The Hawthorne Experiments

HUMAN RELATIONS APPROACH

During the 1920s, attention began to focus on social

factors at work, groups, leadership, the informal
organisation and behaviour of people.
‘Behavioural’ and ‘informal’ are alternative headings
sometimes given to this approach.
Turning point came with the famous Hawthorne
experiments at the Western Electric Company in
America (1924-32)
One of the researchers (leader) was ELTON MAYO
(1880-1949)

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Human Relations Movement
(Hawthorne Studies)
1. Illumination Experiments (1924-27): To find out the
effect of illumination on worker productivity;
2. Relay Assembly Test Room Experiments (1927-28):
To find out the effects of changes in working hours
and other working conditions on productivity;
3. Mass Interviewing Programme (1928-30): To find out
the worker attitudes and sentiments;
4. Bank Wiring Observation Room Experiments (1931-
32): To find out social aspect of work organization;

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 OVERVIEW of Experiments
Illumination Study (November 1924)
– Designed to test the effect of lighting intensity on worker productivity
– Heuristic value: influence of human relations on work behavior
Relay Assembly Test Room Study (1927-1932)
– Assembly of telephone relays (35 parts - 4 machine screws)
– Production and satisfaction increased regardless of IV manipulation
– Workers’ increased production and satisfaction related to supervisory practices
– Human interrelationships are important contributing factors to worker productivity
– Bottom Line: Supervisory practices increase employee morale AND productivity
Interviewing Program (1928-1930)
– Investigate connection between supervisory practices and employee morale
– Employees expressed their ideas and feelings (e.g., likes and dislikes)
– Process more important than actual results
Bank Wiring Room Observation Study (November 1931 - May 1932)
– Social groups can influence production and individual work behavior
– RQ: How is social control manifested on the shop floor?
– Informal organization constrains employee behavior within formal organizational
structure
– Taken together, these studies helped to document the powerful nature of social relations
in the workplace and moved managers more toward the interpersonal aspects of
organizing.

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 Illumination Study
Research began with a study conducted by Hawthorne at Western Electric
Company in collaboration the National Research Council to determine the
relationship intensity of illumination and efficiency of workers measured in
output
Two groups doing similar work under similar conditions-Test group and
Control group
The intensity of light for one group was varied
The intensity of light for the other group was held constant
Experiment failed to show relationship between illumination and worker
output

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 Interpretations
– Changes in worker output were psychological not
physiological
Bulbs were changed and workers were allowed to believe
that the lighting was increased
Worker output increased when workers thought the lighting
was increased
– Too many uncontrolled variable not taken in account
– Take human notion in account

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 Relay Assembly Test Room
Background: To find out what effect fatigue and monotony
had on job productivity and how to control them through
variables such as Rest breaks, Work hours,
Temperatures ,Humidity
5 girls from an assembly line
Segregated them from the rest of the factory
Put them under the eye of a supervisor (a friendly observer)
Made frequent changes to their working conditions
Always discussed and explained the changes in advance

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 Relay Assembly Test Room
Several changes were made to the working
conditions
Rest periods of varying lengths
Snacks
Shortening the work day
Shortening the work week
Increased and decreased the number of work breaks and the
time of the lunch hour
Occasionally he would return the women to their original,
harder working conditions
12 positive, progressive changes to working
conditions sequentially introduced
13th change saw the operatives revert to the
original conditions

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 Interpretations
Factors that did have an impact on output
Women were allowed to talk more
Absence of supervisory control
Knowing that their participation in the experiment
would improve working conditions for fellow
employees
Increase in output had nothing to do with
changes in physical conditions

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QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY
interviews were conducted with the 6
operatives and also with the entire
workforce (2000+)
output had increased because the operatives
had experienced a great increase in job
satisfaction through being consulted with, being
given some control over what was happening,
enjoying good relations with supervisors (the
researchers), being made to feel important, and
being given a chance to satisfy social needs at
work

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 Bank Wiring Observation Room
Participants
Nine wiremen
Three solder men
Two inspectors
Men formed two clear social groups based
on
Mutual exclusion
Differences in games played in off hours and other
factors

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Bank Wiring Observation Room
Bank Wiring Observation Room con’t
– Commonalities
A person could not submit too much work – “rate-
buster”
A person could not submit too little work – “chisler”
– getting paid for work he did not do
A person should not say anything that would injure
another person – “squealer”
No member of the group should act “officiously”

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Bank Wiring Observation Room
Bank Wiring Observation Room con’t
– Overall output was satisfactory to the
company
– Industrial worker develops own ways of doing
his job own traditions of skill, own
satisfactions in living up to his standards
– Groups are continually formed among
workers and the groups develop codes and
loyalties which govern the relations of the
members to another

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Western Electric Company
Comparison and contrast
– Relay Assembly Test room
Workers felt no pressure from supervision
Had periodic conferences with the superintendent
and were allowed to veto proposed changes
Felt important being part of an experiment
Developed informal social organizations
Organized in co-operation in management

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Western Electric Company
Comparison and contrast con’t
– Bank Wiring Observation Room
Men were afraid of supervision
Had to respond to technical changes which they
did not originate
Organized in opposition to management

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Lessons from the Hawthrone Studies
Behavioral Viewpoint

Employees are Employees’ performance

motivated by social is more a result of peer
needs and association pressure than
with others management’s incentives
and rules

Employees want to Managers need to

participate in decisions involve subordinates
that affect them in coordinating their
work to improve
efficiency
Chapter 2: PowerPoint 2.21
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS FROM THE
HAWTHORNE STUDIES:
the amount of work a person does depends not so
much on physical strength or dexterity, or even on
the physical conditions of work - it depends on the
social conditions surrounding the work
non economic rewards can motivate to a greater
extent than high wages
specialisation and the division of labour might not be
efficient - variety and the use of initiative can
stimulate creativity and interest to the extent that
output is increased
individuals perceive themselves to be members of
groups, and standards of behaviour often arise from
these and not from management
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 SUMMARY

Four Main Phases to the Hawthorne Experiments

The Illumination Experiments - level of production was
influenced by factors other than changes in physical
conditions of work.
The Relay Assembly Test Room - attention and interest
by management reason for higher productivity.
The Interviewing Programme -20,000 interviews. Gave
impetus to present-day personnel management and use of
counselling interviews. Highlighted the need for
management to listen to workers.
The Bank Wiring Observation Room - Piecework
Incentive Scheme. Group pressures stronger than
financial incentives offered by management.

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The End

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