Hawthorne studies
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The Hawthorne studies was a program of industrial research run by Western Electric Company it took place over a long period of time between 1924 and 1932, until the early years of the Depression. The experiment involved female workers in their early twenties operating a relay assembly in a room specifically created for the experiment while being observed by a team industrial researchers.<ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0038026118755603</ref>.The series of experiments are documented more than 600 pages in great detail. | The Hawthorne studies was a program of industrial research run by Western Electric Company it took place over a long period of time between 1924 and 1932, until the early years of the Depression. The experiment involved female workers in their early twenties operating a relay assembly in a room specifically created for the experiment while being observed by a team industrial researchers.<ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0038026118755603</ref>.The series of experiments are documented more than 600 pages in great detail. | ||
| − | It was published in 1939 by Harvard University Press and is was considered "the most outstanding study of industrial relations that has been published anywhere, anytime."<ref>https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/01443410500341080</ref> | + | It was published in 1939 by Harvard University Press under the name "Management and the Worker" by F. J. Roethlisberger, and is was considered "the most outstanding study of industrial relations that has been published anywhere, anytime."<ref>https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/01443410500341080</ref> |
The goal of the experiment was for the researchers to determine if certain features of the factory, such as the level of illumination in the factory lamps, affected the productivity of the workers.The most interesting finding was what we might call today "the Hawthorne effect," which refers to the observation that the worker’s productivity increased over time with every variation in the work environment, which is believed to depend on the fact that the subject were aware that they are part of a research and they change how they act.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248141672_The_real_Hawthorne_effect</ref> | The goal of the experiment was for the researchers to determine if certain features of the factory, such as the level of illumination in the factory lamps, affected the productivity of the workers.The most interesting finding was what we might call today "the Hawthorne effect," which refers to the observation that the worker’s productivity increased over time with every variation in the work environment, which is believed to depend on the fact that the subject were aware that they are part of a research and they change how they act.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248141672_The_real_Hawthorne_effect</ref> | ||
Revision as of 19:07, 9 April 2023
The Hawthorne studies was a program of industrial research run by Western Electric Company it took place over a long period of time between 1924 and 1932, until the early years of the Depression. The experiment involved female workers in their early twenties operating a relay assembly in a room specifically created for the experiment while being observed by a team industrial researchers.[1].The series of experiments are documented more than 600 pages in great detail. It was published in 1939 by Harvard University Press under the name "Management and the Worker" by F. J. Roethlisberger, and is was considered "the most outstanding study of industrial relations that has been published anywhere, anytime."[2] The goal of the experiment was for the researchers to determine if certain features of the factory, such as the level of illumination in the factory lamps, affected the productivity of the workers.The most interesting finding was what we might call today "the Hawthorne effect," which refers to the observation that the worker’s productivity increased over time with every variation in the work environment, which is believed to depend on the fact that the subject were aware that they are part of a research and they change how they act.[3]
Contents |
History
The Hawthorne studies began in 1924 when Bell Telephone Western Electric decided to learn how various factors, such as lighting conditions, could influence the efficiency and productivity of their workers. From 1924 to 1933, a series of longitudinal studies were conducted, spanning several months to several years. In total, six studies were carried out. The Hawthorne investigations uncovered concepts relating to worker engagement, social norms, motivational factors, job satisfaction, resistance to change, and successful leadership.[4] Almost a century after they were conducted, they are still considered ground-breaking studies methodological innovations in human factors, management studies, and sociology [5]
The Illumination and Relay Assebly Test
The first experiment was conducted by personnel managers over a three-year period (1924–1927) to explore how lighting conditions affected the productivity of the employees and reduce accidents and eyestrain. However, the researchers were unable to find any consistent correlation between lighting levels and worker output. Even when the lighting conditions were radically different, the girls continued to increase their productivity. Researchers understand that the answer was not as simple as they had expected; they hadn’t taken into account the psychological and sociological aspects of the experiment, which posed a significant problem with the results. Consequently, the experiment was terminated, and their focus shifted from a study of illumination to a study of physical factors that caused fatigue and monotony.[6]
The Relay Assembly Test Room
- In 1928 Elton Mayo was consulted for the second round.(1928-19392)
- Changes in the new test room were introduction of breaks,provision of lunch and beverages ,group rate calculated on the productivity, and alteration in work schedule.[7]
- With each new variable the efficiency increased
- The initial aim of the experiment was more technical than therapeutic: to determine the most appropriate technical and social arrangements for the production process.ref>https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026118755603</ref>
The interviewing and supervisory training programme
- Mayo and his team worked on a new question research protocol and started interviewing 1600 employees.
- Employees belived the questions did not address their issues and felt leading.
- Mayo decide an indirect approach, trained the interviewers to use a scientific inquiry process.
The bank wiring observation room study
It was a study that emerged from the interview programme and it was created in order to explore the interaction between the various groups within the company
Conclusions
Hawthorne effect
what is hawthorne effect how can manager use the hawthorne effect to motivate their team.
Applications of Hawthorne effect
The Legacy Of The Hawthorne Studies
- Hawthorne studies are perhaps more recognized for their methodological problems and their flawed arguments rather than for their significant findings.
- On the one hand, it has been argued
that this experiment, interpreted by Australian-born psychologist Elton Mayo (1880– 1949) in cooperation with colleagues at Harvard Business School, built the scientific foundation of personnel management and the Human Relations School.[9] The Hawthorne Studies were the single most important investigation of the human dimensions of industrial relations in the early 20th century.[10]
- Motivational theory
Limitations
Annotated bibliography
Refrences
- ↑ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0038026118755603
- ↑ https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/01443410500341080
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248141672_The_real_Hawthorne_effect
- ↑ The Hawthorne studies and their relevance to HCI research https://doi.org/10.1145/2674966
- ↑ https://doi.org/10.1108/JMH-05-2018-0026
- ↑ https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026118755603
- ↑ The real “Hawthorne effect” http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12115-001-1041-6
- ↑ Mayo, Elton: The Fruitful Legacy of an Intellectual Explorer https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38324-4_17
- ↑ https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026118755603
- ↑ DOI:10.1007/s12115-001-1041-6
