A strategy for human relations

The paper ” A Strategy for Human Relations” is an excellent example of an essay on human resources. Organizational management seems to have undergone a paradigm shift over the years. The change has been from management based on classical theories to that based on humanistic theories, of which the human relations approach is one of the most important. The main reason behind this is the gradual appreciation that employees are not mere economically motivated factors of production as classical theorists propose. Rather, there is a human factor in organizations that should be recognized. Catering for and reconciling workers needs and interests with the organization’s objectives form fundamental aspects of organizational management. However, a strategy is needed to efficiently to go about this. Such a strategy should be developed upon a human relations theory that is optimized for an organization. This essay will present a practical, human relations strategy based on McGregor’s Theory aiming to improve humanistic managerial skills. It is imperative that the concept of human relations and the theory it is being based on are understood well before a strategy can be developed. Reece and Brandt (2009) define human relations as the developing systematic body of knowledge aimed at gaining insight into the behavior of people in an organizational context. Dalton, Hoyle, and Watts (2010) argue for human relations stating that it emphasizes employee rather than the task. It is necessary to appreciate the informal aspects of an organization besides the formal ones as they are crucial to productivity. Some of the principles and themes that guide human relations theories include communication, self-awareness acceptance, trust, self-disclosure, conflict resolution and motivation (Reece and Brandt, 2009).
McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y encompass the Classical theory (X) and the Human Relations theory (Y). This theory is based on the opportunity it gives for one to compare and contrast the humanistic and classical perspectives of organizational management when developing strategies. From McGregor’s work, classical theorists maintained that most people had to be coerced and threatened for them to work. The humanistic approach, on the other hand, maintains that coercion and punishment are not the sole strategies. Instead, proper conditions at the workplace ensure that people learn to accept and even seek responsibility. The classical perspective is of the view that humans inherently dislike work and seek to avoid it. From a human relations point of view, this boils down to commitment of the individual to the organization’s objectives. This can be through catering for the interests of employees while reconciling their needs with the organization’s objectives. Theory X leans towards the view that all imagination, ingenuity, and creativity lie with the top management. Theory Y, on the other hand, maintains that these are widely distributed within the organization and thus should be properly harnessed (Kreitner, 2008).
Through the utilization of McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y, I can thus develop a human relations strategy that is properly humanistic while at the same time watching out for the pitfalls that may arise in the process. My human relations strategy will have two mutually supportive goals; to enhance personal growth and development and secondly, to align personal growth and development with the achievement of the organization’s needs. Since the two goals will take place simultaneously as the human relations strategy is developed and rolled out, they will not be tackled separately in this essay. The tenets of the human relations strategy will be based on communication, self-awareness, motivation, trust as well as conflict resolution. Communication is the heart of human relations hence it will be enhanced both formally and informally (Reece, and Brandt, 2009). The next element is self-awareness, where individual understanding and acceptance lead to better interrelationships with other employees. Personal motivation and motivating others will be based on Herzberg’s theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where the former links motivation to five factors of job satisfaction; recognition, job description, achievement, responsibility, and opportunity for advancement (Hong and Waheed, 2011). The latter helps to identify and understand people’s needs. Trust will be hugely emphasized since it is the foundation of human relationships. Anticipating and resolving conflicts is the last aspect, where a mediator’s approach will be used rather than taking sides or judging (Golbert, 2009).
In summary, this essay has explored the concept of human relations, and through an analysis of McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y established a practical strategy for human relations. The elements of the strategy developed, however practical, are all based on sound theories, which will not only ensure they are strong but also help users to learn, grow and develop their human relations skills.