Study unit 1: The foundation and challenges of Human Resource Management
Chapter 1
Trend from Scientific management to Human relations
Scientific Management Human relations
Dominating scientific management The Hawthorne studies
study approach resulted in work demonstrated that employee
methods and techniques that productivity was affected not only
showed great concern for by the way the job was designed
employee output but little and the manner in which
concern for employee employees were rewarded
satisfaction. So-called time- economically, but also by certain
and-motion studies replaced social and psychological factors.
'rule-of-thumb' work methods
with the 'one best way' to Hawthorne researchers Elton Mayo
perform a task. Typically, the and F.J. Roethlisberger discovered
one best way to do the job was that employees' feelings, emotions
highly specialised and routine, and sentiments were strongly
involving little mental effort and affected work conditions.
few opportunities to make
decisions or use judgement.
Assumption Employees are motivated by Employees have feelings, emotions
on economic gain and financial & sentiments (group relations &
employees incentives. leadership)
Concept Economic man Growth of unions
differential piece-rate system, The rise of unionism in South Africa
whereby employees would was the direct result of the many
receive a higher rate of pay per foreign workers who came from all
piece produced after the daily over the world to work in the gold
output standard had been and diamond mines,
achieved.
Focus Focus on employee output and Focus on work environment as it
ignored wellbeing and impacts productivity.
satisfaction.
Scientific Management approach views the employees simply as a factor of
production and largely overlooks the phycological and emotional needs of workers.
Human Relations illustrates a 180 degree turn from the scientific management
school of thought and views the worker as human beings who seeks satisfying jobs
and good working relationships with the boss and co-workers.
, The poor performance of human relations approach is attributable to the following:
• The approach was based on an oversimplified concept of human behaviour in an
organisational setting. The notion that 'a happy employee is a hard-working
employee' - generally presented to management as an untested hypothesis - is now
recognised to be valid for only part of the workforce.
• The approach failed to consider the concept of individual differences. Each
employee is a unique and complex person with different wants, needs and values.
What motivates one employee may not motivate another; being happy or feeling
good may have little or no impact on the productivity of certain employees.
The Human Resource Approach
The emerging trend in HR management is clearly towards the adoption of the HR
approach, through which organisations benefit in two significant ways 1. an increase
in organisational effectiveness and 2. the satisfaction of each employee's needs.
Rather than addressing organisational goals and employee needs.
4 Principles of HR Approach
• Employees are investments that will, if effectively managed and developed, provide
long-term rewards to the organisation in the form of greater productivity.
• Policies, programmes and practices must be created that satisfy both the
economic and emotional needs of employees.
• A working environment must be created in which employees are encouraged to
develop and use their skills to the maximum extent.
• HR programmes and practices must be implemented with the goal of balancing the
needs and meeting the goals of both the organisation and the employee.
Chapter 1
Trend from Scientific management to Human relations
Scientific Management Human relations
Dominating scientific management The Hawthorne studies
study approach resulted in work demonstrated that employee
methods and techniques that productivity was affected not only
showed great concern for by the way the job was designed
employee output but little and the manner in which
concern for employee employees were rewarded
satisfaction. So-called time- economically, but also by certain
and-motion studies replaced social and psychological factors.
'rule-of-thumb' work methods
with the 'one best way' to Hawthorne researchers Elton Mayo
perform a task. Typically, the and F.J. Roethlisberger discovered
one best way to do the job was that employees' feelings, emotions
highly specialised and routine, and sentiments were strongly
involving little mental effort and affected work conditions.
few opportunities to make
decisions or use judgement.
Assumption Employees are motivated by Employees have feelings, emotions
on economic gain and financial & sentiments (group relations &
employees incentives. leadership)
Concept Economic man Growth of unions
differential piece-rate system, The rise of unionism in South Africa
whereby employees would was the direct result of the many
receive a higher rate of pay per foreign workers who came from all
piece produced after the daily over the world to work in the gold
output standard had been and diamond mines,
achieved.
Focus Focus on employee output and Focus on work environment as it
ignored wellbeing and impacts productivity.
satisfaction.
Scientific Management approach views the employees simply as a factor of
production and largely overlooks the phycological and emotional needs of workers.
Human Relations illustrates a 180 degree turn from the scientific management
school of thought and views the worker as human beings who seeks satisfying jobs
and good working relationships with the boss and co-workers.
, The poor performance of human relations approach is attributable to the following:
• The approach was based on an oversimplified concept of human behaviour in an
organisational setting. The notion that 'a happy employee is a hard-working
employee' - generally presented to management as an untested hypothesis - is now
recognised to be valid for only part of the workforce.
• The approach failed to consider the concept of individual differences. Each
employee is a unique and complex person with different wants, needs and values.
What motivates one employee may not motivate another; being happy or feeling
good may have little or no impact on the productivity of certain employees.
The Human Resource Approach
The emerging trend in HR management is clearly towards the adoption of the HR
approach, through which organisations benefit in two significant ways 1. an increase
in organisational effectiveness and 2. the satisfaction of each employee's needs.
Rather than addressing organisational goals and employee needs.
4 Principles of HR Approach
• Employees are investments that will, if effectively managed and developed, provide
long-term rewards to the organisation in the form of greater productivity.
• Policies, programmes and practices must be created that satisfy both the
economic and emotional needs of employees.
• A working environment must be created in which employees are encouraged to
develop and use their skills to the maximum extent.
• HR programmes and practices must be implemented with the goal of balancing the
needs and meeting the goals of both the organisation and the employee.
