The Hawthorne studies
The Hawthorne studies were a series of experiments conducted in the 1920s and 1930s at the Western Electric Company's Hawthorne Works factory in Chicago. The experiments aimed to understand the impact of working conditions on employee productivity and were carried out by psychologist Elton Mayo and his team. The first series of studies, known as the Illumination studies, focused on the impact of lighting on worker productivity. The results from his research let Mayo believe that attention and interest in the workers affected their productivity. The outcome of the Illumination studies led to a second series of experiments, known as the Relay Assembly Test Room Studies, which focused on the impact of social and psychological factors on worker productivity. The results of these experiments challenged the prevailing scientific management theories and showed that social and psychological factors play a critical role in determining worker productivity and satisfaction.
Contents |
The Studies
The Illumination Rooms Studies
The Assembly Room Studies
The Hawthorne Effect in Management
Impact of Hawthorne Studies on management theory and practice
Impact on scientific management theory. Importance of social and psychological factors
Application of Hawthorne Effect for management
Critiques and Alternative Perspectives
Critiques of the Hawthorne Studies
Controversies surrounding the studies and their findings
Critique of the enduring influence of the studies on management thinking
Alternative perspectives on management and employee motivation
Conclusion
References
- ↑ McCarney, R., Warner, J., Iliffe, S., van Haselen, R., Griffin, M., & Fisher, P. (2007). Systematic review of the Hawthorne effect: New concepts are needed to study research participation effects. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 60(11), 1126-1133. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.04.008
