The Behavioral approach to management evolved mainly because the practicing managers discovered that adopting the ideas of the classical approach failed to achieve total efficiency and workplace harmony. The behavioral approach to management highlighted what the classical advocates overlooked – the human aspect.
The term human relations means the way in which managers connect to subordinates. Managers face many difficulties because staff members usually do not stick to predetermined and balanced patterns of behavior. Supporters of Human relations approach feel that management should recognize employees need for recognition and social acceptance. Management should look upon the work group as a positive force which can be used productively. Thus, managers must be competent in human relations skills along with technical skills.
The Behavioral Science Approach is actually an extension of the Human Relations Approach. It gave value to attitudes, behavior and performance of people and groups within the organisations. The advocates of the behavioral science approach consider that humans are much more complex than the economic man description of the classical approach and the social man description of the human relations approach. This approach focuses on the nature of work, and the degree to which it will satisfy the human need to show skills and expertise.
For further reading, see Managementheaven.com's Behavioral Approach to Management.
the main difference between human relations and behavioral approaches is that behavioral management theory is an improvement over the human relations thinking. There are 8 core reasons for this statement. See Evaluation on Human Relations Approach and The Behavioural Approach, uploaded by Hazman Alim on Academia.edu to learn more.
Check out Examples of Behavioral Approaches in Business Management from Chron.com.