Page 391 - Encyclopedia of Business and Finance

eobf_H 7/5/06 3:03 PM Page 368

Human Relations

Most organizations recognize improved quality is the clash in voicing mental perceptions of controversial issues,
key to survival. The notion of quality as a competitive tool conflict occurs. If the issue is one pertinent to the work-
has been around for many years, but in the 2000s, it is place, such as affirmative action, human values have the
receiving much more attention. In a period of fierce com- potential to lead to problems.
petition, a consumer may not tolerate poor quality. Ethics also play a role in interpersonal conflict. Ethics
Human beings are at the heart of the quality movement refer to moral rules or values governing the conduct of a
because workers are given the power and responsibility to person or group. Perhaps more than anything else, an
improve quality. individual’s adherence to values related to what is morally
Companies are organizing their workers into teams in right determines the respect that others hold for that per-
which each employee plays an important role. If team son. Lack of respect for one individual by another is likely
members cannot work together, the goals of the organiza- to lead to poor human relations between the two.
tion will suffer. In some cases, workers are cross-trained so The social dimension of behavior is determined by a
they can do the work of others, if necessary. person’s personality, attitudes, needs, and wants. An indi-
The demographics of the workplace are also chang- vidual’s personality is the totality of complex characteris-
ing. Diversity is increasingly typical. In the years ahead, a tics, including behavior and emotional tendencies,
large majority of those entering the work force will be personal and social traits, self-concept, and social skills.
women and minorities. Passage of the American with Dis- The objective of many training sessions for employees and
abilities Act in 1990 opened the employment door to supervisors is to improve a person’s ability to get along
more people with physical or mental impairments. In the with others. A person’s personality has a major impact on
future, there will be increased employment of the popula- human relations skills.
tion over age sixty-five. Within this heterogeneous work People reveal their attitudes through their personality.
force, a variety of values and work habits will be found. An attitude is a mental position one possesses with regard
Supervisors will need to become skilled at managing to a fact, issue, or belief. Attitudes that often present prob-
diversity. lems in the workplace are those that concern biased and
The leaders of the work force in the twenty-first cen- prejudiced viewpoints. Generally, employees who possess
tury need different skills to be successful. Workers are bet- positive attitudes and who are open-minded are judged to
ter educated and better informed, and have higher have more desirable personalities than those with negative
expectations. They seek jobs that give not only a sense of attitudes who hold biased viewpoints.
accomplishment but also a sense of purpose. They want
jobs that provide meaningful work. Managers must there-
COMMUNICATION
fore shift from manager as order-giver to manager as facil-
Perhaps the single most important aspect of designing any
itator. They must also learn how to assume the roles of
work environment is the plan that links all workers and
teacher, mentor, and resource person.
supervisors with multiple channels of communication.
Few lines of work will be immune from these trends.
Good communication may be cited as the most important
Employees must be flexible and adaptable in order to
component of sound human relations. Despite the recog-
achieve success within a climate of change. It is important
nition of the importance of communication, it presents
for everyone to develop those interpersonal skills that are one of the most difficult and perplexing problems faced in
valued by all employers.
modern organizations.
Even in small organizations, where only a few people
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN are involved, sound communication is difficult to estab-
BEHAVIOR lish. When an organization expands in numbers, as well as
Mental perceptions are influenced by everything that has in diversity among its members, the establishment of
passed through an individual’s mind. That includes all of communication channels becomes even more difficult.
a person’s experiences, knowledge, biases, emotions, val- Good communication is essential for the smooth func-
ues, and attitudes. No two people have identical percep- tioning of any organization. Managers need clear lines of
tions because no two people have precisely the same communication to transmit orders and policies, build
experiences. cooperation, and unify groups. Employees must be able to
Mental perceptions may sometimes lead to conflict. convey their concerns or suggestions and feel that man-
Each person has formed mental perceptions relating to a agement has heard them. Clear communication among
number of controversial issues. For example, most work- co-workers is vital to good teamwork, problem solving,
ers have an opinion on abortion and capital punishment, and conflict management. In short, effective human rela-
among other issues. When proponents and opponents tions is founded on good communication.

368 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION