HUMANISTIC APPROACH:
Abstract This literature based paper provides a brief sampling of the contribution of humanistic approach about the rehumanization of some of the social institutions. This article argues about the need for and growth of social system and suggests possibilities of development of its segments. Humanists opined that human learning takes place in such an interpersonal environment and its effective components play an important part in determining whether cognitive learning takes place or not. This paper emphasized emotional support of peers, administrators, parents and the community at large, generated by a climate of shared values and goals in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.
Humanistic Approach:
Impact on Management of Social Systems
Common sense dictates that we cannot have a complete science of human psychology without taking into account that attribute which distinguishes us from all other living organisms. We are self-conscious creature. That is our glory and some would say our curse. Human-kind alone is meaningfully aware of its own existence. Our capacity for self-consciousness is what distinguishes us from all other beings on this planet. The concrete fact remains that persons are not simply objects, they are self-conscious subjects of experience as well. They are perfectly aware of certain aspects of their behavior and perfectly capable of communicating this awareness to other individuals.
Koch (1959) does not hesitate to predict the death of behaviorism as a
viable strategy for research on human behavior. It is to the credit of
humanistic movement that reflexive awareness, the consciousness of self as an
active centre of internationality and experience has been returned to centre
stage in the discipline of psychology and its implications to the organization.
This movement leads to the need for and growth of social system and makes
possible the development of its segments.
Related Literature and its Implications
There is a large number of
theorists who might variously be labeled as humanists, personalists,
phenomenologists, or existentialists. In
The revolutionary implications of humanistic
approach for the philosophy of Social Science can be sampled by reading, The
Psychology of Science (Maslow, 1966) and “Man and the
Science of Man’ (Rogers & Coulson, 1968), or the
ambitious programmes outlined in ‘Existential
Foundations of Psychology’ (Van Kaam, 1966) and
‘Psychology as a Human Sciences (Giorgi, 1990).
According to Tageson
(1982), there are four trends in contemporary Psychology: Behaviorism (Operationalism & Neobehaviorism)
depth psychology, humanistic existential psychology and transpersonal
psychology. Behaviorists ignore consciousness because it is private, subjective
and invaluable to objective observation and measurement. Humanistic psychology
stands united in its attempt to broaden the scope of modern psychology. The
humanistic view is referred to as third-force psychology (Anita, 1990).
Proponents of humanistic psychology such as Maslow
and Carl Roger felt that neither behavioral nor Freudian psychoanalysis
adequately explained why people act as they do. Humanistics
emphasize personal freedom, choice, self determination and striving for
personal growth or as Maslow called it--being needs:
Intellectual achievement, aesthetic appreciation and self-actualization.
Jourard (1971) purports that
phenomenological approach, holism, the actualizing tendency,
self-determination, the ideal of authenticity, self-transcendence and
person-centeredness, whatever terminology is preferred, all
seem agreed on the in-escapable uniqueness of individual human consciousness. Nuttin (1962) does add the fact that living organism are
open systems. It implies that each human individual reacts, in his or her
development, to a call and a criterion that exists within the organism it-self,
rather than to blind, chaotic biological impulses on the one hand or solely to
the dictates of environmental forces on the other.
Roger (1977) does not see evil in man. Seeks
responsibilities and as capable of exercising self direction and self-control
at work. Maslow shares this faith in the intrinsic
positive thrust of the drive for self-actualization. Maslow,
however, proposed the possibility of a ‘psychology of being’.
McGregor (1960) explains that man likes work and
humanists are optimistic about the potential of mankind for positive
socialization and peaceful coexistence. All humanists believe in personalistic concept of human freedom and advocate a
person-centered approach in their empirical research on personal functioning (Giorgi, 1990). Carl Rogers (1977) stands out as the most
radical proponent of this stance in the sphere of practical application to
human relations in the fields of management, education, marriage and family
living, and the reduction of political and intercultural tensions.
Humanistic theories and techniques alert managers:
educational or industrial, to the human dimensions of organizational
functioning and to encourage a more participative managerial style. All,
however, designed to improve organizational functioning by merging individual
with organizational needs and goals. The human side of
enterprise in which humanists contrasted the traditional management approach
(Theory X) to a more humanistic one (Theory Y).
According to humanistic management it should be
attempted to meet the worker’s needs for some autonomy, some direction of their
own behavior and some responsibility in the decision making process. Humanistic
psychology advocates for innovative ideas included decentralization, delegation
of authority, job enlargement and self-targeting; a method of performance
appraisal where subordinates are held responsible for setting targets or
objectives for themselves and where they (the workers) play a significant role
in the evaluation of their own performance.
Luthans (1998) explains that study
in Organizational Behavior (OB) and Organizational Development (OD) through
managerial grid, in management theorists view, the
ideal managers, one who is capable of maximizing both productive efficiency and
workers satisfaction. This ideal is best act under conditions of team
management: high task achievement from committed people who have a common stake
in the firm’s purposes, with good relationships of trust and respect.
Production is achieved by the integration of task and human requirements into a
unified system (Kally, 1974).
There is good reason to believe that next to the
family, the school is the most potent socializing force in the development of
what William Glasser has called a success or failure
identity (Glasser, 1996). Humanistic psychologists
have enormous impact on the process of self-actualization. Thus, the movement
that came to be called humanistic education gathered considerable momentum in
the decades of the 60s and 70s.
Humanists involved efforts to integrate affective
and motivational components into classroom teaching (Mosher & Sprinthall,
1971). Humanists opined that human learning takes place in such an
interpersonal environment and its effective components play an important part
in determining whether cognitive learning takes place or not.
Teaching itself is a form of inter-personal
communication and so the humanist stresses the importance of the teacher as the
most influential variable in the educational process. According to this view
learning, which depends on interaction with the environment, takes place most
successfully when the environment is stimulating and benevolent. When the
environment is instead basically punitive, dull or uninteresting, then behavior
is inhibited and little or no learning occurs. It is the teacher’s considerable
task to create such a benevolent and stimulating environment. Teacher do this best by the quality of their personal
relationships with each student.
Teacher’s prior beliefs concerning student potential
have the effect on student achievement and intellectual growth (Rosenthal,
1968). Further, students in the facilitative conditions tended to show the
greatest gains in academic learning, whereas some students of low-level
teachers tended to show some deterioration from previous levels of performance.
Other correlations all in the predicted direction,
were found with increased problem solving, positive student self-concepts,
students-initiated behavior, fewer disciplinary problems and lower rates of
absence from school (Aspy & Roebuck, 1974).
The aim of humanistic education is to identify and
facilitate the actualization of the unique potential which exists in the
individual student at whatever level of development in the educational system.
The good, humane teacher, principally responsible for creating the learning
community, remains the focus for primary intervention. But good teachers also
require strong support systems to aid in unleashing whatever creative potential
they may have towards reaching this goal.
Humanistic educationists emphasized the emotional
support of peers, administrators, parents and the community at large, generated
by a climate of shared values and goals in an atmosphere of mutual trust and
respect. Humanists desire that all the available resources of the community
should be brought in the services of the student’s self-actualization, the
development of his or her unique potential.
Political systems which have as their aim the
fullest possible development of human potential (
The social institution primarily responsible for
acculturation of the members of any given society has been, is and probably
always will be the family. The martial system; the relationship between husband
and wife is at the core of the family system. The married couple is the
architect of the family structure. What goes on or does not go on between them
is felt to be responsible for the mental health of their children. Respecting each other
(husband & wife) leave good prints over their children. Several humanistic
psychologists have, however, addressed the problems of family life.
Conclusion
We know a lot about what makes effective and
successful organizations. In fact, many theorists favoured
humanistic approach that focused on workers’ own views and emphasized respect
for individuals. The new brand of management philosophy, humanism, focuses on noneconomic, social factors operating in the workplace.
Humanistic
approach emphasizes the employee’s human and social needs and the influence of
the organization’s social environment on the quality and quantity or work
produced. Firstly, the basic debate of humanistic approach is that workers are
motivated by the social needs and get a sense of identity through their
associations with one another. Secondly, superordinates
need to coordinate the work of their subordinates democratically in order to
improve efficiency.
Coulson, W.R., &
Giorgi, A. Psychology as a Human
Science: A Phenomenologically Based Approach. N.Y:
Harper and Row, 1990.
Glasser, W. Reality Therapy. N.Y: Harper and Row, 1965.
Glasser, W. Schools without Failure. N.Y: Harper and Row, 1996.
Jourard, S.M. Self -Disclosure: An
Experimental Analysis of the Transparent Self. N.Y: John Wiley and Sons,
1971.
Kelly,
J. Organizational Behaviour : An
Existential-Systems Approach. N.Y:
Koch, S. Psychology : A Study of a Sciences. N.Y:
McGraw-Hill, 1959.
Luthans, F. Organizational Behavior. N.Y: McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Maslow, A.H. The
Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance.
Maslow, A.H. Towards A Psychology of Being. N.J: Van Nostrand, 1968.
Maslow, A.H. Motivation and Personality. N.Y:
Harper and Row, 1970.
McGregor,
D.M. The Human Side of
Owns, G. Robert. Organizational Behavior in Education. N.J: Prentice & Hall, 1998.
Rogers,
C.R. On Becoming a Person.
Rogers,
C.R.
Rosenthal,
R. American Scientist. N.Y: Rine-Hart & Winston, 1968.
Rosenblith, F. J & Wesley, A. The Cause of Behavior:
Tageson, C. W. Humanistic Psychology A Synthesis.
Van
Kaam, A.
Existential Foundation of Psychology.
Woolfolk, E. A. Educational
Psychology. N.J: Prentice Hall,
1990.
Published: Journal of Elementary
Education. (1999). 9(1-2)
90-96. Department of Elementary Education,