The Acceptance of Human Relations Theory in Japan

Abstract

AbstractHuman relations theory has made a significant contribution to the history of business administration. This chapter will examine how human relations theory came to be accepted in Japan. Japan and the USA were at war when human relations theory was popularized in the USA, but the spread of human relations theory in Japan largely took place after the war with the USA. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the postwar economic context to understand how human relations theory came to be accepted in Japan. A review of the literature from the period reveals that human relations theory was used to harmonize labor–management relations during the chaotic postwar era. It is also clear that the content of TWI training, which was invented in the USA during the war, had a significant impact on the postwar Japanese economy. Kaizen, a management technique unique to Japan, is presumed to have been derived from this training. Subsequent developments in human relations theory saw it applied to human resource management and case study-based methods of education. Human relations theory developed and eventually dissolved into organizational behavior theory and human resource management theory under the influence of behavioral science.KeywordsHuman relations theoryHawthorne ResearchGHQTWIJob instructionJob methodJob relationsKaizen