The human relations movement emerged in the 1940s-1950s in response to organizations failing to treat employees humanely. Proponents like Elton Mayo believed the human element had a greater impact on productivity than technical factors. The Hawthorne experiments studied how the physical environment impacted productivity. They found employees worked harder if they felt management cared about their welfare. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory explained how lower needs must be met before higher needs motivate.