Elton
Mayo (1880-1949), the “Father of the Human Relations Approach,” led the team
which conducted a study at Western Electric’s Hawthorne Plant between 1927 and
1933 to evaluate the attitudes and psychological reactions of workers in
on-the-job situations. The researchers and scholars associated with the
Hawthorne experiments were Elton Mayo, Fritz Roethlisberger, T.N. Whitehead and
William Dickson. The National Research Council sponsored this research in cooperation
with the Western Electric Company. The study was started in 1924 by Western
Electric’s industrial engineers to examine the impact of illumination levels on
worker productivity. Eventually the study was extended through the early 1930s.
The ground-breaking Hawthorne studies carried out in the Hawthorne plant of the
Western Electric Company (USA) 1927 - 32.
Experiments
Stage 1 (1924 -27) – ‘Illumination experiments’
Study of the physical surroundings (lighting level) on
productivity of workers. Control group and experimental group previously had
similar productivity before study began
Control Group = constant lighting level
Experimental Group = varied lighting level
Result
Both groups productivity increased - even when
experimental group was working in dim light. Product leader called Mayo and
colleagues to explain
Stage 2 (1927 - 29) - 'Relay assembly room stage'
Still analyzing effect of physical surroundings (rest,
pauses, lunch break duration, length of working week) on output
Result
Output increased even when worsening conditions.
Hypothesis was now that it was the attitudes of subjects at work and not the
physical conditions. This gave rise to the 'Hawthorne Effect' - employees were
responding not so much to changes in the environment as to the fact they were
the centre of attention - a special group.
A Total of 20,000 interviews were collected with the
workers on employee attitudes to working conditions, their supervision and
their jobs.
Stage 4 (1932) - 'Bank wiring observation room'
This time the new subjects (14 men) put in separate room
for six months
Result
Productivity restricted due to pressure from peers to
adopt a slower rate to circumvent company wages incentive scheme to generally
adopt own group rules and behavior
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Pre-judgment
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Findings
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Job
performance depends on the individual worker.
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The
group is the key factor in job performance.
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Fatigue
is the main factor affecting output.
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Perceived
meaning and importance of the work determine output.
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Management
sets production standards.
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Workplace
culture sets its own production standards.
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Summary of the Hawthorne Experiments
Motivation: Employees are not motivated by
only money (bonus scheme and incentive).
Communication: By proper
communication, management can easily identified the problem faced by
its employees and can easily solve out.
Social
factors: Social
factors are responsible for deciding the level of output.
Behavior
of workers: workers
are not as individual identity but as members of a group in an organization and
they have their own norms and beliefs.
Relationship: Employees do not like order and
command. They want co-operative attitude from their superiors.
Production
level:
Teamwork and Group psychology increases productivity.