Chapter 3: Humanistic Approaches to Organizational Communication Introduction The Human Relations Approach Shifts emphasis from structure, power, and individualization (classical) to individual needs and human relationships The Human Resources Approach Attempt to balance the extremes of the classical theorists and the human relations theorists Organizations and Social Expectations Highly educated and empowered workers entered the workforce Advanced skills were highly valued, difficult to replace Case Study: The Traitorous Eight Owner of a Silicon Valley startup firm demanded that all employees take lie detector tests to prove honesty Owner was strict disciplinarian, top-down manager who stifled employees Gifted, creative employees were fed up and began to look for other opportunities – dubbed the ”traitorous eight” Formed their own firm and developed the world’s first microchip Why do you think the eight reacted in this way? The Hawthorne Studies: The Bridge from Classical Theory to Human Relations From 1927-1932 a series of industrial research studies were conducted at the Western Electric Company Hawthorne Plant Looking for ways to maximize output and improve organizational efficiency All but first study led by researcher Elton Mayo The Illumination Studies Designed to test the effects of lighting on worker productivity Lighting was held constant for one group (control) Lighting was increased and decreased systematically for the other group (experimental) Productivity of both groups increased under all conditions The Relay Assembly Test Room Studies Small group of 5-6 women who assembled telephone relay systems were isolated Various changes introduced: Work hours Number of days worked Duration & number of breaks Incentives Temperature & humidity Refreshments Changes discussed with women ahead of time; general productivity and satisfaction increased regardless of changes The Interview Program In an effort to understand the unexpected findings of the first studies, interviews were conducted Employees were more interested in talking about attitudes and feelings The Bank Wiring Room Studies Focus on the influence of social groups on production and work behavior Observations of men in the bank wiring room indicated developed norms regarding productivity Social pressures created norms in opposition to formal organizational goals Implications and Explanations of the Hawthorne Studies Mayo and his team theorized that social and emotion needs influenced productivity Paying more attention to the workers caused changed in behaviors – now known as the Hawthorne effect Supervisor attention to both context and people more likely to influence behaviors Studies critically evaluated and questions but were a key factor in moving away from the machine metaphor The Human Relations Movement Shift from organizational standardization to emphasis on the individual worker Theories emphasize worker communication Suggests workers sho.

1. Chapter 3:
Humanistic Approaches to Organizational Communication
Introduction
The Human Relations Approach
Shifts emphasis from structure, power, and individualization
(classical) to individual needs and human relationships
The Human Resources Approach
Attempt to balance the extremes of the classical theorists and
the human relations theorists
Organizations and Social Expectations
Highly educated and empowered workers entered the workforce
Advanced skills were highly valued, difficult to replace
Case Study: The Traitorous Eight
Owner of a Silicon Valley startup firm demanded that all
employees take lie detector tests to prove honesty
Owner was strict disciplinarian, top-down manager who stifled
employees
Gifted, creative employees were fed up and began to look for
other opportunities – dubbed the ”traitorous eight”
Formed their own firm and developed the world’s first
microchip
Why do you think the eight reacted in this way?
The Hawthorne Studies: The Bridge from Classical Theory to
Human Relations
From 1927-1932 a series of industrial research studies were

2. conducted at the Western Electric Company Hawthorne Plant
Looking for ways to maximize output and improve
organizational efficiency
All but first study led by researcher Elton Mayo
The Illumination Studies
Designed to test the effects of lighting on worker productivity
Lighting was held constant for one group (control)
Lighting was increased and decreased systematically for the
other group (experimental)
Productivity of both groups increased under all conditions
The Relay Assembly Test Room Studies
Small group of 5-6 women who assembled telephone relay
systems were isolated
Various changes introduced:
Work hours
Number of days worked
Duration & number of breaks
Incentives
Temperature & humidity
Refreshments
Changes discussed with women ahead of time; general
productivity and satisfaction increased regardless of changes
The Interview Program
In an effort to understand the unexpected findings of the first
studies, interviews were conducted
Employees were more interested in talking about attitudes and
feelings

3. The Bank Wiring Room Studies
Focus on the influence of social groups on production and work
behavior
Observations of men in the bank wiring room indicated
developed norms regarding productivity
Social pressures created norms in opposition to formal
organizational goals
Implications and Explanations of the Hawthorne Studies
Mayo and his team theorized that social and emotion needs
influenced productivity
Paying more attention to the workers caused changed in
behaviors – now known as the Hawthorne effect
Supervisor attention to both context and people more likely to
influence behaviors
Studies critically evaluated and questions but were a key factor
in moving away from the machine metaphor
The Human Relations Movement
Shift from organizational standardization to emphasis on the
individual worker
Theories emphasize worker communication
Suggests workers should be allowed to contribute voice and
opinions
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Suggested that humans are motivated by a number of common
basic needs, which should be met in a specific order

4. Frederick Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory
Certain factors contribute to motivation or dissatisfaction
Dissatisfiers/Hygiene Factors:
Working conditions, interpersonal relations-supervision, salary,
supervision-technical, company policy and administration
Satisfiers/Motivators:
Advancement, responsibility, work itself, recognition,
achievement
Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
Represents the extremes of managerial assumptions
Theory X
Average man is indolent, lacks ambition, self-centered, resistant
to change, not very bright
Theory Y
People are not passive by nature, managers should help
recognize motivations, create conditions for goal achievement
Critical Thinking Questions - Needs
What fundamental elements must be present in a job to keep you
from being dissatisfied?
What motivates you in the workplace?
What aspects in the workplace would be necessary to keep you
happy and/or satisfied?
When would you seriously consider quitting a job?
In the workplace, are relationships or task accomplishments
more important for you? Why?

5. Case Study: From Zero to Sixty in No Time Flat
Alan Deutschman’s book Change or Die (2007) highlights the
case of General Motors
Plant employees were resistant to change and corporate leaders
were trying to automate plant procedures
Workers stopped showing up to work, and the plant closed
Toyota offered to partner with GM, and they rehired the same
people who lost their jobs when the plant closed
Immense improvements came as a result of union workers
coming up with ideas to cut costs and improve quality
The Human Resources Movement
Attempt to balance the extremes of the classical and human
relations theorists by empowering employees
Exploitation and manipulation were common in both classical
and human relations movements
Provide environment to use resources for satisfaction and
performance efficiency
Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
To train managers in leadership styles to increase organizational
efficiency and effectiveness
All managers should strive for team management
Likert’s System IV
Concern for coordinated efforts and effective communication
developed four primary systems
Range from highly classical to highly participative

6. System I: Exploitive Authoritative Organization
System II: Benevolent Authoritative Organization
System III: Consultative Organization
System IV: Participative Group Organization
Ouchi’s Theory Z
An alternative to Theory X and Theory Y
Used cultural differences to understand behaviors
A set of principles through which Japanese models of
organization can be adapted to American organizations
Critical Thinking Questions - Management
Why is it difficult to reach that “team management” status?
Is team management leadership always the best option? If not,
when might others work best?
Context Matters
For-Profit Organizations
Scenario: Chaz notices top-down communication at his new
workplace and makes steps to change that
Entrepreneurship – Small Businesses
Scenario: Maria changes her father’s dictatorial approach to
business, and profits and sales increase
Nonprofit Organizations
Scenario: Jordan joins a nonprofit where the pay is less, but his
satisfaction increases because of relationships
Government Sector
Scenario: New mayor Jeb changes the tone of meetings when he

7. eliminates opportunities for discussion
Case Study: The Small Art & Craft Business
A small store worries that Walmart’s low prices will impact
their ability to stay open
The small business thrived even as bigger stores offered
products at lower prices, they never computerized their
inventory, and didn’t create a website
Why did this business thrive?
Chapter 2:
Classical Approaches and Organizational Structure
Introduction
The Industrial Revolution (late 19th and early 20th century)
sparked major changes in society
processes
Changes in both the management and communication of workers
became necessary
Classical theorists impacted the way industry understood and
practiced organization and communicating
Case Study: IPhones and Suicide Nets?
In 2010, nine factory workers committed suicide at the
Foxxconn plant in Shenzhen China
A few years later, 150 workers threatened to commit suicide

8. Workers cited overly strict management, long work shifts,
dangerous work and living conditions, boring and repetitive job
tasks, and low pay as contributing factors
Foxxconn installed nets around the building to physically catch
any attempted suicides
What are the ethical concerns or issues with this solution?
Frederick Taylor
The father of scientific management
Developed a system of scientific management in an effort to
improve industrial efficiency, prevent “soldiering”
Asserted the need for organizations to scientifically determine
the “best” way for employees to do their work
Conceptualized time and motion studies, introduced incentives,
emphasized selection and training of workers, worker-
management cooperation
Max Weber
Bureaucratic theory (also referred to as the legal-rational
model)
Emphasized three primary types of authority
Charismatic
Traditional
Legal
Organizations are impersonal systems that rely on rationality
and highly formalized systems of rules

9. Henri Fayol
Proposed five primary functions of management:
Planning
Organizing
Commanding
Controlling
Coordinating
And 14 principles of management emphasizing highly structured
work environments where everyone knows their place
Critical Thinking Questions – Classical
What are the benefits of such strict, rigid systems utilizing a
classical approach?
What is missing from the classical approach?
Classical Management Communication
Taylor, Weber, and Fayol emphasized a machine metaphor in
the understanding of the common worker
Communication was a tool to complete the task at hand
Managers focused on control, hierarchy, and division of labor,
and communication was for getting the job done
Communication can flow vertically (up or down), diagonally, or
horizontally
In classical organizations, communication was narrowly
focused, specific to the task at hand, and moved vertically
downward
Mary Parker Follett
American social worker and management consultant

10. Follett indicated a need for a shared, collective sense of control
Articulated four principles of coordination:
As the reciprocal relating of all the factors in a situation
By direct contact of the responsible people concerned
In the early stages
As a continuing process
Classical Influences in Today’s Global Economy
Matrix structures, which violates traditional classical
approaches including unity of direction and unity of command
Employees report to two supervisors (not one)
Allows for teams of empowered employees with diverse skill
sets
Virtual and boundaryless structures
Use technology to focus on core competencies while
outsourcing other work
Challenging traditional classical theory on organizational
structure and communication
Critical Thinking Questions – Mary Parker Follett
Why might the ideas of Mary Parker Follett be unpopular among
the classical theorists?
In what ways do Mary Parker Follett’s ideas facilitate the types
of matrix, virtual, and boundaryless structures seen in
organizations today (and in the pictured figure)?
Context Matters
For-Profit Organizations

11. Informal and formal communication, emphasis on formal
hierarchy, following orders, making a profit
Entrepreneurship – Small Business
Standardized procedures, ideas encouraged from all employees,
informal communication, relationships
Nonprofit Organizations
Administrative hierarchy and a “Book of Discipline” with the
rules of the church
Government Sector
Constrained by regulations that often connect them to a larger
governmental structure