Evolution of Management Thought II
Organizational behaviour
- According to Mintzberg, management is about
influencing action, often of ‘others’ - A large majority of what contemporary
managers do when managing people (e.g.
motivating, leading, conflict resolution etc.) is
directly attributed to OB
The Hawthorne Studies
- A series of studies in 1920s and 1930s that provided new
insights into behaviour of groups in the workplace - Initially undertaken by industrial engineers at Western
Electric, an American electrical engineering &
manufacturing company - Subsequently headed by Prof. Elton Mayo
(and associates), an Australian working at
Harvard University
Pre-Elton Mayo
- A series of studies in 1920s and 1930s that provided new
insights into behaviour of groups in the workplace - Initially undertaken by industrial engineers at Western
Electric, an American electrical engineering &
manufacturing company
-Subsequently headed by Prof. Elton Mayo
(and associates), an Australian working at
Harvard University
Post- Elton Mayo
Numerous experiments relating to job design,
lengths of work day/week, introduction of ‘rest’
periods, individual vs. group wages etc.
Findings indicated:
Social norms or groups standards (e.g. group/peer
pressure) key to individual work behaviour
People’s behaviour & attitudes are intertwined
Money is less important than group standards,
attitudes and security
CRITICISM
- Did not discover anything new, ignored existing
knowledge - Impact due to affiliation with Harvard and being
published during a period of economic upheaval - Methodologically deficient (i.e. sampling bias)
- Did not consider influences outside the organisation
- Encouraged manipulative techniques to exploit
workers – significant managerial bias designed to
undercut the power of unions
VALUE
- Research was scientific, statistically sophisticated, and provided rigorous detail in analysis undertaken
- Provided a more focused analysis of workers’ interactions within organisations
- Used sociological and psychological concepts to challenge foundations of economic theory - combined multiple academic fields and provided impetus for cross disciplinary research
- Offered management subtle means of control
- Critics recognize the importance and originality but
disagreed with its worldview
IMPACT
– Shifted the attention of managers and researchers away from the work itself (i.e. rationality and efficiency) towards the social setting of workers and their individual attitudes
- there are many sources of individual job satisfaction and dissatisfaction
- there are different ways of supervising workers
- the group, especially informal, is important in work settings
- managers need good interpersonal skills
- social relationships at work are important
– Gave birth to the Human Relations Movement
HUMAN RELATIONS MOVEMENT
Based on the belief that a satisfied worker will be productive
– However, this was unsubstantiated as the views of those within the movement were shaped by personal philosophy than by evidence
Maslow, McGregor
BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE THEORISTS
Scientific methods used to study OB
– Kept personal beliefs out of their work
THE CONTINGENCY APPROACH
• Also referred to as the situational approach
• There is no one universally applicable set of
management principles (rules) by which to
manage organisations
• Organisations are individually different,
face different situations (contingency
variables), and require different ways of
managing
Contingency Variables
– Organisation size
– Routineness of task technology
– Environmental uncertainty
– Individual differences
As result of its influence on the human relations
movement and behavioural science theorists,
the Hawthorne studies laid the foundation for
research in
– Motivation
– Leadership
– Group behaviour and development
– Other organisational behaviour topics
Current trends & issues in management
Globalisation
Ethics
Sustainability
“…widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide
interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social
life...”
Rules and principles that define right and wrong
Meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs