Hawthrone studies explained

ELTON MAYOAND

HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENTS

Prepared by: Joby Jose P.

April 10, 2023 Hawthorne Experiments

HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENTS

ELTON MAYO WHITE HEAD FRITZ ROTHISBERGER WILLIAM DICKSON

The Master Brains…

Fritz Roethlisberger

* He was a Social Scientist and Management Theorist

* He was also the Professor of Harvard Business School

Known as Management guruFounder of human relations movement.Author of the book “human problems of

an industrial civilization (1933)

April 10, 2023Hawthorne Experiments

“THE HAWTHORNE STUDIES”

• Illumination Study (November 1924)– Designed to test the effect of lighting intensity on worker

productivity– influence of human relations on work behavior

• Relay Assembly Test Room Study (1927-1932)– To determine the effect of changes in various job conditions

on group activity.• Interviewing Program (1928-1930)

– Investigate connection between supervisory practices and employee morale

– Employees expressed their attitudes towards company, supervision, insurance plans, promotion and wages (e.g., likes and dislikes)

• Bank Wiring Room Observation Study (November 1931 - May 1932)

– Social groups can influence production and individual work behavior

– How is social control manifested on the shop floor?


Why Human Relations and the Hawthorne Study ?

The Hawthorne plant of General Electric Company, Chicago, was manufacturing telephone system bell. It employed about 30,000 employees at the time of experiments.

In respect of material benefits to workers, this was the most progressive company with pension and sickness benefits and other recreational facilities, there was great deal of dissatisfaction among the workers and productivity was not up to the mark.

Many findings of earlier writers, particularly of scientific management, which focused attention on the mechanical and physiological variables. All these variables were tested in the field to increase the efficiency of the organizations.


The positive aspects of these variables could not evoke positive response work behavior at work. They discovered the real cause of the behavior was something more than these variables. Such findings generated a new phenomenon about human behavior and focused attention on the human behaving in the organizations. As such, this new approach has been called ‘human relations approach of management.

After the utter failure of an investigation conducted by efficiency experts, in 1924, the company asked for the assistance form the national academy of sciences to investigate the problems of low productivity.


Airplane View of Hawthorne Works

http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hawthorne/big/wehe_001.html


Western Electric Company


1. ILLUMINATION EXPERIMENT


Illumination Studies• 1924-1927 • Funded by General Electric• Conducted by The National Research Council (NRC) of the

National Academy of Sciences with engineers from MIT Purpose of the study: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS LIGHTING

CONDITIONS ON THE WORKERS PRODUCTIVITY. DIVIDED THE WORKERS INTO TWO GROUPS

The hypothesis was that with higher illumination, productivity would increase.

GROUP -1 :- LIGHTING CONDITION IMPROVED AND THE PRODUCTIVITY WENT UP .

GROUP-2 :- LIGHTING CONDITION REMAINED CONSTANT AND THE PRODUCTIVITY INCREASED.

• Measured Light Intensity vs. Worker Output• Result :

– Rejected the hypothesis – Higher worker productivity and satisfaction at all light levels– Worker productivity was stopped with the light levels reached

moonlight intensity.• Conclusions:

– Light intensity has no conclusive effect on output– Productivity has a psychological component

_ Concept of “Hawthorne Effect” was created



IILUMINATION STUDY


2. Relay Assembly Test Experiments 1927-1929

Experiments were conducted by Elton Mayo Manipulated factors of production to measure effect on output ( Pay Incentives, Length of Work

Day & Work Week , Use of Rest Periods, Company Sponsored Meals )

· under normal conditions, with a 48-hour week, including Saturdays, and no breaks, the girls produced 2,400 relays a week each.· they were then put on piece-work for 8 weeks. Output went up.· two 5-minute rest pauses, morning and afternoon, were introduced for a period of 5 weeks. Output went up once more.· the rest pauses were lengthened to 10 minutes each. Output went up sharply.· six 5-minute pauses were introduced, and the girls complained that their work rhythm was broken by the frequent pauses. Output fell slightly.· the 2 rest pauses were re-instated, the first with a hot meal supplied by the Company free of charge. Output went up.· the girls finished at 4.30 pm instead of 5.00 pm. Output went up.· the girls finished at 4.00 pm. Output remained the same.· finally, all the improvements were taken away, and the girls went back to the same conditions that they had at the beginning of the experiment: work on Saturday, 48-hour week, no rest pauses, no piece work and no free meal. These conditions lasted for a period of 12 weeks. Output was the highest ever recorded with the girls averaging 3000 relays a week each.

Results: Higher output and greater employee satisfaction

Conclusions: Workers’ output increased as a response to attention, feeling of being important,

attention, cohesive group work, and non-directive supervision. Strong social bonds were created within the test group. Workers are influenced by

need for recognition, security and sense of belonging



WOMEN IN THE RELAY TEST ASSEMBLY ROOM


3. MASS INTERVIEWING PROGRAMME• Conducted 21,000

interviews.• Objective was to

explore information, which could be used to improve supervisory training.

• Initially used the method of Direct Questioning and changed to Non Directive.


Mass Interview Program • Results

- Merely giving an opportunity to talk and express grievances would increase the morale.

- Complaints were symptoms of deep-rooted disturbances.

-Workers are governed by experience obtained from both inside and outside the company.

- The social organization of the company represents a system of values from which the worker derives satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

- The social demands of the worker are influenced by social experience in groups both inside and outside the work plant.



4. BANK WIRING OBSERVATION ROOM EXPERIMENT

14 WORKERS 9 WIREMEN 3

SOLDERMEN 2

INSPECTOR


4. Bank Wiring Room Experiment – 1931-1932

Few Special Conditions Segregated work area No Management Visits Supervision would remain the same Observer would record data only – no interaction with workers

New incentive pay rate was established for the small group Any increases in output would be included in departmental pay

incentives Result – output was lower than what company had determined.

Conclusions: Well established performance norms existed in the group Informal Social Organization dictated little deviation from

established production standards Informal Social Organizations protect workers from managers who

Raise production standards Cut pay rates Challenge workplace norms

The reasons for this output: Fear of unemployment Fear of raising the standardsProtection of slower workersSatisfaction on the part of management



HIGHLIGHTS OF HAWTHORNE STUDIES

1. There is no direct relationship between worker productivity and physical factors.

2. The employer can be motivated by psychological and social wants because his behavior is also influenced by feelings, emotions and attitudes. Thus economic incentives are not the only method to motivate people.

3. Work is considered as a group activity and not as an operation performed by an individual worker.

4. The human social and social factors result in the overall growth and development of the human resource.

5. Group Influence: Workers being social beings, they create groups which may be different from their official group. In fact, groups are formed to overcome the shortcomings of formal relationships. The group determines the norm of behavior of members.


6. Conflicts: The informal relations of workers create groups and there may be conflict between organization and groups so created. The conflict may be because of the incompatible objectives between the two.7. Leadership: Leadership cannot come only from formally-appointed superior as held by earlier thinkers. There may be informal leaders as shown by the bank writing experiments. 8. Supervision: Friendly to the workers, attentive, genuinely concerned supervision affects the productivity favorably.9. Communication: Through communication, workers can be explained the rationality of a particular action, participation of workers can be sought in decision-making concerning the matter of their importance, problems faced by them can be identified and attempts can be made to remove these.

HIGH LIGHTS CONTINUED……


CRITICISMS OF HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENTS:

1. It lacks validity.2. More importance to human aspects3. More emphasis on group decision-making4. Mayo overstressed experimentation and drew

conclusions from the strength of observations about a small sample of size.

5. The experiment lacked scientific basis.6. The Hawthorne plant was not a typical plant because it

was a thoroughly unpleasant place to work. Therefore, the results could not be valid for others.


CONCLUSION

• The Hawthorne studies have had a remarkable impact on management in organizations and how workers react to various situations.

• Stimulated interest on human behaviour in organizations.

• A lot of literature came out analysing the human behaviour in organizations.

• in spite of the short comings of Hawthorne experiments, initiated a new approach to management (Human Relations Approach).


Sources of Information

Andrew Dubrin, Management: Concepts ana cases, Lengage India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, 2009.

Sumuel C. Certo and S. Trevis Creto, Modern Management, PH learning Pvt Ltd, Delhi, 2002.

USP Rao, and V Hari Krishna, Management: Text and Cases, Excel books, New Delhi, 2002

L. M. Prasad, Principles and Practice of Management, Educational Publications, New Delhi, 2010.

ELTON Mayo and Hawthrone Experimentshttp://www.thefreelibrary.com/Elton+Mayo

%3a+the+Hawthorne+experiments.-a0151189059 (accessed on 28 Sept 2012)
