Q.3. Distinguish between Human Relations and Behavioural approaches?

Distinction Between Human Relations and Behavioural Approaches As indicated earlier, Behavioural science approach is an improvement over the hu man relations thinking. This may be explained in the following ways. 1. Areas of Study The human relations movement kept it limited to the study of psychological needs of people, supervision styles, working conditions, interpersonal relations, com munication etc. On the other hand Behavioural scientists have gone very far and wide in the study of organizational and managerial aspects covering the areas as mentioned in the previous paragraph. 2. Human Nature Assumptions Human relation theorists have made some general, unverifiable assumption about h uman nature holding "social man" view. In contrast, Behavioural scientists have understood the factual nature of individuals and of their behaviour-holding "sel f-actualizing man" model. 3. Human Needs Human relations thinkers presume that people have only social needs, whereas the Behavioural scientists regard individuals as different from one another and dyn amic with respect to their needs and attitudes and emphasize both social and psy chological needs. 4. Organization Nature Human relations approach believes organizations to be purely social systems, whi le Behavioural science approach views organizations as socio-technical systems w hich are required to accomplish a set of individual, social and corporate (econo mic) goals. 5. Employee Satisfaction Human relations theorists advocate that employees satisfaction is achieve throug h economic and other incentives and then it automatically leads to higher employ ee productivity. On the other hand, Behavioural scientists assert that employee satisfaction is a matter of a set of factors including fulfillment of social and self-actualization needs and high morale is also necessary for achieving higher employee productivity, which is a composite thing made by different factors inc luding participative management. 6. Conflict Treatment Human relation thinkers proposed that conflict, competition and disagreement is to be avoided or should always be resolved, whereas Behavioural scientists conce de that conflict is not always bad, it may be constructive too, it is inevitable and may not always be resolved. 7. Manager's Role Under human relations model, manager's traditional role of controller is modifie d to include responsibility for maintenance of the human system. On the other ha nd, under the behavioural science model, the manager's basic role is rather dram atically redefined and he is no longer viewed as a controller but rather as a de veloper and facilitator of the performance of the socio-technical system to whic h he is assigned. 8. Nature of Approaches Human relations approach is criticized for being unscientific (i.e. vague and si mplistic and for patting forth broad conclusions having personal bias. On the ot her hand, behavioural scientists have made their propositions based on extensive researches and its sub discipline organizational behaviour also has a strong re search orientation.

Contribution The contribution of behavioural science to management thought and practice consi sts primarily of creating new insights rather than new techniques. It has develo ped a useful way of thinking about the role of a manager, the nature of organiza tions and the behaviour of individuals with organziations. Read more: Chapter 5 - Human Relational Approach & Behavioural Approach http://w ww.friendsmania.net/forum/b-com-part-2-management-notes/28386.htm#ixzz26KhWW4Wp