Which phenomenon formed the basis of the human relations management school of motivation?

Which phenomenon formed the basis of the human relations management school of motivation?

• A. Mayo's Hawthorne effect
• B. Theory X
• C. Time rate
• D. Piece rate

Answer: (A)

Motivation is shaped by social factors and the workplace environment, not just pay or supervision. Mayo’s Hawthorne experiments showed that productivity changed when workers were observed and when they interacted in groups, highlighting the impact of morale, social relations, and management attention on performance. This demonstrated that human needs and interpersonal dynamics can drive motivation, which is the essence of the human relations management approach. The other ideas are more aligned with other strands: a set of assumptions about workers’ nature that can justify controlling them, and pay systems that reflect scientific management’s focus on efficiency rather than social factors.

Motivation is shaped by social factors and the workplace environment, not just pay or supervision. Mayo’s Hawthorne experiments showed that productivity changed when workers were observed and when they interacted in groups, highlighting the impact of morale, social relations, and management attention on performance. This demonstrated that human needs and interpersonal dynamics can drive motivation, which is the essence of the human relations management approach. The other ideas are more aligned with other strands: a set of assumptions about workers’ nature that can justify controlling them, and pay systems that reflect scientific management’s focus on efficiency rather than social factors.