HUMAN RELATIONS

Human Relations: Concept, Nature and Factors Affecting Human Relations

• Human relations are the study of the ways in which people relate to each other in group
situations, especially work, and how communication skills and sensitivity to other
people’s feelings can be improved. According to Keith Davis ‘human relations deals
with motivating people in organizations to develop teamwork which effectively fulfills
their objectives and achieves organizational objectives’.

• In the words of Scott, ‘human relations is a process of an effective motivation of

individuals in a given situation in order to achieve a balance of objectives which will
yield greater human satisfaction and help accomplish company goals’.

• The human relations movement presents a counterpoint to the scientific management

view that focuses on maximizing the productivity and income of individual manual
workers, and on the separation of mental and physical work between management
and workers. In contrast, supporters of the human relations movement believe that
workers want to feel a part of the team with socially supportive relationships and to
grow and develop.

Nature of Human Relations:

• Human relations can be defined as the cordial atmosphere in an organization in which
people practice the art of living in such a way that they communicate, act, interact and
transact in a cordial manner, recognizing each other’s needs, views, values and
temperaments so that every interaction and transaction taking place in an organization
would have concern for each other’s interests and feelings, leading to better motivation
and morale of people at all levels in the organization.

The main characteristics of human relations are as follows:

1. Human relations are an important process through which an individual’s attitude and work
are integrated with a view to achieving a willing cooperation on their part in the
achievement of the interests of an organization as a whole.
2. Members of the organization contribute their bit to get individual and group satisfaction.
3. The satisfaction desired by employees may be economic, social and psychological.
4. Human relations in an organization are a process of improving motivation by proper
working condition, training programmes, timely payment of wages and incentives etc.
5. Human relations are an integrated approach derived from different disciplines such as
psychology, sociology, economics and management.
6. Human relations are all pervasive; they are required in business and non-business
organizations, small and large organizations, and at all levels.
7. Human relations are a continuous activity.
8. Human relations are a goal-oriented and focused approach.

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Factors Affecting Human Relations:

Human relations in the organization are determined by:

(i) individual,
(ii) work group,
(iii) leader, and
(iv) work environment.

▪ Individual:
The individual is an important part of the organization and each individual is unique.
While motivating the employees, management should give due consideration to their
economic, social and psychological needs.

▪ Work Group:
The work group is the center of focus of human relations approach. It has an important
role in determining the attitudes and performance of individual workers.

▪ Work Environment:
It is important to create a positive work environment where organizational goals are
achieved through satisfaction of employees. In general, when employees’ needs are
satisfied, the work environment is termed positive.

▪ Leader:
The leader must ensure complete and effective utilization of all organizational
resources to achieve organizational goals. They must be able to adjust to various
personalities and situations.

Getting Along with People

No matter where you fall on the extrovert/introvert scale, wouldn’t it be great to learn better
tactics to help you get along with the people you encounter in your daily life? Getting along
with others is not complicated, but you do have to make a deliberate choice to practice and
incorporate these tips into your daily interactions.

1. Listen with the intent to understand.

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.
-Stephen R. Covey

If you make understanding another person a priority in any social circle, you will find that
it is extremely easy to along with people. It is in the choice to invest time and emotional
effort that the barriers to harmonious living are torn down. Planning or preparing yourself
to understand others is a massive first step. You can do this by listening to what the person
says (no planning your response while they are still talking!), making appropriate
comments as they talk, and including references to their statements in your response.

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2. Walk in their shoes.
Like coins, every social interaction has two sides. Sometimes, those lines between people
can get blurred and cause misunderstandings. Taking the time to view the situation from
someone else’s point of view will help you to get along better with them, even if you still
do not agree with their views. As the quote says, you can’t understand (or get along with)
someone until you have ‘walked a mile in their shoes.’ Get to walking!

3. Be polite.
Quite simple. Rude people do not get along with others. They may get along with other rude
people, but those results have never been proven. Be careful of others’ feelings. Wit and
humor at another person’s expense may do more damage than you will ever know. A polite
demeanor will also leave a deeper positive impact than you will immediately realize.

4. Always take the opportunity to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody.
Praise good work, regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, offer it gently, never
harshly. If you recognize someone in need of encouraging, then that makes you the perfect
person to do so! There are countless stories of people who have been inspired or motivated
by a single needed word of encouragement at a critical time in their lives. When you
encourage and compliment people, you create a culture of kindness and the kindness will
be reciprocated.

5. Show interest in others.

Show interest in their pursuits, their work, their homes and families. Celebrate their
achievements, grit your teeth with them through the rough times. Dance with people who
are rejoicing and take time to weep with those who mourn. Let everyone you meet, however
humble, feel that you regard him or her as a person of importance. If people around you
sense that you support their best interest and also care about the ins and outs of their lives,
you will get along with them just fine.

6. Keep an open mind.

Discuss, but don’t argue. It is the mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without
being disagreeable. Accept that others may have a point of view different from the one you
hold, or believe something that you do not believe yourself. One sign of an open mind is
someone who will listen to someone else speak, without interrupting, even if they disagree
with the view being expressed. Differences make us human; idiosyncrasies make us unique
and special!

7. Listen intently.
This may not be anatomically true (I wasn’t a biology major), but the tongue and ears cannot
both be used at the same time! Holding your tongue and freeing up your ears to listen
actively for a bit gives you an easier path to an open mind and allows you to learn more
about people around you. Other ways to listen intently include refraining from one-upping
or pointing out problems with the speaker’s story.

8. Be positive.
No one enjoys spending time with a pessimist. Sir Winston Churchill said,
‘A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every
difficulty.’

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 Positive people are welcomed in any social situation because they continually brighten the
room or space they occupy by seeing the silver linings in each cloud, and that optimistic
attitude is contagious! This is one situation where two negatives do not a positive make.
Positive people make positive situations.

9. Be sincere.
While each one of these tips is important, none stands alone. They all operate in some
combination with one another, and none more than sincerity. People will sense when you
are faking a positive attitude, when you do not have a genuine interest in their lives, and
when your kind words are simply a facade. All of these tips without sincerity will end up
destroying any positive effect you were hoping to produce. Combined the tips above with a
heavy dose of sincerity, you will find yourself getting along with people wherever you go!

Principles of Human Relations

The basic principles of human relations approach are the following:
1. Human beings are not interested only in financial gains. They also need recognition
and appreciation.
2. Workers are human beings. So they must be treated like human beings and not like
machines. Managers should try to understand the feelings and emotions of the
workers.
3. An organization works not only through formal relations, but also through informal
relations. Therefore, managers should encourage informal relations in the organization
along with formal relations.
4. Workers need a high degree of job security and job satisfaction. Therefore,
management should give job security and job satisfaction to the workers.
5. Workers want good communication from the managers. Therefore, managers should
communicate effectively without feelings of ego and superiority complex.
6. In any organization, members do not like conflicts and misunderstandings. Therefore,
managers should try to stop conflicts and misunderstandings among the members of
the organization.
7. Workers want freedom. They do not want strict supervision. Therefore, managers
should avoid strict supervision and control over the workers.
8. Employees would like to participate in decision making, especially, in those matters
affecting their interests. Therefore, management must encourage workers'
participation in management. This will increase productivity and job satisfaction.

REFERENCES:
▪ https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/human-resources/human-relations-concept-
nature-and-factors-affecting-human-relations/32395
▪ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/9-tips-how-get-along-with-people-
any-situation.html
▪ https://kalyan-city.blogspot.com/2011/04/principles-of-human-relations-approach.html

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 GROUP DYNAMICS

Synergy

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” – Helen Keller

Hundreds of fish swimming together is called--------- SCHOOL

A pack of baboons is called --------- TROUPE

Half a dozen crows on a wire is called ------------ MURDER

An influx of FLIES is called ------- BUSINESS

Owls seen together are called --------------PARLIAMENT

A pack of frogs is called an ----- ARMY

What do you call a collection of HUMAN?

Group:
• Two or more individuals who are connected to one another by social relationship
• Two or more freely interacting individuals who share collective norms and goals and
have a common identity.

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Classification of Groups:
Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley (1909)

A. Primary
• Small, long-term groups characterized by face-to-face interaction and high levels of
cohesiveness, solidarity, and member identification.
• Protect members from harm, care for them when they are ill, and provide them with
shelter and sustenance.
• They give the individual his earliest and completest experience of social unity.
• Example: FAMILY

B. Secondary
• Larger and more formally organized.
• They tend to be shorter in duration and less emotionally involving.
• Example: COLLEAGUES
•

Dynamics:
“The forces or properties that stimulate growth, development, or change within a system or
process.”

Communication and Interaction Patters within a Group:

Selective Perception influenced by:

1. Life positions that result from experiences in early childhood
2. Values
3. The status and position of the communicator
4. Previous experiences
5. Assumptions
6. Stereotypes

Patterns of Interaction are influenced by:

1. Cues and Reinforcers
2. Emotional Bonds
3. Subgroups
4. Size and Physical Arrangements
5. Power and Status

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 Importance of Groups:
1. Maximize skills and potentials
2. Encourage opinions and expressions
3. Motivate employees
4. Sense of belongingness
5. Sense of security

GROUP DYNAMICS:
The processes involved when people in a group interact with each other or the study
of these.

STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT:

• Bruce Tuckman first proposed the 4 STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT in 1965.
• In 1977, together with Mary Ann Jensen, they added the 5TH STAGE.

1ST STAGE: FORMING

• Represents a time where the group is just starting to come together and is
characterized with anxiety and uncertainty.
• Members are beginning to form impressions of each other and gain an
understanding of what the group will do together.

2ND STAGE: STORMING

• Where conflict and competition are at its greatest
• Where the more dominant of the group members emerge, while other, less
confrontational members stay in the comfort and security of suppressing their feelings
just as they did in the previous stage.

3RD STAGE: NORMING

• Members are flexible, interdependent and trust each other.
• Leadership is shared, and members are willing to adapt to the needs of the group.
• Where the group becomes a cohesive unit.

4TH STAGE: PERFORMING

• Everyone knows each other well enough to be able to work together, and trusts
each other enough to allow independent activity.
• Group identity, loyalty and morale are all high, and everyone is equally task-oriented
and people-oriented.

5TH STAGE: ADJOURNING

• This is about completion and disengagement, both from the tasks and the
group members.

REFERENCES
▪ Donelson Forsyth, Group Dynamics, 4th edition, 2014
▪ Charles D. Garvin, Lorraine M. Gutierrez, Maeda J. Galinsky, Eds. Handbook
of Social Work with Groups, 2004.
▪ Bruce Tuckman’s Team-Development Model, 1965
▪ Abraham Maslow, A Theory of Human Motivation, 1943
▪ Dr. Saul McLeod, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Simply Psychology, updated
2020