The school of behavior arises from the modifications made by various authors to the contributions made to the studies by thinkers belonging to the school of human relations.
Among them we find thinkers and scholars such as Elton Mayo, Mary Parker Follett. Henry Gantt and Hugo Munsterberg who are recognized in the world of organizational knowledge as pioneers of concepts that would be classified within the current of thought that is interested in knowing, understanding and explaining human behaviors within the workplace. These authors are recognized as the first organizational thinkers who were interested in the search for strategies that humanized production processes, therefore,These ideas generated the interest of other authors to deepen the understanding of human behavior within institutions, resulting in research that today guides the administrative practice of managers who are interested in making the institutions to which they direct institutions that provide to your workforce the opportunity to increase the quality of life.
The search for knowledge about human behavior in organizations is currently linked to the fact that within the organizational world it has been shown that the workforce is decisive for the success or failure of the organization. On the other hand, it has been understood that the administrator's job is to achieve objectives through the proper direction of the work group, therefore, the appropriate administrator is one who understands that his work as such is adequate if he knows how to motivate the group of people that directs towards the achievement of the expected results and therefore requires knowledge, skills and values about managing work groups, emotional intelligence, establishing adequate human relationships and motivation in the workplace.
The studies of human behavior within the work took as an object of study the motivations, the dynamics of groups, the needs and individual interests, the relationships of groups within the institutions. The neo-human relationship school is eclectic since it uses theoretical-methodological contributions from the social sciences such as administration, psychology, sociology, social psychology, neurolinguistics, and anthropology. Its range is wide and includes from how to influence individual behavior to a detailed analysis of psychological relationships. Focusing on the workforce, he is interested on the one hand in understanding the relevant phenomena in intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships regarding the work situation, and on the other hand,he is interested in observing work groups as anthropological subcultures, as well as understanding the effect of ways of speaking on workers' behavior.
The Hawthorne studies by Elton Mayo released a lot of new research on workers' needs and human relationships. This research carried out at the beginning of the 20th century gave way to the humanization of the administration theory, as the main concern of administrators became people and not machines as Taylor suggested. The same aspects previously placed in front of the machine came to be placed in front of the man and some research emerged around the following questions:
How to know and measure the potential of man?
How to bring it to fully apply that potential?
What drives man to be more efficient and productive?
What is the basic force that propels your energies into action?
What are your maintenance needs for stable and long-lasting operation?
What is the most suitable environment for its operation?
With the first answers to these questions and with the studies on human motivation, the "Behaviorist Theory of Administration" emerged, which is concerned both with the individual behavior of men within the company as well as with the organizational behavior itself.
According to this new approach, it is perceived that man through work consciously or unconsciously envisions the prospects of satisfaction and self-realization that the activities carried out will allow him to achieve.
Innumerable investigations revealed certain fundamental aspirations that condition the behavior of man within organizations:
Desire to feel necessary and important to the organization to which you belong
Desire to feel the boss's interest in your success or well-being.
Desire to receive recognition and approval for what you do, especially when it is successful and when it brings benefit to the organization.
Desire to receive consideration and respect through a treatment capable of maintaining self-esteem and self-appreciation.
Desire to participate and feel integrated and satisfied within an environment of compatible human relationships.
Desire to feel understood by their superiors regarding the personal problems that affect them and that often condition their thinking and action.
Perception of clear possibilities of permanence in the organization, progress and future, visualization of the organizational objectives capable of making you feel proud of being a member of the organization.
The school or theory of neohumanorrelationism or behavior theory is a theory in opposition to classical theory that pays special attention to human behavior. It is considered a continuation of the theory of human relations. She criticizes both the bureaucracy and the theory of human relations, because she considers that she never treated the human factor individually.
Neohumanorrelacionismo or behavioral theory analyzes people and their behavior individually and in groups, based on the fact that motivation improves the productivity of the company. Among the most prominent authors within this current of thought we find:
Abraham Maslow
Frederick Herzberg
Douglas McGregor
Chris Argyris
Rensis Likert
David McClelland
Strauss and Sayles
The usefulness of the theoretical contributions of these authors is briefly explained below.
Through Maslow's investigation today in the world of organizations it is understood that the productivity of the workforce is linked to the satisfaction of the needs specified by this author. It is impossible to create employee commitment if the theoretical model of the pyramid of needs constructed by Maslow is not taken into account, in which it can clearly be inferred that if the administrative practice and policy implemented within the institution is not directed At least to satisfy the third need of said behavioral analysis model, the commitment cannot be achieved and therefore the “employee's shirt is put on”. For more information, consult this Pyramid of Needs.
Herzberg's contributions help managers understand that mental and emotional hygiene factors and motivational factors exist within institutions. The former are extrinsic, that is, they are incentives that the company must maintain adequately so as not to cause dissatisfaction, but managers understand that giving these incentives to employees does not motivate them to work better. Motivational factors are attributable to the person's own nature as they are considered intrinsic. Thus,Within the institutions it is important to consider taking these factors at the time of personnel selection as well as to implement administrative practices and policies on job enrichment and recognition programs that stimulate the value that the institution places on the workforce that has internal strength to motivate yourself in your work. For more depth consult the contributions of Frederick Herzberg.
Douglas McGregor allows with his theoretical model of X and Y to understand that within the institutions and / or bosses and subordinates there is a philosophy that drives action. Both positions are totally antagonistic but according to which one is possessed it will be the type of direction that is exercised. Consult on Theory X and Y.
Strauss and Sayless took up McGregor's theoretical postulates and built the Z theory of human behavior. Through these contributions, many organizations have understood the following factors:
People like to feel important.
People want to be informed of what is happening in the company.
People want their work done well done to be taken into account and recognized.
According to these theoretical postulates, many successful organizations have undertaken administrative practices that recognize well-done work in monetary and non-monetary ways, establish incentive programs that help improve the quality of work life through making staff feel like part of important in achieving organizational goals. For example, some companies know how important it is for employees to know, understand and act according to the mission and vision set out in a strategic way. They are also concerned with establishing administrative actions aimed at taking the workforce into account in decision-making, for example,Some companies recognize the importance of employee input regarding decisions to launch new products and services, troubleshooting problems, and improving processes.
Chris Argyris has emphasized the importance of carrying out Organizational Learning within institutions, which will allow the organization to become intelligent. To achieve this situation, Argyris places emphasis on implementing a training program so that it allows people to have knowledge, skills and values that help them work as a team and thereby develop mature groups that are capable of self-directing by learning to perform optimally.. To do this, it has formulated a strategy to raise awareness of the facts or situations, which consists of arguing, asking and reflecting. Argyris emphasizes the importance of his experience in the individual since it will guide the actions taken by the person, that is,Argyris recognizes that people's actions are the product of perceptions, therefore, warns about the heterogeneity of the factors involved in people's actions.
This author warns: "Any company that aspires to succeed in today's difficult business environment must first solve a basic dilemma: increasingly, success in the market depends on learning, although most people do not know how to learn."
He also comments the following: "A team must live and breathe in the short term, plan for the long term, but act for the present." This is how you will become a group that has gone from immaturity to maturity. Here are the stages that a group goes through from immaturity to maturity:
Training: It is the most difficult since it is where you begin to know and interact
Storm: questions arise such as why am I here and what am I doing here? At this stage the group needs a lot of support and follow-up so that it can take the next step. The problem with many organizations is that their groups stay at this stage.
Normative: Decisions begin to be agreed and the objectives are marched.
Optimal. The group has reached maturity and is capable of working autonomously achieving self-direction.
The continuous maturity-immaturity proposed by this author also sheds light on human needs. The concept focuses on the personal and natural development of people to explain the needs. For Argyris, as people progress from immaturity to maturity they change:
From a state of passivity as an infant, to a state of increasing activity as an adult.
From a state of dependence on others as an infant, to a state of relative independence as an adult.
From being able to behave in a few ways as an infant, to being able to behave in many ways as an adult.
From having erratic, casual, superficial and changing interests as an infant to having deep and lasting interests as an adult.
From having a short-term perspective as an infant, to having a long-term perspective as an adult.
From having a subordinate position as an infant, to aspiring to occupy an equal or superior position as an adult.
From a lack of awareness as an infant, to an awareness and control over himself as an adult.
According to these postulates, many administrative organizations have understood that turning the organization into an intelligent institution requires mature individuals, that is, people who know and value learning. Maturing individuals have increasing needs for activity, for relative independence, for diverse behaviors; they have deeper and more lasting interests, can have a relatively long perspective of time, occupy a position equal to that of other mature individuals, and have self-awareness and control of their own destiny, which implies that the organization must establish appropriate administrative practices to this reality.
Rensis Likert enables managers to understand that each organization is different, therefore, it is important for managers to analyze the type of organization in order to determine the type of address to use.
This author provides the four management systems, but considers that before determining which one is appropriate, the following variables should be investigated in order to make a diagnosis that would lead to recognizing the most appropriate administrative system for the nature of the organization.. These variables are:
The decision-making process.
The communication.
The interpersonal relationships.
The rewards and punishments.
According to the diagnosis made, it is possible to say which of the following systems would be more appropriate to the organizational nature.
Authoritarian or coercive: It is a closed, autocratic and arbitrary system. It is convenient when decisions are made by the discharge. Communication does not exist in this system; interpersonal relationships: they do not occur because the top management makes all the decisions; reward systems: does not exist.
Arbitrary or benevolent: It is a disguised autocracy. The decision-making process is in the upper management, but there is a certain delegation in things that are not important; communication is precarious, but it is made to believe that it exists; interpersonal relationships are tolerated; reward systems: more attention is paid to punishments only.
Consultative System: It is done through participation. Decision-making process: participatory, people are allowed to intervene; communication occurs frequently; interpersonal relationships are constant; reward systems: more rewards are used than punishments.
Participatory: it is an open democracy. Decision-making process: responsibility is delegated as far as possible; communication takes place in every way; interpersonal relationships with constants and much of the process is based on them; reward system: punishment is only used in very necessary things, but rewards are constantly used, indeed, this system is based on them.
Likert considers that to adopt a management model, it is first necessary to evaluate based on the previous points and the type of organization in question, and based on this, determine which system should be adopted. It also considers that different systems can be adopted in the same organization depending on the functional area in question. At the same time, it is important to know which organizational climate would be appropriate to the nature of the organization and with this, take administrative actions appropriate to the desired administrative system.
The contributions of David McClelland help managers to understand from this theoretical perspective that people within the workplace have needs that drive their actions, therefore, recognizing these contributions from administrative practices, it is possible to recognize how the employee will perform their work. For more in-depth consult on this theory.
