Human relations stresses understanding human motivation.
It is a workplace phenomenon which spawned a ‘school of thought’ espousing that employees are motivated as a result of recognition, encouragement, and rewarding of individual contributions. Interpersonal skills are stressed as a mechanism for cultivation of success in the workplace and technical competence is not enough to obtain or hold a job.
Understanding human behavior from a perspective of experience, perceptions, conflicts, respect, emotion, attitudes, communication, and relationship types all come into play within the spectrum of human relations.
Human relations summarizes socialization, or lack thereof as evidenced by how a person comports them self when among others. A high degree of tact and poise, good hygiene and grooming, as well as empathy for others you encounter are as essential as that ability to perform complex technical duties with competence … so they say.
However, in my particular field some colleagues have been known to have distressing social habits and be hygiene optional. A particular truism revolves around performance at the keyboard being valued above and beyond all other things. ‘Back room technicians’ are what they’re called … people you can’t do without but hide from polite company because they shun political correctness and decorum.