CMN212 Exam1: Human Relations Movement

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

1) Physiological Needs (need for food, water, shelter, oxygen, and sleep) 2) Safety Needs (need for safety and security) 3) Belonging and Love Needs (need for love, acceptance, and belonging) 4) Esteem Needs (need for achievement, education, competence, and respect) 5) Need for Self Actualization (need to realize our fullest potential)

Challenges to Human Relations Approach:

1) Problems with the satisfaction-performance relationship - only a weak relationship between satisfaction and productivity - satisfied employees are less likely to quit and cause trouble in the workplace 2) Questions about the value of open-communication 3) Misuse of human relations principles

How were human relations principles mis-used?

- misapplications and misuse of human relations theory led to human resources theory - key elements of human relations theory, participation and openness, were used only to make workers feel as if they were a part of the organizational decision-making process - workers were told that they are important to the organization but were not treated as such

McGregor Theory X

- people basically don't like work - they are only motivated because of economics (money) - They must be closely directed and supervised if they are to contribute to the organization

Communication and Human Relations

- places a lot of emphasis on cultivating effective Informal Communication

Open communication highlighted: How can a superior create an environment of Open Communication

- superior should be supportive, accepting, and involve subordinate decision making (to an appropriate extent) - there is also one qualification: Pelz Effect

Satisfaction leads to productivity: What is the human relations rationale for this assumption?

- to the extent that the organization is able to provide safety, give decent wage, give good relationships with coworkers, and eventually give work that can prvoide self-actualization--> more productivity

McGregor Theory Y

- work is a natural part of the human experience - people will exercise self-direction and self-control to serve goals they believe in - people seek rewards other than economic rewards, including intrinsic satisfaction from their work - people enjoy an seek autonomy and self-control - they can be creative in their work and that, too, can be rewarding - most workers potential is only partially utilized

Basic Assumptions

Organizations should be cooperative systems - the real basis for success in organization is cooperation Cooperative work is led by the manager - they set teask and coordinate workers Since cooperation is beneficial, individualistic behavior should be discouraged - e.g., if an employee is criticizing another employee because they are not working fast enough, this should be discouraged Hierarchy still important, but it is a hierarchy of relationships as well as rules - Meeting the needs of employees is a critical motivator of cooperation. Different employees have different needs - people have many needs, not just money, so the extent to which the organization can meet as many of those needs as possible--> people will feel attached to organization, employers, and therefore work harder i.) implicit assumption that different employees have different needs (so job of the manager is to figure out what employees needs are and try to meet them)

Role of Formal Communication

** Still important 1.) It shapes the informal communication network - hierarchy specifies who is assigned to what unit (area in organization) - proximity is a great determiner of who talks to whom 2.) Informal communication tries to solve problems and make up for shortcomings in the formal structure

Define Strategic Ambiguity and its 3 components

- Definition: purposely leaving a message ambiguous 1) Promotes :unified diversity" 2) Helps to promote change 3) Preserves privileged positions

Question: Which of Maslow's Needs Does a Promotion to a better position meet?

- Esteem i.) being promoted shows that an employee is valued in an organization ii.) moving up helps one feels of higher status iii.) safety is a secondary result to a promotion (but these needs refer to being protected from harm, more than anything else) iv.) can't be affiliation because you leave where you were before (so may increase need for affiliation v.) not enough for self-actualization (e.g., getting your dream job would be getting close but still requires more)

The value of Openness (Lecture)

- It enables monitoring of how the organization is doing - it enables improvement - it is an ethical duty to stakeholders - Allows for formation of relationships i.) e.g., this classroom vs. big lecture hall - it encourages accountability

Challenges to Human Relations Approach: What are the Questions about the value of open communication

- Reasons organizations and their members are not open - Benefits of open communication - Barriers to openness in organization - Methods to promote open communication - Strategic ambiguity: How is it used by organizations?

Transactional model of communication

- communication is an interchange, and interaction instead of just transmission i.) it is continuous, it is a transaction ii.) you are building relationships (feedback and helping people understand is crucial)

Superior-Subordinate Relationship

- if superior-subordinate relationships satisfy employee needs, the supervisor can influence the employee - superior can be supportive in many ways i.) can help met needs of employees (2 low level needs in Maslow's hierarchy) ii.) can help cultivate positive relationships among the workers iii.) can increase workers self-esteem, by praise and setting up a climate - Emphasis on a positive work climate i.) should be made to feel comfortable to make some risks sometimes (i.e., take initiative) and not punished for that risk

What is an Open Communication System?

- in an open communication system information flows freely and there is a climate of free expression

How is the superior-subordinate relationship different for the Human Relations Approach than in the Classical Organization?

- it goes beyond command and control - focuses on a supportive relationship - both task and supportive functions emphasized, as opposed to task functions emphasizes (done in Classical Organization)

Informal communication and the grapevine: Characteristics of informal communication

- it is unplanned - informal networks are more complex than formal hierarchy - information moves quickly through informal communication networks - information received through informal communication is trusted as much or more than that received through formal networks - informal communication is as accurate as communication through formal channels - Enables "off the record" discussions, which are valuable

functions of open communication

1) Provides Psychological Safety (because we can freely express ideas) 2) Plays and important role in meeting employees needs - can relieve stress i.) e.g., waiters - surfaces problems i.) e.g., receptionist feeling free to go to boss and report problems - can satisfy come of Maslows hierarchy i.) Affiliation ii.) Esteem iii.) Self-actualization

Maslow: Prepotency

Lower order needs must be satisfied before one attempts to satisfy higher order needs

McGregor: Theory X vs. Theory Y

Theory X: - authoritarian, repressive style - Tight control, no development - Produces limited, depressed culture Theory Y: - Liberating and developmental - Control, Achievement, and Continuous improvement achieved by; i.) enabling ii.) empowering iii.) giving responsibiity

Pelz effect

having power upwards (manager can influence a higher level boss) leads to more effective cultivation of Openness between superior and subordinates - why: in the case of a manager that has upward pull, the employees are more likely to responds to this manager because they can meet needs of employees