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Roethlisberger & Dickson
The importance of human beings is emphasized after the Hawthorne studies.
A series of experiments were done at the Hawthorne plant to find out how
physical conditions affect productivity. The researchers increased the
working conditions' facilities and they found that the productivity
increased. BUT, it was also an important finding that productivity did not
decline when improved working conditions were not present. This fact
raised the issue, WHY? Further investigations claimed that it was
interpersonal relations which kept the productivity at the increased
level.
So, Roethlisberger and Dickson, the founders of the human relations
school, believe that human beings differ in their psyche and behaviour
which affect the formal structure of organization. All the experimental
studies pointed to the fact that there is something more to the social
organization than what has been formally recognized. Many of the existing
patterns of human interaction have no representation in the formal
organization.
The study showed that behaviour of participants in the organization could
not be understood without considering the informal organization of the
group and the relation of this informal organization to the total social
organization of the company. The kind of social organization within a
concern is intimately related to the effectiveness of the total
organization.
They are of the opinion that the formal and informal organizations of an
organization have systems of ideas and beliefs. The formal structure is
more capable of expressing logical and systematic expression of the
organization which covers the logic of cost
and
efficiency in the organization. The aspects of formal organization in
general are more logically explicit and articulate than the aspects of the
informal organization, but they cannot be considered more powerful in
their effects than those of the informal organization. The sentiments
underlying
the beliefs and ideas of informal organizations are often very powerful
determinants of overt behaviour. They say that the informal structure
embraces the logic of sentiments.
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