Hawthorne StudiesHawthorne Studies

Elton Mayo’s Study on Employee Elton Mayo’s Study on Employee Motivation and Work ProductivityMotivation and Work Productivity

Developed by: Melissa MackayDeveloped by: Melissa Mackay

Boise State UniversityBoise State University

What Will Be CoveredWhat Will Be Covered

• Definition of the Hawthorne StudiesDefinition of the Hawthorne Studies

• Experiment that Mayo conductedExperiment that Mayo conducted

• ResultsResults

• Conclusions Conclusions

• Brainstorming: How this can be used in Brainstorming: How this can be used in organizationsorganizations

What Will Be Covered What Will Be Covered Cont.Cont.

• Nuts and Bolts: Explanation of topicNuts and Bolts: Explanation of topic

• How it works in the fieldHow it works in the field

• Real World ExampleReal World Example

• SummarySummary

• ReferencesReferences

Definition of Hawthorne Definition of Hawthorne StudiesStudies

• ““The Hawthorne Studies were The Hawthorne Studies were conducted from 1927-1932 at the conducted from 1927-1932 at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Chicago, where Harvard Business in Chicago, where Harvard Business School Professor Elton Mayo School Professor Elton Mayo examined productivity and work examined productivity and work conditions.”conditions.”

http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/hawthrone_02.html

Definition of Hawthorne Definition of Hawthorne Studies Cont.Studies Cont.

• ““Mayo wanted to find out what effect Mayo wanted to find out what effect fatigue and monotony had on job fatigue and monotony had on job productivity and how to control them productivity and how to control them through such variables as rest breaks, through such variables as rest breaks, work hours, temperatures and work hours, temperatures and humidity.”humidity.”

Mayo’s ExperimentMayo’s Experiment• Five women assembled telephone relays, one supplied the Five women assembled telephone relays, one supplied the

parts.parts.

• Made frequent changes in working conditions with their Made frequent changes in working conditions with their consent.consent.

• Records were kept of relays made, temperature and humidity Records were kept of relays made, temperature and humidity of rooms, medical and personal histories, eating and sleeping of rooms, medical and personal histories, eating and sleeping habits, and bits of conversation on the job.habits, and bits of conversation on the job.

• No one supervised the girls.No one supervised the girls.

• They were told to work as they felt and at a comfortable They were told to work as they felt and at a comfortable pace.pace.

Mayo’s Experiment Cont.Mayo’s Experiment Cont.

• Productive capacity was measured by recording the Productive capacity was measured by recording the girls’ output for two weeks before the study began.girls’ output for two weeks before the study began.

• First five weeks, no changes were made.First five weeks, no changes were made.

• Third stage, a pay system was ensured allowing the Third stage, a pay system was ensured allowing the girls’ to earn in proportion to their efforts.girls’ to earn in proportion to their efforts.

• Eight weeks later, two five-minute rest pauses were Eight weeks later, two five-minute rest pauses were added.added.

Mayo’s Experiment Cont.Mayo’s Experiment Cont.

• Eighth phase, workday ended a half-day early.Eighth phase, workday ended a half-day early.

• Ninth phase, the girls finished an hour earlier than usual.Ninth phase, the girls finished an hour earlier than usual.

• Five-day week introduced.Five-day week introduced.

• Girls went back to no breaks, lunches and a full work Girls went back to no breaks, lunches and a full work week, output declined for those twelve weeks.week, output declined for those twelve weeks.

ResultsResults

• Researchers found that output rates weren’t Researchers found that output rates weren’t directly related to the physical conditions of directly related to the physical conditions of the work.the work.

• Output went up when:Output went up when:– They were put on piece-work for eight weeks.They were put on piece-work for eight weeks.– Two five minute rest pauses were introduced for five Two five minute rest pauses were introduced for five

weeks.weeks.– Rest pauses were lengthened to ten minutes.Rest pauses were lengthened to ten minutes.– A hot meal was supplied during first pause.A hot meal was supplied during first pause.– They were dismissed at 4:30 p.m. instead of 5:00 They were dismissed at 4:30 p.m. instead of 5:00

p.m.p.m.

http://courses.bus.ualberta.ca/orga417-reshef/mayo.htm

Results Cont.Results Cont.

• Output slightly fell when six five minute pauses were Output slightly fell when six five minute pauses were added.added.

• It remained the same when they were dismissed at 4:00 It remained the same when they were dismissed at 4:00 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m.p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m.

• Mayo believes “what actually happened was that six Mayo believes “what actually happened was that six individuals became a team and the team gave itself individuals became a team and the team gave itself wholeheartedly and spontaneously to cooperation in the wholeheartedly and spontaneously to cooperation in the experiment. The consequence was that they felt experiment. The consequence was that they felt themselves to be participating freely and without themselves to be participating freely and without afterthought, and were happy in the knowledge that afterthought, and were happy in the knowledge that they were working without coercion from above or they were working without coercion from above or limitations from below.”limitations from below.”

ConclusionsConclusions

• Work is a group activity.Work is a group activity.

• Social world for an adult is primarily patterned about Social world for an adult is primarily patterned about work.work.

• Need for recognition, security and sense of belonging.Need for recognition, security and sense of belonging.

• Complaints, commonly a symptom manifesting Complaints, commonly a symptom manifesting disturbance of an individual’s status position.disturbance of an individual’s status position.

Conclusions Cont.Conclusions Cont.

• Attitudes and effectiveness are conditioned by social Attitudes and effectiveness are conditioned by social demands.demands.

• Informal groups at work are strong social controls over Informal groups at work are strong social controls over the work habits and attitudes of a worker.the work habits and attitudes of a worker.

• Change from established society to adaptive society.Change from established society to adaptive society.

• Group collaboration.Group collaboration.

Brainstorming: How this can be Brainstorming: How this can be used in organizationsused in organizations

• Cooperation and communication Cooperation and communication with coworkers.with coworkers.

• Rearrange/reorganize job Rearrange/reorganize job functions.functions.

• Create an atmosphere of working Create an atmosphere of working as a team.as a team.

Nuts and Bolts: Nuts and Bolts: Explanation of TopicExplanation of Topic

• InterviewingInterviewing– Provide insight to workers moral, their Provide insight to workers moral, their

likes and dislikes and how they felt likes and dislikes and how they felt about their bosses.about their bosses.

Nuts and Bolts: Explanation Nuts and Bolts: Explanation of Topic Cont.of Topic Cont.

• Role of SupervisorRole of Supervisor– Retained the responsibility of making Retained the responsibility of making

sure that their workers reached sure that their workers reached production levels, should lead their production levels, should lead their workers.workers.

Nuts and Bolts: Explanation Nuts and Bolts: Explanation of Topic Cont.of Topic Cont.

• ManagementManagement– Need to gain active support and Need to gain active support and

participation from workers, while participation from workers, while maintaining managerial control.maintaining managerial control.

– Be patient with workers, listen to Be patient with workers, listen to them, and avoid creating emotional them, and avoid creating emotional upsets.upsets.

http://couses.bus.ualberta.ca/orga417-reshef/mayo.htm

Nuts and Bolts: Explanation Nuts and Bolts: Explanation of Topic Cont.of Topic Cont.

• TeamworkTeamwork– Cooperation, communication, sense of Cooperation, communication, sense of

belonging.belonging.– ““Man’s desire to be continuously Man’s desire to be continuously

associated in work with his fellows is a associated in work with his fellows is a strong, if not the strongest, human strong, if not the strongest, human characteristic. Any disregard of it by characteristic. Any disregard of it by management or any ill-advised attempt management or any ill-advised attempt to defeat this human impulse leads to defeat this human impulse leads instantly to some form of defeat for instantly to some form of defeat for management itself.”management itself.”

How it Works in the FieldHow it Works in the Field

• Aspects of Hawthorne StudiesAspects of Hawthorne Studies– WorkersWorkers– ManagementManagement– MotivationMotivation– ProductivityProductivity

How it Works in the Field How it Works in the Field Cont.Cont.

• WorkersWorkers– Insights, suggestions, likes and Insights, suggestions, likes and

dislikes, moral, training.dislikes, moral, training.

• ManagementManagement– Transfer of power to workers, knowing Transfer of power to workers, knowing

their workers.their workers.

How it Works in the Field How it Works in the Field Cont.Cont.

• MotivationMotivation– Incentives to increase productivity Incentives to increase productivity

and quality.and quality.

• ProductivityProductivity– By increasing the output rate and By increasing the output rate and

keeping costs down, the company will keeping costs down, the company will be able to increase profits.be able to increase profits.

Real World ExampleReal World Example

• Swedish CaseSwedish Case– Pay system didn’t fit the structure of Pay system didn’t fit the structure of

jobs and organization.jobs and organization.

– Two years later an incentive system Two years later an incentive system was added, productivity went up 45%.was added, productivity went up 45%.

Real World Example Cont.Real World Example Cont.

• Swedish CaseSwedish Case

– New incentive system provided New incentive system provided motivation through tying cooperation motivation through tying cooperation and teamwork.and teamwork.

ExerciseExercise

• Brainstorm ideas that can motivate Brainstorm ideas that can motivate employees to increase productivity and employees to increase productivity and find ways to implement them.find ways to implement them.

• Think of more efficient ways in which a Think of more efficient ways in which a process can be completed and who you process can be completed and who you might go to in order to find this out.might go to in order to find this out.

SummarySummary

• Hawthorne Studies dealing with worker Hawthorne Studies dealing with worker motivation and work productivity.motivation and work productivity.

• Increase communication and Increase communication and cooperation among coworkers.cooperation among coworkers.

Summary Cont.Summary Cont.

• Motivation can cause an increase in Motivation can cause an increase in productivityproductivity

• Involve employees in decision making.Involve employees in decision making.

• Create a sense of belonging by creating Create a sense of belonging by creating teams.teams.

ReferencesReferences

• ““Man and Work in Society.” Edited by Eugene Man and Work in Society.” Edited by Eugene Louis Cass and Frederick G. Zimmer. 1975. Louis Cass and Frederick G. Zimmer. 1975. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

• ““Manufacturing Knowledge, A History of the Manufacturing Knowledge, A History of the Hawthorne Experiments.” Richard Gillespie. Hawthorne Experiments.” Richard Gillespie. 1952. New York: Press Syndicate of the 1952. New York: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.University of Cambridge.

• http://courses.bus.ualberta.ca/orga417-reshef/http://courses.bus.ualberta.ca/orga417-reshef/mayo.htmlmayo.html

• http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/hawthorhttp://www.accel-team.com/motivation/hawthorne_02.htmlne_02.html