Introduction
The human relations theory introduced by Elton Mayo is one of the most practical theory that affects the performance of employees in today’s global market place and economic climate. This theory is a true reflection of the needs of employees in organizations, organizational values and the character traits of employees in general. Elton Mayo stated that employee motivation depends on the human relations policy of the organization. Managers should have a good relationship with employees, give them the chance to work in teams and develop their personal abilities and exploit their potential. Managers should also adopt a style where they relate with employees frequently. Organizations should also enhance good communication between organizations. According to Mayo, the other conditions in an organization such as the level of lighting have no impact on the performance of employees. Therefore, organizations must give emphasis to the human relations part of the organization in order to realize optimal performance of employees.
Key Research Findings
The current global economic market is so reliant on human productivity that every employer needs to motivate his employees. The findings from the theory of human relations by Elton Mayo identifies various factors that managers can adopt to ensure optimal productivity. This theory fully focuses on human resources rather than other theories that touch on the organization environment and rewards.
Effective communication
In an organization, the communication structure must be very elaborate to ensure free and fast flow of information. According to Elton Mayo, communication is one of the basic factors that determine the level of motivation of employees. Employees prefer clear instructions and being given instructions on time. Managers should develop a communication structure that would ensure that information reaches the target in good time. Managers should also adopt an open door policy where employees can come and give feedback on the progress of the work they do and also get clarifications in case they are needed. In case of poor communication systems, there will probably be delays in relaying important information to employees hence; the work they do may not be according to what the top management wants. The work may also not be complete in good time because the information was relayed late. This leads to disagreements, warnings and punishments on the part of employees. As a result, there is tension in the organization hence; employees are not motivated to carry out their duties.
Manager Involvement
Good performance in organizations is dependent on how the managers relate with the junior employees. To motivate employees, managers should adopt a friendly approach where they relate freely with their subjects. This will facilitate the free flow of information and feedback. Furthermore, a manager who is free with his subjects gets to understand the opinions and attitudes on employees hence; he adjusts his leadership qualities to complement employees’ behaviour. Employees also learn not to hide from the manager as most employees assume that managers are often unfriendly and only focus on pushing employees to perform their duties. With close interaction by the managers, employees feel appreciated and loved hence; they become motivated to work.
Team work
Mayo argued that employees are motivated when they work in teams. Team work helps employees share ideas, develop the right attitude on how to relate with one another and complement each other. In any organization, there are divisions such as departments or just teams to accomplish an organizational task. Division of employees into teams helps develop chemistry between them as they try to achieve a common goal. Therefore, teamwork is a unifying factor that helps employees grow as a team, learn from one another and know how to work towards achieving a common objective.
Affected employee attitude
The human relations theory affects several employee attitudes because if solely focuses on the human relations aspects of an organization. However, the employee attitude that is most affected by the human relations theory is the perceived organizational support (POS). This employee attitude is all about whether the organization cares about its employees and provides the best working conditions. The link between the human relations theory of employee motivation and the perceived organizational support is the human focus. Both focus on the welfare of human beings and how the best conditions possible can be provided.
The human relations theory seeks to improve the perceived organizational support in various ways. The theory solely focuses on motivating employees through providing the best human relation conditions for them. Through the development of an efficient communication set up in the organization, the theory helps improve the welfare of employees. For example, employees can get information in good time hence; there will be no delay in organizations affairs. Delays cause tension as employees are put to task as to why they have not fulfilled their duties. The employees will also be able to communicate with the top managers and give feedback or get clarification. This will make employees appreciated by the top managers since they can communicate to them whenever they need to do so.
The close relations of managers and employees as proposed by the theory supports the improvement of the perceived organizational support attitude. Employees feel appreciated when they can relate one on one with the manager, get instructions and even discuss on how to improve the working conditions. The managers can even applaud employees who are good work and motivate them by simply helping them and leading by example.
Thirdly, the theory proposes team work, which enhances close relations between employees. Employees from different ranks in the organization work together hence; providing them with a chance to learn, exchange ideas, share the work load and grow professionally. This motivates employees who will feel that the organization cares about them and wants to provide for their needs hence; it raises the perceived organizational support attitude.
Aspects of motivation in organizations
The motivation arising from this theory affects the organization in several ways. The leadership style will be more liberal where managers adopt an up-close style of leadership. They will interact with their subjects in order to pass on information easily, to learn what motivates employees and to lead as an example. The work environment will also become more enjoyable. With employees working in teams, they will be interacting with many people on a daily basis. The flow of information will be efficient hence; the organization will have a busy working environment.
Some of the benefits of the motivation arising from this theory include increased productivity by all employees. Employees like to feel appreciated hence; they will strive to achieve the organizational needs. With the team work, the organization will achieve its objectives more often than before. Team work involves working to achieve targets. The teams will definitely benefit from the good communication channels to achieve the targets on time.
Benefits of the theory
The benefits of the human relations theory can be outlined from what the theory advocates. The theory helps realize an effective communication system in the organization hence; the workers and managers will communicate well and achieve their objectives in good time. The close interaction between managers and employees will yield motivation to strive and be the best. The team work will also enhance the productivity in the organization.
Conclusion
Therefore, the human relations theory by Elton Mayo is among the best motivation theories. It promotes effective communication in organization, enhances the relationship between employees and the leadership, and promotes team work. The theory helps realize the perceived organizational support theory because it deals with how employees should be motivated. The theory advocates for the organizational leadership to take measures that would motivate employees by providing the best communication channels, close interactions and team work.
References
Beck, R. C. (2004). Motivation: theories and principles. New York: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Drillings, M., & O'Neil, H. F. (2012). Motivation: Theory and Research. New York: Routledge.
Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W. (2009). Organizational Behavior. London: Cengage Learning.
Latham, G. P. (2007). Work motivation: History, theory, research, and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Pinder, C. C. (1998). Work motivation in organizational behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
