Human Relations Movement

The Human Relations Movement refers to those researchers of organizational development who study the behavior of people in groups, in particular workplace groups. It originated in the 1920s Hawthorne studies which examined the effects of social relations, motivation, and employee satisfaction on factory productivity. The movement viewed workers in terms of their psychology and fit with companies, rather than as interchangeable parts.

"The hallmark of human-relation theories is the primacy given to organizations as human cooperative systems rather than mechanical contraptions."

Barnard stressed the following:

Natural groups, in which social aspects take precedence over functional organizational structures
Upwards communication, by which communication is two way, from worker to chief executive, as well as vice versa.
Cohesive and good leadership is needed to communicate goals and to ensure effective and coherent decision making

(Managing Organizations, Wilson and Rosenfeld, Mcgraw Hill Book Company, London, p9)

Institutes where Human Relations is studied include:

The Tavistock Institute, co-publishers of the Human Relations journal
The NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science
The Oasis School of Human Relations, Oasis Press publishes human-relations-related books and manuals