1. Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success
ECFC CHAPTER 4
7/3/2001
Chapter 1
Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

2. Chapter 1 Objectives Explain the meaning of human relations.
ECFC CHAPTER 4
7/3/2001
Chapter 1 Objectives
Explain the meaning of human relations.
Discuss the importance of human relations to organizations and careers.
Trace the development of human relations in business.
Discuss 21st century competencies and your responsibilities in a 21st century organization.
Explain which outside forces can affect organizations.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

3. What Is Human Relations?
Human Relations Defined
Human relations is the study of relationships among people.
What Human Relations Is Not
Knowing what human relations isn’t is as important to your success as knowing what it is.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

4. What Is Human Relations? (cont.)
A Systems Approach to Studying Human Relations
A system is a set of interrelated elements or parts that function as a whole.
In a system, all parts are connected to all other parts and are affected by at least one other part, and each part affects the whole.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

5. Figure 1.1 Human Relations and Organizational Productivity
External factors
Factors in the organization
Factors in the job
Manager
Group
Individual
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

6. Why Is Human Relations Important?
Importance of Human Relations to Organizations
Human relations leads to more productive organizations.
Organizations need people who can cooperate, collaborate, and produce results by working together.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

7. Why Is Human Relations Important? (cont.)
Importance of Human Relations to Your Career
Effective human relations skills may be the greatest contributor to the success or failure of your career.
Understanding human relations gives you insight into how and why people think and act as they do.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

8. Why Is Human Relations Important? (cont.)
Where Human Relations Starts
Building human relations skills starts with understanding your own mental and emotional makeup and your effect on others.
Knowing yourself, your values, and your principles will help you understand others, practice effective human relations, and achieve your goals.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

9. Development of Human Relations
Over time, several distinct and important schools of thought on human relations have evolved:
Classical school of management
Behavioral school of management
Management science school of management
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

10. Development of Human Relations (cont.)
Classical School of Management (1900–1920s)
Focused on efficiency
Two branches of this theory: scientific management theory and classical organization theory
Scientific management theory:
Frederick W. Taylor
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth
Classical organization theory:
Henry Fayol
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

11. Development of Human Relations (cont.)
Behavioral School of Management (1920s–1950s)
Two branches of this theory: human relations approach and behavioral science approach
Human relations approach:
Elton Mayo
Hawthorne studies
Researchers realized that productivity increased because the workers were receiving attention—known as the Hawthorne effect
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

12. Development of Human Relations (cont.)
Behavioral School of Management (cont.)
Behavioral science approach:
Scientific methods were used to explore efficient management techniques.
Studies included both workers and managers and used psychology, sociology, and anthropology to understand the organizational environment.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

13. Development of Human Relations (cont.)
Management Science School of Management (1960s–1990s)
Developed during World War II to solve complex problems of coordinating troops and supplies.
Techniques were developed with the help of mathematicians, physicists, and other scientists.
Development of the computer made statistical models easier to use.
Models are analytical tools that help managers make decisions and plan and control organizational activities.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

14. Development of Human Relations (cont.)
Information Age and Creative Age (1990s–Present)
Partnership for 21st Century Skills concludes: “. . . the industry economy based on manufacturing has shifted to a service economy driven by information, knowledge, and innovation.”
The U.S. is now entering the creative age when collaboration and creativity will be essential.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

15. 21st Century Skills and Responsibilities
21st century skills core subjects:
English/reading/language arts
World languages
Arts
Mathematics and science
Geography and history
Government/civics/ economics
Skills to increase employability and effectiveness:
Learning and innovation skills
Information, media, and technology skills
Life and career skills
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

16. Figure 1.4 21st Century Skills
Learning and Innovation Skills
Information, Media and Technology Skills
Life and Career Skills
Creativity and innovation
Information literacy
Flexibility and adaptability
Critical thinking and problem solving
Media literacy
Initiative and self-direction
Communication and collaboration
Information and communications technology literacy
Social and cross-cultural skills
Productivity and accountability
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

17. Outside Forces at Work
All organizations are vulnerable to a number of outside forces.
The frequency of changes within organizations requires that employees be open to change if they are to survive and thrive.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

18. Outside Forces at Work (cont.)
Types of External Forces
Competition (locally, nationally, and internationally)
Globalization
Economic events (recessions)
Legal-political events (increase in taxes, political unrest)
Macro concerns (going “green”)
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

19. Outside Forces at Work (cont.)
Types of External Forces (cont.)
Mergers and management changes
Socio-cultural events (demographic shifts)
Unexpected natural disasters or acts of terrorism
Changing technology
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

20. Outside Forces at Work (cont.)
Examples of Two External Forces and Their Impacts
Organizational mergers:
Organizations merge in an attempt to remain viable or to compete globally.
Mergers offer a challenge for both employees and the organization.
Employees suffer increased job insecurity and stress.
One of the main causes leading to failure of mergers is the neglect of “key human element issues.”
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

21. Outside Forces at Work (cont.)
Examples of External Forces and Their Impacts (cont.)
Technology changes:
Organizations are adding technologies that can have a profound impact on them and their employees.
Computers substitute for workers who perform routine tasks, but they complement workers who perform non-routine problem solving.
Employees may need to embrace new management styles, new office processes, and maybe even new organizational structures.
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

22. Outside Forces at Work (cont.)
Examples of External Forces and Their Impacts (cont.)
Technology changes (cont.):
Increased computerization creates tasks that require problem solving and communications skills.
Employers need workers with expert thinking and complex communications skills.
Technology makes possible different ways of working:
The virtual office
Telecommuters
Hoteling
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

23. Outside Forces at Work (cont.)
Drawbacks to increased use of technology:
Slower professional advancement
Increased worker isolation
Deteriorating social skills
Effect on human brain of heavy use of digital technology
Loss of face-to-face communication
Internet security concerns and time-wasting
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success

24. Key Terms Human relations System Classical school of management
Behavioral school of management
Hawthorne effect
Management science school of management
Statistical models
Virtual office
Telecommuters
Hoteling
Chapter 1 Human Relations: The Key to Personal and Career Success