Major Contributions of the Hawthorne Studies for Management Today - Coursework Example

MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE HAWTHORNE STUDIES FOR MANAGEMENT TODAY By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Major Contributions of the Hawthorne Studies for Management Today Introduction Even though the Hawthorne Studies have widely been criticised, Elton Mayo’s experiments have notably resulted in the evolution of different contemporary management theories. At one time, workers were considered by managers as machinery that could be sold and bought without difficulty. To improve production, employees were subjected to miserable salaries, long hours and adverse working conditions. The needs as well as the welfare of the workers were widely disregarded. Early in the 20th century, scientific management and changes in management were introduced. This type of management, introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor, laid emphasis on the effective way to improve the output volume, whereby workers had to specialise in particular tasks similar to the way the machines operates. Implementation of scientific management theory resulted in tremendous reproach by many who argued that the Scientific Management fundamentals were designed to exploit workers instead of benefiting them. In view of this, Hawthorne Studies instigated tremendous changes in organisational behaviour and disapproved the belief that increased organisation output was associated directly with increased employees' wages. The Hawthorne studies contribution to management will be analysed in context of the Hawthorne effect and human relations approach. This essay will critically analyse claims of two of the contributions of the Hawthorne studies to management today. Some of the on-going and contemporary issues facing managers in organisations will also be analysed critically. Discussion Human Relations Approach It has widely been acknowledged that the Hawthorne studies have played a crucial role in the development of human relations approach and serves as a motivation in organisational behaviour for examining factors that steer human behaviour to work (Carson, 2005, p.453). Therefore, organisational behaviour can be defined as the application and study of knowledge concerning how groups or individuals behave in organisations. The intention of organisational behaviour is to create improved relationships by accomplishing organisational, human as well as social objectives. Prior to the Hawthorne studies, a number of classical scientific management theories like Frederick Taylor’s Taylorism were exceedingly widespread in the organisational behaviour field. According to these theories, workers were isolated and passive persons, and their source of motivation came only from money. The holders of classical theories focused mainly on the formal organisation structure in general and turned a blind eye to the members of the organisation. Hawthorne Studies were introduced between 1920 and 1930, and they brought about tremendous changes in organisational behaviour. This was attributed mainly to the management’s human relations approach that was created from Elton Mayo’s Hawthorne studies. The studies disapproved the earlier presumptions of workers behaviour that were made by the classical theories. The human relations approach as evidenced by the results of Hawthorne studies holds the view that employees work not just for monetary reward but as well to satisfy their multifaceted social needs. This approach supports participative management as well as democratic management; thus, exhibiting that attention must be paid to social and psychological needs of the workers. This is attributed to the fact that Hawthorne studies results showed that employees’ social needs were the main factors in the process of improving the output of the organisation and not their economic needs. To be precise, according to the Hawthorne studies, workers are inclined to be more ‘social entities’ rather than ‘economic entities’. Different from the classical management theories, Hawthorne studies highlighted the need for organisations to focus on relations between individuals rather than the entire organisation, and also emphasized the informal organisation significance. Organisational productivity can be increased by the properties of the human relations approach. From the development perspective of human relations movement, Carson (2005, p.458) argues that no studies have presented a satisfactory paradigm like the Hawthorne studies. In view of this, the human relation approach espoused in the Hawthorne studies nearly improved the production rate by 20 to 40 per cent. Therefore, as argued by Muldoon (2012, p.115), the Hawthorne studies created and substantiated the human relations approach, and brought about innovation in the organisational behaviour discipline. Besides that, the Hawthorne studies also contributed the Hawthorne effect to the modern management, which is considered by many as an enduring legacy of the studies. Mayo, who was part of the team that designed Hawthorne studies, claimed that the Hawthorne works’ productivity in the illumination experiments improved tremendously after the test participants were told that the variables change could improve their productivity (Gale, 2004, p.439). According to Merrett (2006, p.143), the majority of researchers claim that the Hawthorne Effect constituted unforeseen outcomes that are believed to rely on the fact that the test participants’ were aware of the experiments, and as a result, received more attention. Hawthorne Effect Hawthorne effect as indicated by Porter (2012, p.15), proves that issues related to productivity can be improved when managers are involved. That is to say, improved productivity can be realised when management actively manage organisational activities. When managers are taken less seriously, Porter (2012, p.15) posits that improvements cannot be achieved. In the long run, the Hawthorne effect is more concerned with the group norms, and eventually, the rate for a fair workday can be established. Therefore, the Hawthorne effect is a crucial concept since it can help the management unfreeze the existing state of affairs. After the improvements have been realised, refreezing the newly established culture will result in a new rate of performance. By acknowledging the existence of the Hawthorne effect exists, Porter (2012, p.15) argues that it is possible to utilize this phenomenon to achieve real improvements. By developing an organisational culture with supervision that is active, everything turns out to be more oriented towards the team, and a lot can be achieved. In a number of processes, minor changes that need no more labour or equipment can bring about major rewards. This may be achieved through promoting as well as encouraging unceasing improvement efforts by means of real leadership. Every continuous improvement starts with management; therefore, failing to involve leaders makes culture change impossible. In view of this contribution, the Hawthorn studies offered management with a more dedicated analysis of employees’ interactions in the organisation such as the social interaction between supervisors as well as workers. Contemporaries hold the view that Hawthorne researchers were very rigorous and offered understandings as well as new paths for future management research. Whether Hawthorne studies contribution was to offer the concept of exploring the influence of social dynamics on production, Muldoon (2012, p.108) posits that the studies offered a novel and crucial break from the work of the contemporaries. Mayo’s team without a doubt made important contributions to the current management theories since they focused their attention exactly on the internal organisation; they created a dominant industrial sociology concern. As indicated in Isawa et al. (2011, p.529) study, the Hawthorne Studies begun as an illumination experiments in the workplace and developed into numerous studies aimed at understanding the effects of human relations with regard to management. At Western Electric’s Hawthorne plant, researchers like Mayo, Homer Hibarger, George Pennock, Turner as well as Roethlisberger and Dickson tried to examine the reasons for the improved production in the test rooms of the Hawthorne plant (Carson, 2005, p.454). A number of reasons were pointed out as factors that resulted in increase of production: style of supervision, work group size, attention offered to the test participants, the experiments exclusivity, and interviews conducted by the researchers that enabled the workers to air their concerns as well as grievances. The experiments results indicated that managers should improve how they manage their workers through enhanced communication and interpersonal skills. As pointed out by Carson (2005, p.454), workers desired to be treated with attention and not to be regarded like machines they operate. McGregor coagulated a complimentary assessment of the Hawthorne studies by creating the management’s Theory X and Y assumption, arguing that threat of punishment and the control is not the only existing means of generating effort toward the objectives of the organisation. McGregor argues that employees exercise self-control and self-direction in serving the objectives that they are committed to. In view of this, through their human relations approach the Hawthorne researchers managed to bring about the commitment that was sought after by McGregor. The Hawthorne effect points out that that the increase in employee productivity is brought about by the social effects of the organisation management’s expressing an interest to the workforces. The Hawthorne effect in psychology has been described as the inevitable outcomes that come about when test subjects understand that their behaviour is being studied. The Hawthorne illumination experiments pointed out the need for improved payment methods, supervision, utilisation of control as well as test groups, and creating work conditions that are identical. After the emergence of the Hawthorne effect, the academic folklore entered, and afterwards, it has been utilized as evidence that illumination as well as physical workplace conditions, are inconsequential than worker management relations and supervision. Considering that the human relation approach that the Hawthorne studies approached increased the production rate by almost 20 to 40 per cent, then it has been claimed that the Hawthorne studies proved and generated an approach for contemporary management. In view of the on-going and contemporary issues facing managers in organisations, it is without doubt that managers these days face considering that the democratic changes taking place across the globe has created the need to internalize democracy for workers. On-Going and Contemporary Issues Facing Managers in Organisations Indubitably, technology has made the world smaller, and in consequence, a large amount of information as well as ideas, are currently moving constantly and freely. In this case, the challenge for managers is how to use technology effectively so as to make it an important part of production in the work environment. Moreover, technology has accelerated the pace of change in the work setting, and given that new employees are recruited often, managers are finding it hard to lead their teams successfully since their skills are not oriented to the advancing technology. These days, managers should be able to keep their software and computer knowledge up to date, and be able to communicate with young employees who are much into technology. Because of globalisation, organisations these days experience challenges that need the managers to develop new capabilities. Besides that, a lot of expectations and responsibilities have been levied to managers today, in terms of financial performance, innovation, as well as productivity. However, the power to approve things that are in line with the expectations are normally held by the organisation board or senior management; thus, managers are place in tough spot considering they have numerous responsibilities but with no authority to do it their way. As a result, lack of authority leads to frequent direction changes, random frustration, and delays. In view of the Hawthorne effect, the above discussed challenges can be solved when managers become more proactive and innovative. Contemporary managers should be more conscious of the changes that take place in their organisation and the external environment. They have to take proactive action to solve problems that crop up through utilizing the management techniques and tools. Conclusion In conclusion, the essay has critically analysed claims of two of the contributions of the Hawthorne studies to management today and has also examined a number of on-going and contemporary issues facing managers in organisations. Besides that, Hawthorne studies’ contributions have been based on social science with regard to human relations approach as well as in terms of the Hawthorne effect. As indicated in the essay, technology as well as globalisation has presented a number of challenges to managers in the organisations, and these challenges are expected to continue evolving in the future. Hawthorne studies as outlined in the essay, lays a footing of a new employee work style that sees employees as personalities in different situations. Hawthorne studies indicated the need for managers to shift from monetary and physical incentives to social needs and settings for employees. The Hawthorne studies have created the need to focus on the members of the organisation, rather than the formal organisation structure that was spear headed by the classical theories. References Carson, C.M., 2005. A historical view of Douglas McGregor's Theory Y", Management Decision. Management Decision, vol. 43, no. 3, pp.450 - 460. Gale, E.A.M., 2004. The Hawthorne studies—a fable for our times? QJM, vol. 97, pp. 439-449. Isawa, M.R., French, M.D. & Hedge, A., 2011. Shining New Light on the Hawthorne Illumination Experiments. Human Factors, vol. 53, no. 5, pp.528-47. Merrett, F., 2006. Reflections on the Hawthorne Effect, Educational Psychology. An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology, vol. 26, no. 1, pp.143-46. Muldoon, J., 2012. The Hawthorne legacy A reassessment of the impact of the Hawthorne studies on management scholarship, 1930-1958. Journal of Management History, vol. 18, no. 1, pp.105-19. Porter, C., 2012. The Hawthorne effect today. Industrial Management, vol. 54, no. 3, pp.10-15. Read More