Human Relations approach to organizational communication

In Chapter 3, page 82, we read about the "Human Relations" approach that assumes that all people want to feel connected to something bigger than themselves which commands and summons them to significant living. Unlike the scientific management approach which focuses on division of labor and strict efficiency, this approach focuses on the cooperation among different people working together as a team to achieve excellence in all aspects of work whether it is family oriented, job oriented, community oriented or leisure oriented. Interpersonal relationships are key to the "Human Relations" approach.

The high-tech industry uses the "Human Relations" approach to a great extent. Team building exercises, group retreats, self-directed work teams, open platform to mingle with like-minded people and programs focusing especially on the employees needs are some examples that the management of these organizations use to enhance cooperation and persuade their employees to work in unison toward a common goal. With the increased attention from the management, workers get motivated to do their best.

I want to share an excellent example of organizational communication used by a local government. The City of San Jose is facing a budget deficit of approximately $78 million dollars for fiscal year 2009-2010. The city is facing some hard decisions, including program cuts and possible layoffs. Emotions are high among the 7000 city employees who are worried about their future. However, the city manager (Debra Figone) is doing an excellent job of using her communication skills to boost employee morale and put the employees at ease. My friends who work for the city, proudly claims that the weekly email memos/announcements they receive from the city manager are worded and targeted especially towards the worried employees. Each email from the city manager gives such an assurance to these employees that the city management is doing their best to protect the employees from any harsh affect of the economical turmoil. The verbiage of the emails is so well chosen that the employees feel as if the city manager is speaking to them in-person. The city manager's office is also encouraging employees to voice their concerns and opinions. By using her interpersonal skills, the city manager is ensuring that productivity and current efficiencies of city operations and services are not compromised during this difficult time.