Human Relations was founded in 1947 by the Tavistock Institute and the Research Center for Group Dynamics at MIT in the belief that social scientists should work together to combine their disciplinary knowledge in an attempt to understand the character and complexity of human problems. The journal has long recognised that no single discipline or research method could provide a solution to questions pertaining to relations between people, work groups and their organizations. Consequently, Human Relations has sought to establish a dialogue between scholars of different disciplinary backgrounds who seek to advance our knowledge of social relationships at and around work.
Human Relations has also sought to encourage research that seeks to relate social theory to social practice. The journal values scholarship that examines policy-making options that can improve the well being of employees and the effectiveness of organizations. Where relevant, the journal expects that research should address the implications of its findings for social action bearing in mind that social action in organizations is contested. Direct ‘best practice’ advice will generally not fit the journal. We seek debate on policy choices and options for social action that is informed by the complexities of human relationships at work and the nature of political processes within organizations.
Human Relations stresses the importance of understanding the context within which events occur. The journal therefore encourages research that locates the study of issues within their organizational, and where relevant wider social and political, environment. Studies that draw upon survey data on employee attitudes, for example, would be expected to provide information on the organizational context within which the data were collected and on the rationale for the choice of the population sample. It would be normal to provide an explanation of how contextual factors may have shaped respondent attitudes and how far the data could be generalized to other contexts.
Aim
Human Relations is an international peer reviewed journal, which publishes the highest quality original research to advance our understanding of social relationships at and around work through theoretical development and empirical investigation.
Scope
Human Relations seeks high quality research papers that extend our knowledge of social relationships at work and organizational forms, practices and processes that affect the nature, structure and conditions of work and work organizations.
Human Relations welcomes manuscripts that seek to cross disciplinary boundaries in order to develop new perspectives and insights into social relationships and relationships between people and organizations.
Human Relations encourages strong empirical contributions that develop and extend theory as well as more conceptual papers that integrate, critique and expand existing theory.
Human Relations welcomes critical reviews that genuinely advance our understanding of the connections between management, organizations and interdisciplinary social sciences.
Human Relations encourages research that relates social theory to social practice and translates knowledge about human relations into prospects for social action and policy-making that aims to improve working lives.
Human Relations encourages the uses of methods that are appropriate to both the research context and research questions and therefore welcomes both qualitative and quantitative methods and innovative methods of investigation and analysis.
