Assignment Instructions: You Have Been Chosen To Represent A

Assignment Instructionsyou Have Been Chosen To Represent Apus Atan Im

Create a presentation using PowerPoint or similar software, explaining the overall significance of the Human Relations Era school of thought on Administrative Theory. Detail the contributions of Follett, Mayo, Maslow, McGregor, and Mosher, focusing on how each added to the theories of public administration, supported with real-world examples and APA citations. Use bullet points, include speakers’ notes or audio, and incorporate multimedia tools. Prepare a title slide and a references slide, applying page numbering.

Paper For Above instruction

The Human Relations Era marked a significant shift in administrative thought by emphasizing the importance of human factors in organizational effectiveness. This school of thought arose as a response to the limitations of classical management theories, which often overlooked the social and psychological needs of employees. The contributions of key figures such as Mary Parker Follett, Elton Mayo, Abraham Maslow, Douglas McGregor, and William Mosher have profoundly influenced modern public administration by integrating human behavior into organizational processes, ultimately fostering more participatory and human-centered management styles.

Initially, Mary Parker Follett’s work emphasized the importance of collaboration, power sharing, and understanding human relationships within organizations. Her concepts of participative management and integrative conflict resolution laid the groundwork for later developments in human relations. Follett believed that organizations should harness the collective wisdom of employees, promoting cooperation rather than authoritarian control, which remains relevant in contemporary public administration for encouraging stakeholder engagement and democratic decision-making (Follett, 1941).

Elton Mayo’s experiments at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works are seminal in illustrating the significance of social factors and employee morale. Mayo discovered that workers’ productivity increased not solely due to physical working conditions but because they felt observed and valued—a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne Effect. These findings shifted managerial focus towards understanding social relationships at work, leading to the notion that employee satisfaction and social needs directly impact organizational performance. Mayo’s work catalyzed the development of personnel management that recognizes the importance of worker well-being, a principle increasingly adopted in public sector management (Mayo, 1933).

Abraham Maslow further advanced the human relations perspective through his hierarchy of needs, categorizing human motivations from basic physiological needs to self-actualization. In public administration, Maslow’s theory underscores the importance of addressing employees' higher-level psychological needs to foster motivation, creativity, and commitment. For instance, government agencies aiming to enhance employee engagement often focus on providing opportunities for personal growth and recognition, aligning organizational goals with individual aspirations (Maslow, 1943).

Douglas McGregor introduced Theory X and Theory Y, contrasting two different managerial assumptions about human motivation. Theory X assumes employees are inherently lazy and require strict supervision, whereas Theory Y posits that employees are self-motivated and seek responsibility. The shift from Theory X to Theory Y views is pivotal in public administration, promoting a participative leadership style that encourages employee involvement, innovation, and accountability. Public managers applying Theory Y principles tend to cultivate organizational climates that empower staff and improve service delivery (McGregor, 1960).

William Mosher contributed to understanding administrative behavior by emphasizing the importance of human motivation and social factors in organizational settings. His insights reinforced the ideas propagated by Mayo and others, emphasizing that attention to human needs can improve administration effectiveness. Mosher’s work supports contemporary public administration practices that recognize diversity, employee morale, and social context as critical elements in effective governance (Mosher, 1968).

Integrating these contributions, the Human Relations Era school of thought provides a comprehensive framework for understanding human behavior's role in organizational success. In real-world applications, these theories have informed the development of human resource management, participative policymaking, and community engagement strategies in public administration. For example, modern governments increasingly focus on employee satisfaction, stakeholder involvement, and organizational culture, reflecting the core principles introduced by these theorists. Recognizing employees as integral to organizational success fosters more responsive, adaptable, and effective public agencies.

In conclusion, the Human Relations Era significantly transformed administrative thought by emphasizing social and psychological factors in organizational contexts. The interconnected theories of Follett, Mayo, Maslow, McGregor, and Mosher continue to influence public administration practices, promoting a more human-centered approach that ultimately enhances organizational effectiveness and public service quality. As governments face evolving challenges, applying these human-focused principles remains crucial for fostering innovation, inclusivity, and resilience within public institutions.

References

• Follett, M. P. (1941). Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers of Mary Parker Follett. Harper & Brothers.
• Mayo, E. (1933). The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization. Macmillan.
• Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
• McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. McGraw-Hill.
• Mosher, W. (1968). The Administrative Process. The Ronald Press.
• Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Roberts, N. C. (2014). Public Management. Routledge.
• Wilson, W. (1887). The Study of Administration. Political Science Quarterly, 2(2), 197–222.
• Wren, D. A. (2005). The History of Management Thought. John Wiley & Sons.
• George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (2017). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior. Pearson.