The Hawthorne studies and human relations
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1924, The Western Electric Company started a research program for studying individual
productivity
o Goal: to determine how economic incentives and the physical conditions of the
workplace affected the output of workers
Relay Assembly Test-Room Studies
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1927, ran an experiment where six workers were put in special rooms
o Goal: to determine how productivity would change in various work conditions
o Ex. Various change in work length and
o Result: The group had a pleasant social atmosphere and when employees felt valued
worked more productively
Employee Attitudes, Interpersonal Relations, and Group Processes:
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1932, a group experiment was done showing how overall output would be affected
o Workers limited their output to please the group
o Workers seemed to care more about their co-workers’ wants over more pay
Conclusion:
Social factors effected workers more than technical and structural factors.
Hawthorne effect: the tendency of persons singled out for special attention to perform as expected
Human relations movement: the good managers using good human relations will achieve productivity
Organizational Behaviour: The study of individuals and groups in organizations