The Behavioural Sciences: Their Potential and Limitations
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb055284 |
| Published date | 01 March 1975 |
| Pages | 5-12 |
| Date | 01 March 1975 |
| Author | Patrick Sills |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
The Behavioural Sciences:
Their Potential and Limitations
Patrick
Sills
Department of Social Administration and Social Work,
University of York
Introduction
There is widespread non-understanding of the nature, possi-
bilities and limitations of behavioural science among
managements and trade unions. There is also considerable
misunderstanding
—
indeed suspicion
—
between the three
parties to behavioural-science-in-industry contracts — the
behavioural scientist, the manager and the trade unionist
—
about the motives for conducting studies and the methods
of managing both scientific work in progress and the
implementation of results. This lack of clarity among
industrialists, incidentally, is by no means only their fault;
their confidence has been known to be tricked by be-
havioural scientists who, for instance, make excessive claims
for their product or transgress agreements by failing to
provide expected feedback or infringing the principle of
confidentiality.
Further to these technical-cum-managerial non- or mis-
understandings about behavioural science in industry, there
has been a paucity of thought and discussion about its
ethical implications. My belief is that behavioural science
studies should be conducted, and their results applied, on a
wider scale in industry, to the mutual benefit of each of the
three parties; but that this is unlikely to occur until a
clearer understanding of 'what it's all about' exists among,
and is shared between, members of managements, trade
unions and behavioural science organizations.
My aim in this article is to provide a condensed intro-
duction to the behavioural sciences
—
to describe what they
are,
and to discuss what they are not. I would like to
suggest what the behavioural sciences are under several
headings: definition of terms; constituent subject dis-
ciplines; behavioural science aims, methods and concepts;
and, finally, two aspects of their application in industry
—
techniques, and areas of industrial management and re-
lations to which they seem particularly relevant. I will then
outline some of my practical, methodological and ethical
concerns about the contemporary practice of behavioural
science in industry.
Definition of terms
Blanket definitions are unhelpful; such a definition of
behavioural science could only summarize what follows.
But in case uncertainty exists about the different terms
often used to describe what is apparently the same phenom-
enon, it should be mentioned that in everyday language the
terms behavioural science, social science and human science
—
and behavioural studies, social studies and human studies
—
can be used interchangeably. There are sometimes differ-
ences of emphasis: for example, human science or studies
can incorporate anatomy or physiology which are not
strictly behavioural; social science or studies can be rigor-
ously defined to exclude psychology and other individual-
based areas of enquiry; and behavioural science is
sometimes interpreted to exclude economics, which does
not directly investigate behaviour. But for the purposes of
this discussion, the terms can be assumed synonymous; and
we can go on to explore their substance.
Constituent Subject Disciplines
One way of describing behavioural science is to imitate
those who have defined intelligence as what intelligence
tests measure, and outline the disciplines which, at least for
research purposes, are subsumed under the umbrella term.
The following list comprises the academic specialisms
currently sponsored by the Social Science Research
Council:
Economic and Social History
Economics
Human Geography
Management and Industrial Relations
Planning
Political Science and International Relations
Psychology
Social Anthropology
Social Sciences and the Law
Sociology and Social Administration
Statistics
Educational Research
Area Studies
This list indicates the broad interest range of behavioural
science and the scope of what it offers to industry and
other 'consumers'. The segment with which industry has
been particularly concerned to date is management and
industrial relations, and those aspects of psychology, soci-
ology and economics which have been involved in their
study. Though it should be noted that the topical image
conjured up by the phrase 'behavioural science in industry'
excludes economics; and it is the application of psychology
and sociology to human behaviour in industry to which
specific comments in this discussion will principally refer.
Nevertheless, appreciation of the broad scope of be-
havioural science is important; not least because it is the
basic characteristics shared by the listed disciplines which
form the 'guts' of behavioural science. The use of the term
behavioural science implies common denominators. It is
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