Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question requires identifying the pioneer of the Neo-Classical approach to management, which shifted focus from tasks to human behavior.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
• 1. Overview of Management Theories: Management history is broadly divided into Classical, Neo-Classical, and Modern eras. The Classical school (Taylor and Weber) treated workers like machines, focusing on efficiency and hierarchy.
• 2. Rise of Neo-Classical Theory: The Neo-Classical theory emerged in the 1920s and 30s. It emphasized the importance of the human element, social needs, and psychological factors in the workplace.
• 3. Contribution of Elton Mayo: Elton Mayo is widely recognized as the father of the Human Relations Movement, a subset of Neo-Classical theory. His famous "Hawthorne Studies" conducted at the Western Electric Company revealed that social factors and informal group dynamics influenced productivity more than physical conditions or financial incentives.
• 4. Contrast with Other Options: F.W. Taylor (Option C) is the father of Scientific Management (Classical). Max Weber (Option A) proposed the Bureaucracy model (Classical). Abraham Maslow (Option D) is a behavioral scientist known for the Hierarchy of Needs, but Mayo is the "early writer" specifically credited with founding the Neo-Classical school's focus on human relations.
• 5. Impact on Home Science: These principles are applied in Home Science for managing people in institutional settings, such as hospitals or catering units, where understanding group behavior is vital for success.
Step 4: Final Answer:
Elton Mayo is the writer who proposed the Neo-Classical Management Theory.