Revision as of 00:36, 20 February 2023

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.

The Studies

• Short introduction to the background of the studies, and why they were conducted in the first place

The Illumination Rooms Studies

• description of the studies
• outcome of the studies

The Assembly Room Studies

• description of why it is a continuation of the first study
• what they tested and why
• the outcome of the study

The Hawthorne Effect

• The outcome of the studies

The Hawthorne Effect in Management

• How the studies is linked to modern management theory

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

• How the Hawthorne Effect is applicable for managers

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

^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

1. ↑ 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
2. ↑ Sonnenfeld, J. (1983). Academic Learning, Worker Learning, and the Hawthorne Studies. Social Forces, 61(3), 904-909. University of North Carolina Press. ISSN: 1534-7605 and 0037-7732.
3. ↑ Mannevuo, M. (2018). The riddle of adaptation: Revisiting the Hawthorne studies. Sociological Review, 66(6), 1242-1257. SAGE Publications Ltd. ISSN: 1467-954X and 0038-0261. DOI: 10.1177/0038026118755603
4. ↑ Carey, A. (1967). The Hawthorne Studies: A Radical Criticism. American Sociological Review, 32(3), 403. American Sociological Association. ISSN: 1939-8271 and 0003-1224. DOI: 10.2307/2091087
5. ↑ Sundstrom, E., McIntyre, M., Halfhill, T., & Richards, H. (2000). Work groups: From the Hawthorne studies to work teams of the 1990s and beyond. Group Dynamics, 4(1), 44-67. doi:10.1037/1089-2699.4.1.44
6. ↑ Adair, J. G. (1984). The Hawthorne effect: A reconsideration of the methodological artifact. Journal of Applied Psychology, 69(2), 334-345. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.69.2.334
7. ↑ Florence, P. S., Roethlisberger, F. J., & Dickson, W. J. (1941). Management and the worker. Economic Journal, 51(202/203), 306. https://doi.org/10.2307/2226267
8. ↑ Kohnen, J. B. (1996). Creating High Performance Organizations: Practices and Results of Employee Involvement and Total Quality Management in Fortune 1000 Companies. Quality Management Journal, 4(1), 15-15. doi:10.1080/10686967.1996.11918765.
9. ↑ KUNDA, G. (1995). Engineering Culture - Control and Commitment in a High-Tech Corporation. Organization Science, 6(2), 228-230. doi: 10.1287/orsc.6.2.228