Hawthorne Studies
Noah Wassermann & Jackson Rigby
The Hawthorne study was created and led by Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger
to find ways to increase worker productivity. The studies took place in the 1920s by the
Western Electric Company at their Hawthorne plant. Initially the study focused on the
variable of light in the workplace. The hypothesis was that brighter lighting increased
productivity. It was noticed during this study that productivity increased when light was
increased and also when light was dimmed. This was a result of the employees feeling
that they were being monitored and wanting to be seen producing more, or higher quality
work. However this data was not yet isolated, the researchers still felt their results were
inconclusive because they had not found an individual variable that increased worker
productivity. This led to a second experiment being created.
The second experiment involved in the study looked at the effect of productivity
after different lengths of rest periods. After the test it was noticed that those involved
might have had increased productivity simply from the group atmosphere and more
participative supervision. The test room workers were made to feel important, given a lot
of information and were frequently asked for their opinions. This was very different from
the situation at their regular jobs. Following up on this data, a final Hawthorne study
noticed that people would restrict their output in order to avoid the displeasure of group
environments. They would also be sacrificing pay that could be earned by increasing
output. The authors of the Business Leadership: Management Fundamentals textbook
state, “The researchers concluded that groups can have strong negative as well as
positive, influences on individual productivity.” (Schermerhorn, Wright and Guest 48).
The Hawthorne studies proved that simple things like common changes in the
workplace and inclusion of employees could increase their productivity. If employees felt
they were being monitored they would increase productivity. Mayo and Roethlisberger
also concluded that productivity would increase when management and coworkers made
employees feel valued by showing them extra attention. This helped to disprove what was
widely assumed at the time, that levels of productivity aren’t always increased simply by
monetary values. It also proved that employees could be motivated in cases by group
atmospheres and increased social interactions with their employers. When employees
were in positions they didn’t like in the workplace, they would reduce their productivity
even if it meant losing money that could have been gained from producing more work.
These findings were very important at the time to the way businesses treated employees
and also how businesses function in our society today.
In conclusion, the main result of these findings was the increase of production
when the workers felt like they were being observed. If an employee knew that they were
being watched by their superior as they worked, they would be more inclined to increase
individual productivity to show that they are integral to the company seen as a hard
worker for a potential promotion. It also showed the importance of group relations in a
work place. In order to a business to maximize productivity, all members should often be,
or feel as if they are monitored as well as supported by their coworkers and employers.
Hawthorne Studies
Noah Wassermann & Jackson Rigby
Works Cited:
Schermerhorn, John R., Barry Wright, and Lorie Guest. Business Leadership:
Management Fundamentals. Mississauga, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada, 2013.
Print.
"Human Side: Hawthorne." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
"The Hawthorne Effect: The Study of Employee Productivity." N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept.
2013.
"The Hawthorne Effect." The Hawthorne Effect. Oxford University Press, 2006. Web. 28
Sept. 2013.