out of dissatisfaction for the Human Relations theories. This was because principles failed to accumulate widespread empirical support, and
Some Human Relations ideas could be instituted in half-hearted and manipulative ways. Also,
As a brief recap, the human resources approach sprang from dissatisfaction of human relations theories because principles failed to accumulate widespread empirical support, and some human relations ideas could be instituted in half-hearted and manipulative ways.
Human Resources Approaches

11. Human Resources Approaches
Summary
The Human Resources approach tries to maximize both organizational productivity and individual employee satisfaction.
These accomplishments occur through the creative uses of the Human Resources Approach.
The human resources approach tries to maximize both productivity and employee satisfaction. This is accomplished through the creative uses of human resources.
Human Resources Approaches