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Katherine Hawthorne Biography & Facts

The Hawthorne effect is a type of human behavior reactivity in which individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed. The effect was discovered in the context of research conducted at the Hawthorne Western Electric plant; however, some scholars think the descriptions are fictitious. The original research involved workers who made electrical relays at the Hawthorne Works, a Western Electric plant in Cicero, Illinois. Between 1924 and 1927, the lighting study was conducted. Workers experienced a series of lighting changes in which productivity was said to increase with almost any change in the lighting. This turned out not to be true. In another study associated with Elton Mayo, which ran from 1927 to 1928, a series of changes in work structure were implemented (e.g., changes in rest periods) in a group of six women. However, this was a methodologically poor, uncontrolled study that did not permit any firm conclusions to be drawn. Elton Mayo later performed two additional experiments to study the phenomenon: the Mass interviewing experiment (1928-1930), and the Bank wiring observation experiment (1931-32). One of the later interpretations by Henry Landsberger, a sociology professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, suggested that the novelty of being research subjects and the increased attention from such could lead to temporary increases in workers' productivity. This interpretation was dubbed "the Hawthorne effect". History The term "Hawthorne effect" was coined in 1953 by John R. P. French after the Hawthorne studies conducted between 1924 and 1932 at the Hawthorne Works (a Western Electric factory in Cicero, outside Chicago). The Hawthorne Works had commissioned a study to determine if its workers would become more productive in higher or lower levels of light. The workers' productivity seemed to improve when changes were made, and slumped again when the study ended. It was suggested that the productivity gain occurred as a result of the motivational effect on the workers of the interest being shown in them. This effect was observed for minute increases in illumination. In these lighting studies, light intensity was altered to examine its effect on worker productivity. Most industrial or occupational psychology and organizational behavior textbooks refer to the illumination studies when discussing the Hawthorne effect; only occasionally are the rest of the studies mentioned. Although the illumination research of workplace lighting formed the basis of the Hawthorne effect, other changes such as maintaining clean work stations, clearing floors of obstacles, and even relocating workstations resulted in increased productivity for short periods. Thus, the term is used to identify any type of short-lived increase in productivity. Illumination experiment The illumination experiment was conducted from 1924 to 1927. The purpose was to determine the effect of light variations on worker productivity. The experiment ran in two rooms: the experiment room, in which workers went about their workday under various light levels; and the control room, in which workers did their tasks under normal conditions. The hypothesis was that as the light level was increased in the experiment room, productivity would increase. However, when the intensity of light was increased in the experiment room, researchers found that productivity had improved in both rooms. The light level in the experiment room was then decreased, and the results were the same: increased productivity in both rooms. Productivity only began to decrease in the experiment room when the light level was reduced to approximately the level of moonlight, which forced workers to slow down due to difficulties seeing their work. Ultimately it was concluded that illumination did not have any effect on productivity, and that there must be some other variable causing the observed productivity increases in both rooms. Another phase of experiments was needed to pinpoint the cause. Relay assembly experiments Starting in 1927, researchers conducted an experiment where they chose two female workers as test subjects and asked them to choose four other women to join the test group. For one year (1927–1928), the team of women worked in a separate room, assembling telephone relays. Output was measured mechanically by counting how many finished relays each worker dropped down a chute. To establish a baseline productivity level, the measurement was begun in secret two weeks before the women were moved to the experiment room, and then continued throughout the study. In the experiment room, a supervisor discussed changes in their productivity. Some of the variables were: Giving two 5-minute breaks (after a discussion with them on the best length of time), and then changing to two 10-minute breaks (not their preference). Productivity increased, but when they received six 5-minute rests, they disliked it and reduced output, the reason being that multiple rests broke the flow or rhythm of the workers. Providing soup or coffee with a sandwich in the morning and snacks in the evening increased productivity. Shortening working hours and the working day by adjusting the leaving time from 5.00 to 4.30. Also eliminating Saturday working. These changes led to increases in productivity. Changing a variable usually increased productivity, even if the variable was just a change back to the original condition. However, it is said that this is the natural process of the human being adapting to the environment, without knowing the objective of the experiment occurring. Researchers concluded that the workers worked harder because they thought that they were being monitored individually. Researchers hypothesized that choosing one's own coworkers, working as a group, being treated as special (as evidenced by working in a separate room), and having a sympathetic supervisor were the real reasons for the productivity increase. One interpretation, mainly due to Elton Mayo, was that "the six individuals became a team and the team gave itself wholeheartedly and spontaneously to cooperation in the experiment." (There was a second relay assembly test room study whose results were not as significant as the first experiment.) Mass Interviewing Program The program is conducted to determine the employees attitude or human behavior. The program conducted b/w the period of 1928 to 1930 and during to this 20,000 interviews conducted in plant. The interviews first started with direct questioning and questions are related with the supervision and policies of company. But the drawback of this direct questioning method is that the responses are in 'yes' or 'no' and this is not helping in finding root of problems. After indirect questioning method is adapted by researchers and interviewer was asked to listen only and this method give valuable insights about human behavior. The study finds that the behavior of a worker or individual is affected.... Discover the Katherine Hawthorne popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Katherine Hawthorne books.