Hawthrone Studies

Hawthorne Studies

The Hawthorne Studies, conducted at Western Electric's Hawthorne plant outside Chicago, starting in 1924 and running through 1936, were intended to bring about a greater understanding of the effects of working conditions on worker productivity. The results of the experiments were contrary to the management theory of the time (Scientific Management), and were key in bringing about an understanding of motivation factors in employment

Basically, a series of studies on the productivity of workers introduced several deliberate various conditions (pay, light levels, rest breaks etc.), but each change resulted on average over time in productivity rising, including eventually a return to the original conditions. This was true of each of the individual workers as well as of the group's average.

Clearly the changes that the experimenters deliberately introduced were not the only or dominant causes of productivity. One interpretation, mainly due to Mayo, was that the important effect here was the feeling of being studied: it is this that is now referred to by "the Hawthorne effect".

Specifically, Mayo wanted to find out what fatigue and monotony has on job productivity and how to control them through such variables as rest breaks, work hours, temperature and humidity. In the process, he stumbled upon a principle of human motivation that will help to transform the theory and principles of management.

The Experiments

Elton Mayo selected two women, and had those two select an additional four from the assembly line, segregated them from the rest of the factory and put them under the eye of a supervisor who was more a friendly observer than disciplinarian. Mayo made frequent changes in their working conditions, always discussing and explaining the changes in advance.

He changed the hours in the working week, the hours in the workday and the number of rest breaks, the time of their lunch hour. Occasionally, he would return the women to their original, harder working conditions.

The group was employed in assembling telephone relays - a relay being a small but intricate mechanism composed of about forty separate parts which had to be assembled by the girls seated at a lone bench and dropped into a chute when completed.

The relays were mechanically counted as they slipped down the chute. The intent was to measure the basic rate of production before making any environmental changes. Then, as changes were introduced, the impact to effectiveness would be measured by increased or decreased production of the relays.

Feedback mechanism

Throughout the series of experiments, an observer sat with the girls in the workshop noting all that went on, keeping the girls informed about the experiment, asking for advice or information, and listening to their complaints.

The experiment began by introducing various changes, each of which was continued for a test period of four to twelve weeks.

Under normal conditions with a forty-eight hour week, including Saturdays, and no rest pauses. The girls produced 2,400 relays a week each.

They were then put on piecework for eight weeks. -Output increased

They were given two five-minute breaks, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon, for a period of five weeks. -Output increased, yet again

The breaks were each lengthened to ten minutes. -Output rose sharply

Six five-minute breaks were introduced. The girls complained that their work rhythm was broken by the frequent pauses