Human Relations Movement

In the late 1920's and 1930's, Elton Mayo performed the first studies on workers' needs. From his findings, he concluded that "the relation of working groups to management was one of the fundamental problems of . . . industry." His book The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization formed the foundation of much later organizational and management concepts. He emphasized the importance of management and worker communication. He also identified key elements of job satisfaction as recognition, security, and a sense of belonging. These were derived as a result of his participation in the now famous "Hawthorne" studies.

During and after WWI, the Human Relations Movement focused on the individual worker and how to "alleviate alienation at work." It was recognized that there was a need to increase productivity and reduce industrial disputes. Stressed were lowering absenteeism and turnover by standardizing working conditions and pay structure. An outcome of this movement was increased awareness of workers' psychological needs.