George Elton Mayo

George Elton Mayo (26 December 1880 – 7 September

1949) was an Australian born psychologist, industrial
researcher, and organizational theorist. Mayo was
formally trained at the University of Adelaide, acquiring
a Bachelor of Arts Degree graduating with First Class
Honours, majoring in philosophy and psychology, and
was later awarded an honorary Master of Arts Degree
from the University of Queensland.

“Elton Mayo, an Australian-born American psychologist, and sociologist, is widely

recognized as the "father of the human relations movement." His groundbreaking work
in understanding the social dynamics within organizations revolutionized management
practices. Let's delve into some key aspects of his contributions:
1. “Hawthorne Studies: Mayo is famous for the “Hawthorne studies”, conducted at the
Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Chicago. These studies explored the effects of
social relations, motivation, and employee satisfaction on factory productivity. The
findings highlighted the importance of human factors in the workplace and challenged
traditional views of management.
2. “Human Relations Movement: Mayo's work helped lay the foundation for the
“human relations movement. He emphasized that alongside the formal organization of
an industrial workplace, there exists an “informal organizational structure” as well.
Recognizing the inadequacies of existing scientific management approaches, he
underlined the significance of relationships among people working in organizations.
3. “Organizational Behaviour: Mayo's research in industry significantly impacted
“industrial and organizational psychology. He established the scientific study of what
we now call “organizational behaviour”, focusing on human, social, and political
aspects of industrial civilization.
4. “The Human Problems of an Industrialized Civilization: In his 1933 book, “The
Human Problems of an Industrialized Civilization, Mayo expanded on his Hawthorne
research. He delved into group relations, motivation, and the psychological well-being
of workers. His insights continue to influence management practices today.