Human behaviour approach is the outcome of the thoughts developed by behavioural scientists who look at organization as a collection of people for certain specified objectives. Since management involves getting things done by people, the study of management must revolve around human behaviour. The approach, also known as “leadership”, “behavioural science” or “human resource” approach brings to bear the existing and newly-developed theories and methods of the relevant behavioural sciences upon the study of human behaviour. In contrast to human relations approach which assumes that happy workers are the productive workers, human behaviour approach has been goal and efficiency-oriented and considers the understanding of human behaviour to be the major means to the end. The human behaviour approach emphasises human resources in an organization more as compared to physical and financial resources. Since this approach studies human behaviour ranging from personality dynamics of individuals at one extreme to the relations of culture at the other, this can be divided into two groups: interpersonal behaviour approach, which are heavily oriented towards individual psychology and group behaviour approach which rely on social psychology and emphasize organizational behaviour.
Among the many individual and social psychologists who have contributed to management are Maslow (Need Hierarchy), Herzberg (Motivational-hygiene Theory and Job Enrichment), McGregor (Theory X and Theory Y), Likert (Management systems and Linking Pin Model), Argyris (Immaturity-Maturity Theory, Integration of Individual and Organizational goals and Pattern of A B Analysis), Blake and Mouton (Managerial Grid), Sayles (Interpersonal Behaviour), Bennis (Organizational Development), Fielder (Contingency Model of Leadership Style) and Tannenbaum & others (Continuum Approach of Leadership). Besides, notable contributions have come from those who have expanded a particular concept formulated earlier to make it more practicable. They include Leavitt, Stogdill, Vroom, Reddin etc.
Thus, we can say that the concept of human behaviour approach is a very vital concept in the field of management and has a universal appeal.
