Elton Mayo: The Humanist Temper

Still the subject of vigorous debate, Elton Mayo’s ideas spanned several disciplines - psychology, sociology, philosophy, and business management. Mayo developed the field of industrial psychology by applying the results of scientific research to the problems of work in order to improve the life of industrial workers and managers and to encourage collaboration between administrators and their subordinates. Trahair’s biography traces the origins of Mayo’s ideas in order to help clarify aspects of the debate.

Richard C.S. Trahair is Honorable Research Fellow in the School of Social Sciences at La Trobe University, Australia