Hawthorne Studies Issues - Essay Example

Hawthorne studies Introduction The early part of the 20th century was dominated by American Business enterprises that were swept by a surge in terms of scientific management, which has its roots largely from the works of Frederik Taylor. In fact, Taylor utilized the elements of time as well as motion studies in order to break down management into simple and manageable chunks, thereby providing a better way for the manager or worker to execute these chunks. The basis of such division depended on a number of considerations including aspects such as the time required to complete a task, the quantity of resources required for the task etc. the end worker would then go about executing each of these chunks as if under the influence of some automation in a sequence in which they were instructed to do so. In tune with such scientific studies, management practices within companies are studied routinely in order to help gain an understanding of the effects of the environment on workers. For instance, studying the different levels of the intensity of light or the amount of ventilations has helped determine the optimum levels required to obtain the maximum productivity. In course of such study, users have tried to vary the environment in different compositions, adjusted the time of exposure to a particular setting and also varied the number of working hours per day (Andrzej Huczynski, 2007). The Hawthorne studies are used to describe a series of studies undertaken by the Western Electric Company in one of their factories at Hawthorne during the 1920s, which aimed at studying the effects of lighting on workers. Two important findings emerged out of the studies which are popularly referred to as the effect of the experimenter and the Social effect. In the case of the former effect, it was found that making changes to the original working environment was perceived by workers as an indication that the management really cared for their welfare, thereby acting as a stimulant towards enhanced confidence, morale and subsequent productivity levels (Eugene Cass, 2005). The Social effect is used to define the perception of being separated from the bulk of the workers and being provided a luxury or special treatment. Further, the period of experimentation was found to have induced a stronger bonding among workers thereby contributing to more productivity. The Hawthorne studies extended to a second phase, known as the Bank Wiring room, which was meant for the purpose of evaluating the extent of these social effects. Discussion The Hawthorne Experiments were conducted primarily under the supervision of Elton Mayo between 1924 and 1927 to study the impact of lighting on productivity. Although the approach did not provide any clear connection between the amount of illumination and any related impact on the productivity, researchers were left questioning the range of changes that would impact productivity (Honour, 2008). The primary purpose of the Hawthorne experiments was to determine the impact of monotony and fatigue on production levels and a way to help control it through variables which would be introduced in the form of the number of working hours, breaks, the humidity, lighting and temperature. During the course of the process, the researchers stumbled upon one of the most important principles of human motivation that was about to revolutionize the existing practices in management. The inferences from the study have revealed insights into many aspects, which are described hereunder. The Hawthorne studies have shown that the aptitude on the part of individuals is not a clear indicator for determining the performance within a job role. Despite finding some results on the physical and mental response of the workers, it was found that any strong and prominent reaction was influenced on the basis of social determinants. Further, any range of informal organizations tends to impact the productivity levels and this was particularly witnessed in the case of work groups, which began to reach norms on issues such as the number of hours that constituted a fair day’s work, which were described and interpreted in a systematic manner. it also needs to emphasized here that the workplace in itself constituted a social system that comprised individual parts. The worker was a person whose effectiveness, intelligence and attitude were shaped by the social demands both internal and external to the plant. It was discovered that informal groups within the plant tend to influence social controls in a stronger manner within these traits of the worker. Workers’ morale and their contribution to productivity were shaped by the level of recognition, belongingness and the security that they were provided within the workplace. In such a scenario, the physical conditions of the location were reduced to a secondary ring of influence (Adrian Furnham, 1993). The studies clearly indicate that regardless of the changes brought about in the work environment, the production levels through the contribution of the workers were found to improve at a constant pace. a reasonable conclusion in this regard was that workers generally felt recognized and happy that their work was receiving attention from a set of researchers who were interested in studying them. Although the study was intended to take place for a period of 1 year, the inexplicability in initial findings that was primarily due to the lack of any detectable relationship between worker efficiency and physical conditions led the project to extend to as long as 5 years (Paul Hersey, 1996). The experiment led to a notion that the study on six individuals who constituted a work team were giving themselves in a wholehearted fashion and were spontaneous to participate in the study. The gradual extension of the experiment beyond the initial time frame of 1 year led them to get accustomed to the experimental environment and instilled a notion to participate rather freely thereby allowing them to share information without any coercion from superiors or constraints (Kathryn Borman, 2006). The observers managing and studying the experiment ensured that the study was not micromanaged at any point and the results were found to be obtained under lesser pressure under such an arrangement. Constant medical checks on workers did not show any evident sings og stress or fatigue and the absence levels fell by as much as 80%. The experimental set up developed a greater sense of responsibility among workers and instead of reigning in any discipline from the management, it developed gradually within the group. To add to this, the Hawthorne Studies showed that women, who were used to a broader sense of freedom outside the factory environment, had formed a social atmosphere that comprised the one of the observers tracking productivity. Much of the interaction was rather jovial in nature and the degree of social interactions outside work began to increase. Women, when singled out from the entire group of factory workers, felt a greater sense of self esteem and the freedom to have a friendly working relationship with the superior made them feel more satisfied (Kathryn Bartol, 2007). In such an instance, women workers acted more like a team who provided better cooperation and group loyalty. This is one of the main reasons behind a surge in productivity despite an increase in the numbers of breaks for rest. Conclusion The Hawthorne experiments indicate that there is nothing wrong in using some of the practices used within the study as a means to reach the necessary goals within a workplace. In fact, it was even referred to as the syndrome of ‘Somebody upstairs cares’. People who spend a large part of their day at the workplace need to be instilled with a sense of belonging. They need to feel part of an entity that is larger then themselves. When the group acts in unison, the results are more prominent and much more effective than individual contributions. This is often described as the recognition and reward that one reaps when attention and praise is paid to people. Showing that one is concerned about a worker spurs them to work better and leads to enhanced performance. This is in reality the true nature of the Hawthorne effect. References 1. Andrzej Huczynski (2007), Organizational behaviour: an introductory text. New York: Pearson. 2. Eugene Cass (2005), Man and work in society: a report on the symposium held on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the original Hawthorne studies, Oakbrook. Illinois: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 3. Edward Craighead (2000), The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science. Boston: Wiley. 4. Honour (2008). Business and sociology. London: Taylor & Francis. 5. Adrian Furnham (1993), Corporate assessment: auditing a companys personality. London: Routledge. 6. Paul Hersey (1996), Management of organizational behavior: utilizing human resources. University of Michigan. 7. Kathryn Borman (2006), The first "real" job: a study of young workers. New York: SUNY Press. 8. Kathryn Bartol (2007), Management: a Pacific Rim focus. Sydney: McGraw Hill. Read More