A Short Notes on

Industrial Sociology

Prepared by

Dr. Satish Kr. Tripathi

Unit-I

Industrial Sociology

Before starting discussion on “Industrial Sociology”, it would be better if we

understand the meaning of the two terms: Industry and Sociology.

Industry

Industry may be defined as “the application of complex and sophisticated methods to

the production of economic goods and services”. The complex and sophisticated methods
refer to the use of machines which improve the quality and quantity of production. The term
“industry” does not simply refer to activities related to manufacturing, trade or business. In
Industrial Sociology, it has a broader meaning and includes all sorts of operating or working
organizations such as business, educational, governmental and religious.

Sociology

Sociology is a way of studying people. Sociology can be defined as the scientific

study of social relation, institutions and society. In brief, sociology is the scientific study of
the social aspects of human life. Sociology is concerned with man in society and with the
human group. Hence, sociology is the study of human society and human behaviour as well
as a study of social relationships and its forms.

Nature and Scope of Industrial Sociology

Sociology is a scientific discipline. It is a science in the sense that it involves

objective and systematic methods of investigation and evaluation of social reality in the light
of empirical evidence and interpretation. But, it cannot be directly modelled on the patterns of
natural sciences because human behaviour is different from the world of nature, among other
differences, the subject matter of natural sciences is relatively static and unchanging whereas
human behaviour as the subject matter of sociology is flexible and dynamic.

Sociology is systematic and objective study of human society. Sociologists study

individual’s actions. The bases of sociological enquiry are:

 Social relationships such as between husband and wife, teacher and student, buyer and
seller etc.
 Social processes namely cooperation, competition,
  Organizations, communities and nations,
 Social structures, i.e., family, class and state.

Relevance of Sociology

Sociology is a subject with important practical relevance in our life. It can contribute
to social criticism and practical social reform in several ways. There are:

1. The improved understanding of a given set of social circumstances often gives us a

better chance of controlling them.
2. Sociology provides the means of increasing our cultural sensitivities, allowing
policies to be based on an awareness of divergent cultural values.
3. We can investigate the consequences of the adoption of particular policy programmes.
4. Sociology provides self-enlightenment, offering groups and individuals an increased
opportunity to alter the conditions of their own lives.

Definition: Industrial sociology is the application of the sociological approach to the reality
and problems of industry.

Psychology, Sociology and Economics

Why people behave as they do, is subject of study, full of mystery. Here study of
Psychology plays great role paving the way for Sociology and Economics.

Industrial Sociology & Related Disciplines

 Psychology & Industrial Psychology

 Anthropology
 Economics
 Personnel Management/Industrial or Social Welfare

Methods used in Industrial Sociology

 Observation
 Survey
 Interview

Industrial Sociology in India

Like most modern nations, India has also choosen Industrial development as a
necessary means to solve its economic and social problems. India experiences industrial
revolution nearly a century after the west. The scope and value of industrial sociology in
India is in the following areas:

 Knowledge of labour class

 Labour welfare
 Problems of urbanization
 Solution of the problems of industrialization & automation
  Division of labour
 Help in family re-organization
 Economic progress
 Social welfare
 Aid to industrial policy & management
 Betterment of employer-employee relationship

Development of Industrial Sociology

Industrial Revolution

Industrial revolution is a word used to describe a number of changes which took place
in England between 1760 and 1850. It bought about far reaching changes in the economic life
of people. The use of machines involved a change in the methods of industrial organization.
It also brought a change from the domestic system to the factory system of production
involving large scale and complex division of labour. The discovery of steam, as an important
source of power, helped to increase the production many times. The impact of industrial
revolution was:

1. Factory system
2. Large scale production
3. Change of form of ownership
4. Specialization

Scientific Management

Scientific Management was the first big management idea to reach the mass audience.
It swept through the corporate sector of America in the early years of 20th century. Scientific
Management (also called Taylorism) is a theory of management that analyzes work flow for
improving worker’s productivity. The idea was first originated by Frederick Winslow
Taylor (1856-1915). Scientific management required managers to walk around with stop
watches & note pads carrying out time-and-motion studies on workers in different
departments. Taylor’s first publication which came out in 1895 was called “a piece-rate
system.” His book Principles of Scientific Management was published in America in 1911.
According to F.W. Taylor, “Scientific Management is the substitution of exact scientific
investigations & knowledge for the old individual judgement or opinion in all matters relating
to the work done in the shop.”

Principles of Scientific Management

Scientific management is based on the following five principles:

1. Develop a science for each element of an individual’s work.

2. Select & train workers for specific tasks.
3. Maximum output in the place of restricted output.
4. Divide work & responsibility equally between managers & workers.
 5. Give individuals clear instructions on what they have to do, then supervise them while
they do it.

General Approach of Scientific Management

Taylor’s concept of Scientific management was based on a clear cut separation of

authority between:

(i) The production employees, who carries out their boss’s order, and
(ii) The engineers & supervisors, who decide how to organize the work.

Benefit of Scientific Management

According to the workers point of view-

 Better utilization of various resources (good tools & favourable working condition).
 Detailed instruction & constant guidance to the workers.
 Satisfaction of the need of the costumers by providing higher quality products at
lower prices.
 Incentives wages to the workers for higher production.
 Opportunity for training & development to increase skills.

According to the employers point of view-

 Establishment of harmonious relationship (workers-management).

 Replacement of traditional rule of thumb method by scientific techniques for each
element of a man at work.
 Achievement of equal division of responsibilities (workers-management).
 Proper selection & training of the workers leading to better workforce.

Criticism of Scientific Management

Introduction of scientific management is quite expensive. It was argued that the

principles of scientific management were confined mostly to production management. It
creates the problem of monotony among the workers, who start looking for better jobs in
other organizations.

Mental Revolution

The basic idea behind the principles of scientific management is to change the mental
attitudes of the workers and the management towards each other. Taylor called it ‘Mental
Revolution’. The mental revolution has three aspects:

1. All out efforts for increase in production,

2. Creation of the spirit of mutual trust and confidence,
3. Inculcating and developing the scientific attitude towards problems.

Summarizing, we can say that Taylor laid emphasis on:

  Science and not rule of thumb.
 Harmony in group action, rather than discord.
 Maximum output in place of restricted output.
 Scientific selection, training and placement of the workers.
 Development of all workers to the fullest extent possible for their own and
organisation’s highest prosperity.

Hawthorne Studies
The term was coined in 1955 by Henry. A. Landsberger when analysing older
experiments from 1924-1932 at the Hawthorne works. Hawthorne works had commissioned a
study to see if the workers would be more productivity in higher or lower levels of light. The
workers’ productivity seemed to improve, other changes such as maintaining clear work
stations, clearing floors of obstacles, & even relocating workstation resulted in increased
productivity for short period of time. These effects are called Hawthorne effects.

Experiments

Hawthorne Studies were intended to be a study in scientific management in the

tradition of F.W. Taylor & there were 5 major projects carried out:

1. Illumination Experiment (1924-27)

2. Relay Assembly test room Experiment (1927-28)
3. Mass Interviewing Programmes (1928-30)
4. Bank wiring Observation room Experiment (1931-32)
5. Personnel counselling (1936 & afterwards as permanent service)

Illumination Experiment (1924-27)

Illumination experiments were undertaken to find out how various level of

illumination (amount of light at the workplace, a physical factor) affected the production. It
was concluded that illumination does not have any effect on productivity but something else
was interfering with the productivity.

Relay Assembly Test Room Experiment (1927-28)

Relay Assembly test room experiment was designed to determine the effect of
changes in hours & other working condition on productivity. The researchers set up relay
assembly test room & two girls were chosen. These girls were asked to choose more girls as
co-workers. The work was related to the assembly of telephone, relay. In some cases they
were allowed to express their view point’s & concerns to the supervisors and to take
decisions on matters concerning them. Following were the changes & the resulting outcomes:

 The incentive system was changed so that each girl extra pay was based on the other
five rather than the output of larger group, say to worker on the productivity increased
as compared to before.
  Two five minutes rests one in the morning session & other in evening session were
introduced which were increased to ten minutes the productivity increased.

Mass Interviewing Programmes (1928-30)

During the course of experiments about 20,000 interviews were conducted between
1928-1930 to determine employees’ attitudes towards company supervision, insurance plans,
promotion & wages. It gave valuable insights about the human behaviour in the company.
Major findings are:

 A complaint is not necessarily, an objective recital of facts; it is a symptom of

personal disturbances the cause of which may be deep seated.
 Objects, persons & events are carriers of social meaning. They become related to
employees’ satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Bank Wiring Observation Room Experiment (1931-32)

The purpose of this study was to find out how payment incentives would affect group
productivity. The surprising result was that productivity actually decreased. These
experiments were carried on (Nov. 1931- May 1932) with a view to analyse the functioning
of small groups & its impact on individual behaviour. 14 male workers were involved
attaching wire to switches for certain equipment used in telephone exchange. Hourly wage
rate on average output of each worker while bonus was to be determined on the base of
average output. Certain conclusions as follows:

1. Work is a group activity.

2. The social environment on the job affects the workers & is also affected by them.
3. The need for recognition, security & sense of belonging is more important in
determining workers’ morale & productivity than the physical conditions under which
he works.
4. Money is one of the motivators, but not the sole motivator of human behaviour. Man
is diversely motivated & socio-physiological factors act as important motivators.
5. The informal organization does also exist within the framework of formal
organization & it effects the formal organization.
6. The social world of adult is primarily patterned about work activity.
7. Man’s approach is not always rational. He may behave irrationally as far or rewards
from the job are concerned.
8. Group collaboration does not occur by accident; it must be planned & developed.

Personnel Counselling Experiment (1936 & afterwards)

The study started (1936 and afterwards as permanent service of the Western Electric
Company) with the announcement that ‘personnel men’ would be around to talk to
employees. The program was generally accepted and led to improvement in three fields-
personal adjustments, supervisor-employee relations & employee-management relations.

Human Behaviour in Industry

 Stimulus -----------------------------------------------→ Response/Behaviour

Stimulus -----------------[ Personality] ~~~~~~~~→ Response/Behaviour

↑ ↑

Attitudes Sentiments

Human Relations School

Many of the central ideas the Human relation school grew out of an investigation at
the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago. Professor Elton Mayo
(1927-1932) conducted a series of experiments to investigate the relationship between
working conditions & productivity. He believes that the physical conditions of the work
environment, the aptitude of the worker & financial incentives were the main determinants of
productivity. He therefore examined the relationship between productivity & variables such
as levels of lighting & heating, the length & frequency of rest periods and the value of
monetary incentives.

Western Electric Company was a manufacturer of equipment for the bell telephone
system & at the time of experiments, there was an acute problem of employees’
dissatisfaction. It was also quite evident that the employees were not producing up to their
fullest capability. This happened in spite of the fact that it was one of the most progressive
companies with pension schemes, sickness benefit schemes, and numerous other facilities
offered to its employees.

From the Hawthorne Studies, and research which they largely stimulated developed
the Human Relations School. It stated that scientific management provided a narrow view of
man & that financial incentives alone were insufficient to motivate workers & ensure their
cooperation.

Informal Group Process

The Hawthorne studies led to more on the importance of informal group process in an
organization. One way of accomplishing this objective is to invite groups of workers to
participate in decision making. This is based on the idea that workers will be more committed
to their tasks if they have a voice in determining how those tasks are to be performed.

Criticism of Human Relation Theory

Workers legitimate economic interests were being neglected and emphasized, conflict
was denied & “managed” and the new manager role were just another form of elitism. People
like Landsberger & Braverman noted that the human relations school was actually another
methodology to increase worker productivity, not to actually improve workers relations.

Factors Affecting Human Relations

 Individual
 Work-group
 Work-environment
 Leader

Rise of Industrial Sociology

Sociology emerged in the 19th century as a response to the massive social changes
associated with the rise of Industrial society in England, Germany and France. It focussed on
understanding the causes and consequences of modern industrial life. Sociologist tried to
understand and explain what held social groups together. They also tried to develop responses
to social disintegration and exploitation. This motivated the sociologists to think in a
disciplined way about the structure and process of society. The most important theoretical
sociology in the 20th century moved in three directions:

1. Conflict theory: it is based on the works of Karl Marx and emphasizes the role of
conflict in explaining social change. Prominent conflict theorists include Ralf
Dahrendorf and Lewis Coser.
2. Structure-functional theory: it was developed by Talcott Parsons and advanced by
Robert Merton. It assumes that large social systems are characterized by homeostasis
or ‘steady states’. Now-a-days it is regarded as a conservative theory.
3. Symbolic interaction theory: it was started by George Herbert Mead and further
developed by Herbert Blumer. It focuses on subjective perceptions and other symbolic
processes of communication.

When the scope of any science increases, it gets split up into various branches or sub-
disciplines. In the 1950s/60s, applied fields dealing with social behaviour emerged out of
sociology such as criminology, rural sociology, urban sociology, family sociology, social
sociology, social psychology, industrial sociology etc. Industrial Sociology became a
speciality in schools of business and management as well as some psychology department.