Behaviorism initiated a focus on the psychological and human factors
influencing workers.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Compare and contrast the three most famous pioneers and founders of the behavioral
perspective in organizational theory
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Mary Parker Follett, Hugo Munsterberg, and Elton Mayo are all considered pioneers and
founders of the behaviorism movement in management theory. They wrote about the importance
of considering behavioral aspects of workers in addition to the efficiency of workers.
Mary Parker Follett (September 3, 1868 – December 18, 1933) was an American social worker,
management consultant, and pioneer in the fields of organizational theory and
organizational behavior.
Hugo Munsterberg was one of the pioneers of applied psychology, extending his research and
theories to industrial/organizational (I/O), legal, medical, clinical, educational, and business
settings.
Elton Mayo is known as the founder of the human relations movement. His research includes
the Hawthorne studies and his book The Human Problems of an Industrialized Civilization.
TERM [ edit ]
Industrial Psychology
A field focusing on topics such as hiring workers with personalities and mental abilities best suited
to certain types of vocations.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [ edit ]
Mary Parker Follett, Hugo Munsterberg, and Elton Mayo are all considered pioneers and
founders of the industrial/organizational
psychology and behaviorism movements
in management theory. These three
individuals wrote about the importance of
considering behavioral aspects of workers
in addition to the efficiency of workers.
This was, in many ways, a continuation of
the scientific method, with the critical
difference of incorporating the
human factors involved
in effective management.
Register for FREE to stop seeing ads
Follett
Mary Parker Follett (September 3, 1868 – December 18, 1933) was an American social
worker, management consultant, and pioneer in the fields of organizational theory and
organizational behavior. She criticized the overmanagement of employees, a process now
known asmicromanaging. Follett was known for the concept of reciprocal relationships and
the idea that authority is inferior to integrative collaboration. Managers should enable, not
dictate.
She also distinguished herself in the field of management by being sought out by President
Theodore Roosevelt as his personal consultant on managing not­for­profit, non­
governmental, and voluntary organizations. In her capacity as a management theorist, Mary
Parker Follett pioneered the understanding of lateral processes
within hierarchicalorganizations. Her contributions aided the beginning of the behaviorism
movement of management by presenting the worker as more than just a machine.
Mary Parker Follett
Mary Parker Follett defined management as "the art of getting things done through people."
Munsterberg
Hugo Munsterberg (June 1, 1863 – December 19, 1916) was a German­American
psychologist. He was one of the pioneers of applied psychology, extending his research and
theories to industrial/organizational (I/O), legal, medical, clinical, educational, and business
settings. Munsterberg's writings are considered the genesis of the field of industrial
psychology.
Industrial psychology, according to Munsterberg, focuses on topics such as hiring workers
with personalities and mental abilities best suited to certain types of vocations, as well as on
ways to increase motivation, performance, and retention. Munsterberg suggests that
psychology could be used in many different industrial applications, including management,
vocational decisions, advertising, job performance, and employee motivation. Many of
Munsterberg's ideas, especially the idea of matching an individual's personality with the
correct job set and skills, are common in the use of industrial/organizational psychology
today.
Hugo Munsterberg
Munsterberg is considered the father of industrial/organizational psychology.
Mayo
George Elton Mayo (December 26, 1880 – September 7, 1949) was an Australian
psychologist, sociologist, and organization theorist. Mayo is known as the founder of the
human relations movement. His research includes the Hawthorne studies and his book The
Human Problems of an Industrialized Civilization (1933).
The research he conducted in the Hawthorne studies of the 1930s showed the importance
of groups in affecting the behavior of individuals at work. Mayo's employees Roethlisberger
and Dickson conducted the practical experiments. This enabled him to make certain
deductions about how managers should behave. He concluded that people's work
performance is dependent on both social issues and job content. He suggested a tension
between workers' "logic of sentiment" and managers' "logic of cost and efficiency" that could
lead to conflict within organizations. Mayo's studies contributed to the behaviorism
movement in management as managers became more aware of the "soft" skills that are
important to successful management.
Follett, Munsterberg, and Mayo each introduced important components and ideas into the
behaviorism perspective of management. They all believed that successful management
comes from understanding how to best treat and motivate employees in order to help them
succeed in their jobs and become as efficient as possible.