Hawthorne studies
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 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
1.Historical context
- Western Electric manufacturing - 29.000 employees in 1927.
The Illumination Studies
- First experiment conducted by personnel manager to explore the how lighting conditions effected the effectiveness and the productivity of the employees. 1924-1927. Result were inconsistent.
The initial aim of the experiment was more technical than therapeutic: to determine the most appropriate technical and social arrangements for the production process.[4]
- In 1928 Elton Mayo was consulted for the second round.
the series of experiment how the were conducted
The Relay Assembly Test Room
The interviewing and supervisory training programme
The bank wiring observation room study
Conclusions
Hawthorne effect
what is hawthorne effect how can manager use the hawthorne effect to motivate their team.
