Management Theories: Human Relations and Bureaucratic Management

Running head: MANAGEMENT THEORIES
Management Theories
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

MANAGEMENT THEORIES 2
Human Management Relations Theory
This theory has been in existence for quite a long time. It has been used greatly in the
hospital working environment. The hospital working environment is largely composed of
health care workers, support staff and patients/clients. It is true to say that employment of the
theory in the hospital setting has changed management of healthcare facilities for the better.
The Human Relations Theory of Management was developed in the 1920s (Armstrong and
Taylor, 2014). At that time, the main goal of management was to ensure maximum
productivity. It follows that most of the management practices were constructed in such a
way to ensure maximization of production. It was at that time that studies were carried out
and showed that people were the important factor in production and not machines. While
machines are good in making work easier, it was noted that putting focus on the employees
and their welfare greatly improved production.
The theory stipulates that people are generally motivated when working in supportive
teams and where the relationships in the work environment are at their optimum (Bratton and
Gold, 2017). Human beings have emotions that are stimulated by various circumstances.
Since human beings are emotional by nature, they cannot be compared to machines for they
have feelings. If these employees are treated well and in a manner that shows that they are
significant, then they are likely to appreciate the work that they do and become more
productive (DuBrin and Geerinck, 2015). This is as true to the hospital environment as it is
true to other social care environments.

MANAGEMENT THEORIES 3
Evidence/Examples of Application of the Human Relations Management Theory
is Used in the Hospital Setting
There are several strategies that the management to motivate the workers. The
workers in the hospital setting are mainly healthcare professionals such as the physicians,
nurses, pharmacists, nurses and dietitians. There are also support staff such secretaries and
workers who clean various places within the hospital. The discussion above has shown the
importance of motivating workers- both the healthcare professional and the support staff.
Ensuring that employees are motivated goes a long way in ensuring that productivity is
increased. Some of the ways used to motivate the employees are going to be discussed next.
One of the ways is through which the welfare of employees is taken care of is
ensuring that they receive a good pay. It would be almost true to say that almost every worker
would like the best possible pay. A good pay ensures that the workers can settle their bills
and carry out other endeavours comfortably. This contributes to more concentration on their
work leading to better results ((Jesinoski, Miller and Volker, 2016). Another way the hospital
motivates the workers is by ensuring that there are adequate employees so that workers are
not overworked. For instance, there are employees for the night shift and those who work
during the day. Promotions are also another in which healthcare workers are motivated.
Sometimes, the hospital also facilitates the employees (health professionals) to do further
studies. The facilitation involves funding them for that purpose, such as providing the funds
needed for education, house allowance etc. In a nutshell, the hospital seems to appreciate the
importance of motivating its employees and this has led to improved services. This is pure
application of human relations management theory which stipulates that the employee is the
most important factor for ensuring success/achievement of goals.