human relations

Study of the social relationship between employees in companies.

Australian-born psychologist Elton Mayo founded the school of human relations in the 1930s. The school moved away from the scientific management view of employees as isolated factors of production. Mayo studied workers in small groups at the Western Electric Company from 1927 to 1932. He discovered that a range of factors influenced the workers' productivity, including morale and group norms. He concluded that employees profited from working in groups and needed supportive social structures in the workplace. Social bonds within working groups were so strong that group interests were sometimes placed above individual financial rewards. Mayo's findings ushered in a more enlightened approach to working conditions, including increased communications between the employees and management, as well as better social facilities and the infrastructure to support them.