Team 4Kennya LealRichard Orsi

Dan WalesAlexandra

Pagliuca

George Elton Mayo

12/26/1880 – 9/7/1949

Psychologist and sociologist

Active Australian Psychologist

Moved to the United States to participate in the Philadelphia post opportunity.

Adelaide University

University of Queensland

Pennsylvania University

Harvard Business School

Retirement

British Government Advisor

Human Relations Movement

The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization (1933)

Training Within Industry Supervisor Training

1924-1927

Funded by General Electric

Conducted by The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences with engineers from MIT

Measured Light Intensity vs. Worker Output

Result :• Higher productivity and greater employee satisfaction

Conclusions: • Light intensity has no conclusive effect on output• Productivity has a psychological component

Concept of “Hawthorne Effect” was created

1927-1929

Manipulated factors of production to measure effect on output:• Pay Incentives• Length of Work Day & Work Week• Use of Rest Periods• Company Sponsored Meals

Results:• Higher output and greater employee satisfaction

Conclusions: • Positive effects even with negative influences – workers’ output will

increase as a response to attention• Strong social bonds were created within the test group. Workers

are influenced by need for recognition, security and sense of belonging

1928-1929

Measured effect on output with compensation rates• Special observation room• 1st Session- Relay Assemblers changed from departmental incentive to small group incentive• 2nd Session - Adjusted back to large group incentive

Results:• Small group incentives resulted in new sustained level of

production – 112% over standard output base• Output dropped to 96.2% of base in 2nd session

Conclusion: • Pay relevant to output but not the only factor

1928-1931

Measured output with changes to work conditions only:• Special Observation Room• Length of Work Day• Use of Rest Periods• Workers stayed on established Piece-rate compensation

Result:• Productivity increased by 15% over standard output base

Conclusions: • Productivity is affected by non-pay considerations• Social dynamics are a basis of worker performance

1925-1927 – Objective Questions• Work Conditions• Work Relationships• Yes/No Answers

1928-1932 – Conversational / Non-directive• Attentive Sympathetic Listening• Concern for personal needs• Increased in time from 30-90 minutes

Result:• Remarkable positive employee perceptions

Conclusions: • New Supervisory Style improved worker morale

1931-1932

Limited changes to work conditions• Segregated work area• No Management Visits• Supervision would remain the same• Observer would record data only – no interaction with workers

Small group pay incentive

Result:• No appreciable changes in output

Conclusions: • Preexisting performance norms• Group dictated production standards - Systemic Soldiering• Work Group protection from management changes.

Group was not selected objectively

Two women were replaced since they were chatting during their work.

One Italian member was working harder and above average to care for her family.

“Hawthorne effect is simply the result of ‘capitalist bias’ among modern industrial psychologists.”

-American Psychologist Magazine

“Woman liked attention and interpreted experimenter as the ‘boss’”

- Jonathan Freedman

“A distinguished industrial psychologist”- H. Mcllvaine Parson

Improved management

“…But Professor Mayo’s work also helped establish field based empirical research as the primary research Methodology at HBS.”

- Mary Lee Kennedy

These studies changed the landscape of management• Taylor's engineering approach improved into a social science

approach.

Mayo applied Taylor’s time and motion studies.

The Human Factor - relationships between workers and managers.

Recognized that special incentives were required to motivate laborers

Failed to consider motivational factors

Taylor noted while at the Simmonds Rolling Machine

Company that productivity increased when:

• “Each ball bearing checking girl was made to feel that she was

the object of special care and interest”.

However, Taylor has never conducted any detailed studies

to investigate this phenomena.

Viewed organizations as cooperative systems.

Focused on individuals and their interactions with other humans in social relationships.

Promoting communication

Relates to Mayo’s “Relay Room” which every move was reported.

The Group Principle

The potentials of the individual remain potentials until they are released by group life.

Focused on:• Negotiation• Power• Employee Participation

Discrete observations

Objective worker selection

Isolated variables

Control group

THANK YOU!

Are there any questions or comments?

Wren, Daniel A., and Arthur G. Bedeian. The Evolution of Management Thought. 6th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009. Print.

"History of Management." ManagementGuru supports management studies and is maintained by Dr.Makamson. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http://www.mgmtguru.com/mgt301/301_Lecture1Page10.htm>.

"Baker Library Chronicles Human Relations Movement." Harvard Business School. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http://www.hbs.edu/news/releases/092407_hawthorne.html>.

"ProvenModels hawthorne effect - Elton Mayo." ProvenModels - Management Models | Management Theory | Business Models | Michael Porter | Henry Mintzberg | Management Model | Business School. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. <http://www.provenmodels.com/6/hawthorne-effect/elton-mayo>.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Elton+Mayo:+the+Hawthorne+experiments.-a0151189059

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Elton+Mayo