JOHN ELTON MAYOS 5 EXPERIMENTS

ABHISHEK MUKHERJEE
ROLL NO. M6-02

TH E H AW TH O R N E S TU D I E S : N E W D I R E C TI O N
The Hawthorne Experiments were a series of studies into worker productivity
performed at the Cicero plant beginning in 1924 and ceasing in 1932, initially conducted by the National Research Council and later by Western Electric and Harvard University

Illumination Studies, 1924 -1927: Does Use of Electric Lights Increase

Productivity? Hypothesis: Increased illumination is correlated with higher productivity. Finding: No relationship Hawthorne effect or "halo effect Researcher affects outcome (bias)

2 ND HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENT
Relay Assembly Test Room Experiments, 1927-1929 Harvard research team set up experiment with 5 females from Relay Assembly area to test impact of incentives and work conditions on worker fatigue. There is no conclusive evidence Productivity and worker

that these affected fatigue or productivity.

satisfaction increase when conditions are improved

and made worse.

3 RD HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENT
Mica-Splitting Test group, 1928 1930 Relationship between work conditions and productivity, by maintaining a piece-rate incentive system and varying work conditions Productivity increased by about 15% and researchers concluded that productivity was affected by non-pay considerations Conclusion: social dynamics were the basis of worker performance.

HAWTHORNE INTERVIEWS
Plant-wide Interview program, 1928-1931 1. Western Electric implemented a plant-wide survey of employees to record their concerns and grievances. From 1928 to 1930, 21,000 employees were interviewed. 2. Data supported the research conclusion that work improved when supervisors began to pay attention to employees, that work takes place in a social context in which work and non-work considerations are important, norms and groups matter to workers.

HAWTHORNE : FINAL EXPERIMENT

Bank Wiring Observation group, 1931-1932
The final test studying 14 male workers in the Bank Wiring factory to study the dynamics of the group when incentive pay was introduced.

There was no effect. Why?

Work group established a work norm a shared expectation about how much work should be performed in a day and stuck to it, regardless of pay.

The conclusion: informal groups operate in the work environment to manage behavior.

H AW T H O R N E E X P E R I M E N T S - I M P O RTA N C E
Changed perspective in management from Taylors engineering approach to a social sciences approach, leading to "Human Relations" approach and, later, "Organization Behavior" approach: Engineering approach subordinated to social sciences Managers = leaders, motivators, communicators At one time major contributors to Management theory worked on Hawthorne experiments. Elton Mayo - Human Relations approach (to 1950s). Mayos views lead to the construction of manager as a leader.