Hawthorne Experiments Concept

Hawthorne experiments were a study performed by Elton Mayo between 1924 and 1932, in a factory of Western Electric Company in Hawthorne (near Chicago), which were in the origin of the Human Relations Theory.

The initial goal of these experiments was to determine how changes in conditions of salary and work (illumination, temperature, rest breaks, work accidents, fatigue, personnel rotation, etc.) influence people and their work productivity. For that is made a subdivision of a rewinding workshop in two parts: in one are made changes in timetables, lightness levels, rest breaks, etc., while the other is kept as control group.

Like expected, the assumptions that productivity would increase with the improvement of the work conditions were confirmed in these experiments. The big surprise occurred when the investigators observed that the productivity also increased when the work conditions were deteriorated.

Was therefore concluded that the human relations and the work environment that results from there and the creation of bonds among the laborers that were feeling observed by an administration worried with their well-being, are much more important for the increase of productivity then the simple physical conditions and work materials. Was so given the end to the presupposed of the “economic man” in who Classic School relied, giving place to the presupposed “social man”.     

 

 

Translated from Portuguese by Susana Saraiva, Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese translation specialist. Contact: spams@sapo.pt.