George Elton Mayo (Australia, 1880 - 1949):

George Elton Mayo (Australia, 1880 - 1949)
Reviewed by adminon Apr 01 2013
Rating: 5

Elton Mayo was born in Australia. He was educated in Logic and Philosophy at St.

Peter's College, Adelaide. He led a team of researchers from

Harvard University, which carried out investigation in human

problems.

Elton Mayo’s contributions came as part of the Hawthorne studies, a

series of experiments that rigorously applied classical management

theory only to reveal its shortcomings. The Hawthorne experiments consisted of two

studies conducted at the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company in

Chicago from 1924 to 1932. The first study was conducted by a group of engineers

seeking to determine the relationship of lighting levels to worker productivity.

Surprisingly enough, they discovered that worker productivity increased as the

lighting levels decreased — that is, until the employees were unable to see what they

were doing, after which performance naturally declined.

A few years later, a second group of experiments began. Harvard researchers Mayo

and F. J. Roethlisberger supervised a group of five women in a bank wiring room.

They gave the women special privileges, such as the right to leave their workstations

without permission, take rest periods, enjoy free lunches, and have variations in pay

levels and workdays. This experiment also resulted in significantly increased rates of

productivity.

In this case, Mayo and Roethlisberger concluded that the increase in productivity

resulted from the supervisory arrangement rather than the changes in lighting or other

associated worker benefits. Because the experimenters became the primary

supervisors of the employees, the intense interest they displayed for the workers was

the basis for the increased motivation and resulting productivity. Essentially, the

experimenters became a part of the study and influenced its outcome. This is the

origin of the term Hawthorne effect, which describes the special attention researchers

give to a study’s subjects and the impact that attention has on the study’s findings.

The general conclusion from the Hawthorne studies was that human relations and the

social needs of workers are crucial aspects of business management. This principle of

human motivation helped revolutionize theories and practices of management.