Week Four: Humanistic and Systems Theory
This week, we investigated alternative ways of thinking about organizational communication. Due to the many flaws of classical theories, human-centered approaches quickly followed. Humanistic theories fall into two broad categories: human relations theory and human resources. The human relations movement developed from a series of industrial experiments known as The Hawthorne Studies (Modaff and DeWine 41). The studies, conducted from 1924 to 1932, indicated that worker output was NOT scientifically related to the work environment. Instead, worker productivity was indirectly derived from social factors (Modaff and DeWine 43). Based on this discovery, humanistic theories began to investigate the many factors that informally controlled the workplace. The most important factor that emerged was the notion of communication. For Chester Barnard, communication signals the level of cooperation present in any organization. If communication is blocked, cooperation is low and vice versa. This thesis relies on the presumption that the relationship between workers and between workers and managers IS the product of the workplace. In contrast, human resources theory posits that the workers are themselves the products of work.
Another alternative generated from problematic classical theories is systems theory. "Systems theory replaces the 'machine' metaphor of classical theory with the metaphor of an 'organisim'" (Modaff and DeWine 65). For a systems theorist, an organization is an organic being, a cell, if you will. It has permeable boundaries, an environment of interrelated organizations and a life-cycle. Similar to a living organism, an organization can be "open" or "closed;" it can learn, and it can create and adapt. Furthermore, in an organic organizational system, data or raw materials are ingested (INPUT), digested (THROUGHPUT) and excreted (OUTPUT). The final product, then, is the system's output.
- JOURNAL 4 -
Apply a humanistic theory from chapter 3 to any episode of "The Office" viewed in class. Think about the ways humanistic theories may go too far in their focus on human relationships and how this might apply to an office workplace.
posted by Jen at Sunday, February 19, 2006
8 Comments:
Bessie said,
In Blake and Mouton's Mangerial Grid it explains how human resource theory of management works with the interrelationship between production and people. According to Blake and Mouton's the country club management style is focus on people in the organization not production.
The manager in the show The Office is the boss who never do any work, and he puts no pressure on his employees to do any work. In fact, when the employees are working he finds a way to distract them from working and put the focus on him. He has no managerial skills, no personal commitment to his job, and low self-esteem which he tries to build up by being a jerk.
The manager of (the office) is working hard in the organization to keep the office gossip on him, because he wants to have the best relationship with his employees. In the country club management style the manager of the office uses informal communication to gain acceptance from the workers in the office, because he is the only one that counts (the big cheez).
February 22, 2006 2:56 PM
blog/journal entry#4
harlem/stephanie
the humanistic theory is that human relation are important in the workplace. human interelationship between supervisor and worker is an important contributint factor when considering worker productivity. the social relationship are the heart of orgnizational behavior and promotes effectiveness.
In show The Office, the manager David Brunt displayed unhumanistic actions to his workers. his main focus was to be funny and liked by his workers going to any length to gain their friendship. Brunt displayed unprofessionalism,bad jokes, sexual remarks about women. the workers tolerated his behvavior in fear of losing their jobs. the workers had no control over their work enviorment. the manager Brunt did not care about the workers opinion and that their feeling and ideas are unimportant. this made the workers not work at all and care about their work. the supervior Brunt had poor communciation skill and organizational skills.making him fail with promting effectiveness produtivity of his workers work. stephanie Burrows
February 26, 2006 12:29 PM
In many ways, "The Office" is the perfect example of a human relations theory gone awry. For manager David Brent, his own relations with his workers are the product of work. These are his reasons for coming to the office each day. Brent views "being the best boss" as his ultimate goal, rather than a method for achieving a goal (such as productivity, profit, cooperation, etc.).
Whether Brent's subordinates and coworkers hold the same view is difficult to know. We glimpse that his office is but a smaller piece of a larger network. It is a closed system that fails to interact properly within its larger work environment (i.e. the higher boss, other offices, etc.). It is also, of course, hierarchical. Brent abuses his position of power to ensure his "popularity." In this sense, his "humanistic" office is inside of both a "classical" structure and a larger "system."
As we will soon see, it is increasingly difficult to determine a single theory at work in any office or organization. One of the keys to early humanistic theories, however, is their false humanism; this is precisely what we find in "The Office." And, it's only going to get worse!
March 03, 2006 4:11 PM
Journal # 4 – Humanistic Theory
Humanistic theory is not one that is easily researched. First of all, there are few tests that a humanists would use due to their main belief that people are basically good and the focus of treatment should be on the positive rather than the negative. Secondly, by using assessment you are basically telling people that you know more than they do about his or her own thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. This in itself would be contradiction humanistic belief.
Like every theory, some people find the humanistic approach to be valid while others see it for the numerous inherent flaws. Some of the strengths of this theory include the focus on both positive nature of humankind and the free will associated with change. Unlike Freuds theory and biological approach, which focus on determinism or our lack of power over ourselves, Maslow and others see the individual as very powerful.
With the good, always comes the bad, and this theory is not different. The biggest criticism of humanistic thought appears to center around its lack of concrete treatment approaches aimed at specific issues. With the basic concept behind the theory being free will, it is difficult to both develop a treatment technique and study the effectiveness of this technique.
March 08, 2006 12:10 PM
Gretha Said
Graduate1
My view of the English version of "The Office" can be explained as a manager and supervisor in its context who lacks proper skills in governing a number of subordinates. Personally, he needs some management training classes, to perform professionally in the work place.
As a middle manager, it is absolutely inaccessible what he practices.
Nevertheless, he knows when things are not being done ethically, since he tried hard to save himself on the topic of the pornographic emails in the office. Evidently, in the episode s he tries to abuse his power to manipulate the less influential workers.
In conclusion, he will not be able to get away with so much abuse of power if the office was a union represented for the workers. His degree of leadership skills and business professionalism is extremely weak.
April 10, 2006 8:46 PM
Melissa Said
in the office the boss tries so hard to fit in. IHe wants to be dow with everything in the office. It like he wants to be in the "in" crowd. But he also wants to play the boss role and wnats to be respected by all of his employee. The can not respect him because all he wants to do joke all day.
May 03, 2006 10:04 PM
It is sad that i can actually put my supervisor into this film.
He is the manager if the class film the "Office".
He feels that he needs to be liked in order to run the office. Yet he does not see that the manner in which is conducting staff is running the budget in the red.
When he is presented with invoices for payment he wants to put them to the side, he does not answer e-mails or return calls to the Department General Manager. I return all of his phone calls,e-mails and respond to the vendors for payment.
He refues to stay at his desk and handel any of the office taskes given to him by the Deputy Director because she is a woman. He feels that if he crys and I mean real tears he will be looked over for his mistakes.
He sould have played the main roll in this film.
Tonya Woodruff
May 10, 2006 7:59 PM
In the epidsode of The Office, I never understand how come the boss treats his employees like that. He no respect for the females in the office. He is a disgraced to the workplace. I do not understand how the employees put up with him. You can see that they are frustrated with him but they do not have a choice.
Maureen
May 24, 2006 2:23 PM
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