Human Relations School

Abstract

Classical theory emphasised the coordination of the physical processes and the adjustment of human beings to these processes. The human relations approach coordinated the human and social elements within the plant or firm into a functioning whole. Human relations theorists assumed the physical processes and structure of organisation as given. Such a structure, according to them, contained a social system, an equilibrating social organism, a complexity of groups and cultural currents — in short a plant society. This is another way of saying that human relations is deeply concerned with attitudes, values, and emotional responses, or more generally with the social psychology of men and groups.