Mayos theory of management

(Assignment) Mayo’s Theory of Management George Elton Mayo, an Australian psychologist, conducted a series of researches including Hawthorne studies on organizational management. His contributions to management theory became the foundation for modern human relations management methods. His studies and investigations are mainly focused on employee productivity levels at various environmental conditions. Based on his observations, Mayo reached some clear interpretations on the real elements of employee motivation, which became the basic framework for later policies to group dynamics and team building. As Dininni points out Mayo’s matrix demonstrates four combinations of group norms and group cohesiveness and the effect of each on team dynamics. The four combinations and its effects are given below.
Groups with low norms and low cohesiveness are ineffective
Groups with low norms and high cohesiveness may have a negative impact
Groups with high norms and low cohesiveness may possess some degree of positive impact
Groups with high norms and high cohesiveness are effective and possess highest potentials.
(Source: Dininni, business. com)
Mayo’s studies propose some specific views on employee-manager relations. He opined “ a tension between workers’ ‘ logic of sentiment’ and managers’ ‘ logic of cost and efficiency’”, which have the potential to lead to organizational conflicts. Lussier argues that in an organizational setting, a manager is responsible for enlightening his workers about the planned organizational changes (41). Therefore, workers get a clear idea regarding their future assignments. When the managers do not pass relevant information to employees, they would be unaware of the implemented organizational changes. Under such situations, managers and other people at the helm of affairs may unethically manipulate the workers. In my opinion, a manager would be fully responsible for unethically manipulating the worker, if the worker is unaware of the change. According to Illouz, Mayo’s management theory reflects that the workers should be seen as members of a group rather than isolated individuals (p. 117). He continues that the demand to belong to a group is more important to an employee than acquiring monetary incentives or satisfactory working condition. These ‘ social needs’ of the workers can be met only if the managers ensure that the workers are well informed of the changes. In total, in order to integrate the workforce with organizational interests, managers must consider the employee as an inevitable element of the organization.
In the view of Hindle, a manager must give much focus on cost and efficiency (p. 272). Therefore, in most times, it seems that managers intentionally try to deceive workers in order to take unfair advantages of them. Here, the manager is fully liable to workers for the related troubles. However, sometimes mangers hesitate to pass information to employees as a result of pressure from superiors. Under such circumstances, one can not accuse managers for unethically manipulating the worker because managers have a contractual obligation to top management. At the same time, a manager has also en ethical obligation to his employees.
Works Cited
Dininni, Jeanne. “ Guide to management theory of Elton Mayo”. Business. com. web 28 June 2011 http://www. business. com/guides/management-theory-of-elton-mayo-9444/
Illouz, Eva. “ The culture of management: self interest, empathy, and emotional control”. R. Ziegler (Ed.). An introduction to social entrepreneurship: Voices, preconditions, contexts. US: Edaward Elgar Publishing Ltd, 2009. Print.
Hindle, Tim. Guide to management ideas and gurus. London: Profile Books Ltd, 2008. Print.
Lussier, Robert, N. Management fundamentals: Concepts, applications, skill development. US: South western cengage learning, 2008. Print.