Elton Mayo and Hawthrone studies

1. ELTON MAYO
AND
HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENTS
Prepared by: Joby Jose P.

2. HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENTS
The Master Brains…
 ELTON MAYO
 WHITE HEAD
 FRITZ ROTHISBERGER
 WILLIAM DICKSON
Known as Management guru
Founder of human relations movement.
Author of the book “human problems of
an industrial civilization (1933)
Fritz Roethlisberger
*He was a Social Scientist and
Management Theorist
*He was also the Professor of
Harvard Business School
8 November 2012 Hawthorne Experiments

3. Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012
“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?

4. Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012
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.

5. Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012
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.

6. Airplane View of Hawthorne Works
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

7. Western Electric Company
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

8. 1. ILLUMINATION EXPERIMENT
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

9. 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
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

10. IILUMINATION STUDY
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

11. 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
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

12. WOMEN IN THE RELAY TEST ASSEMBLY ROOM
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

13. 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.
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

14. 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.
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

15. 4. BANK WIRING OBSERVATION ROOM
EXPERIMENT
 14 WORKERS
 9 WIREMEN
 3 SOLDERMEN
 2 INSPECTOR
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

16. 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.
The reasons for this output:
 Fear of unemployment
 Fear of raising the standards
Protection of slower workers
Satisfaction on the part of management
 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
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

17. 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.
8 November 2012 Hawthorne Experiments

18. HIGH LIGHTS CONTINUED……
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.
8 November 2012 Hawthorne Experiments

19. CRITICISMS OF HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENTS:
1. It lacks validity.
2. More importance to human aspects
3. More emphasis on group decision-making
4. 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.
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

20. 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).
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

21. 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 Experiments
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Elton+Mayo%3a+the+Hawthorne+exp
eriments.-a0151189059 (accessed on 28 Sept 2012)
Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012

22. Hawthorne Experiments 8 November 2012