Mary Parker Follctt (1888-1933)
She was a social scientist graduated from Harvard University. She spent her life to social activities at the city of Boston. Later she moved to England. Her publications include the New State (1920) and Creative Experience (1924).
She made valuable contributions through books and papers on group dynamics, human relations and authority exercise, some of which bear a striking similarity to the Hawthorne Experiments published in a subsequent period.
She pointed out that any human group has a life of its own which is something more than the sum of the individual lives composing it and that the individual’s thoughts and actions are always moulded by the group influence.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In all cooperative endeavours, the group adds a plus value when properly directed. Conflicts between persons or between groups stem from differences which can be used as an avenue towards and a vehicle of, progress when such differences are integrated rather than compromised or suppressed under domination.
Exercise of authority is involved in leadership, control as well as in the execution of decisions and orders. In all such situations, die employee acceptance of authority would be satisfactorily provided. ‘Law of the Situation’ is explained through the presentation of facts.