The Hawthorne Studies
Introduction
Hawthorne Studies began in 1924 until 1932 at the Western Electric, Hawthorne plant in Cicero, Illinois, by Professor Elton Mayo. Initially, this study was originated to identify the conditions of which would improve the working conditions for higher productivity. However, as time progressed, it evolved and was used by managements across as a guide to restructuring their respective companies.
With Professor Elton Mayo from the Harvard Business School began a study of how the workers at Western Electric behave. (Wickstrom, Bourke, 1986) Part of the reason that Western Electric was chosen was due it was a large manufacturing company that consisted of about 40,000 workers with a mixture of men and women.
Main
The first series of test began by testing the effects of lighting on the efficiency of the workers. In the beginning, there were no significant changes to the efficiency of the workers at the various lighting scenarios. This puzzled the researchers and they continued to investigate further on the other possible factors. However, it was until the after the lighting tests that they realized, the efficiency being unchanged was due to workers themselves putting in more efforts to maintain efficiency as they believed that the changes would improve their performance and were flattered and motivated by the attention given to them during the study, they liked being watched and maintained their efficiency especially when being watched.
The next range of experiments recorded the efficiency of the workers and the production levels with the introduction of factors such as breaks while working and improving the work hours. (Harvard Business School, 1928)
It was until the Depression set in causing a large number of retrenchments at Hawthorne that the entire research was called off.
Over the years spent at Hawthorne, eventually, Mayo and his team drew four general management conclusions from the Hawthorne studies: (Frank, Karl, 1978), (Mayo,
Hawthorne Studies began in 1924 until 1932 at the Western Electric, Hawthorne plant in Cicero, Illinois, by Professor Elton Mayo. Initially, this study was originated to identify the conditions of which would improve the working conditions for higher productivity. However, as time progressed, it evolved and was used by managements across as a guide to restructuring their respective companies.
With Professor Elton Mayo from the Harvard Business School began a study of how the workers at Western Electric behave. (Wickstrom, Bourke, 1986) Part of the reason that Western Electric was chosen was due it was a large manufacturing company that consisted of about 40,000 workers with a mixture of men and women.
Main
The first series of test began by testing the effects of lighting on the efficiency of the workers. In the beginning, there were no significant changes to the efficiency of the workers at the various lighting scenarios. This puzzled the researchers and they continued to investigate further on the other possible factors. However, it was until the after the lighting tests that they realized, the efficiency being unchanged was due to workers themselves putting in more efforts to maintain efficiency as they believed that the changes would improve their performance and were flattered and motivated by the attention given to them during the study, they liked being watched and maintained their efficiency especially when being watched.
The next range of experiments recorded the efficiency of the workers and the production levels with the introduction of factors such as breaks while working and improving the work hours. (Harvard Business School, 1928)
It was until the Depression set in causing a large number of retrenchments at Hawthorne that the entire research was called off.
Over the years spent at Hawthorne, eventually, Mayo and his team drew four general management conclusions from the Hawthorne studies: (Frank, Karl, 1978), (Mayo,
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