Evaluate the Contribution of the Hawthorne Studies to the...

Hawthorne Studies have been subjected to many criticisms. Yet, the evolvement of many of the management theories today would not have come about without the experiments done by Elton Mayo. This essay will cover the various aspects of management that has been refined through the findings of the tests conducted and how improvements were made to aid in the development of organisational behaviour. It will also discuss the various studies and will show how these theories implement Hawthorne studies as the foundation and the basis of the human relations movement. It will also investigate the criticisms that arise within it. In the past, managers considered workers as machinery that could be bought and sold easily. To increase production,†¦show more content†¦As proven by the Hawthorne studies where motivation is a key factor for success, Maslows hierarchy of needs applies to the same aspect. Not long after Maslows interpretation of management theory, his student, Douglas McGregor studied worker attitudes. According to McGregor, people can be assumed to belong to two groups. They are known to be Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X assumes that most people will stay away from work as they do not enjoy it and must be threatened or persuaded to put forth adequate effort(Bruce et al, 1999). He further assumes that people belonging to this group have minimal ambition and would pull away from responsibilities. These people would rather be directed and considers job security as their utmost priority. Theory Y however assumes that work is a natural process for people and most people are self driven to accomplish goals which they are responsible for. Responsibility is desired by people belonging to this group and work itself would be self satisfactory for them. McGregors study was suppose to identify that work itself could be a motivator to people. However, these assumptions of people were once applied to the management styles inaccurately. This in turn led to people being classified as part of a certain group and the individuals were not recognised for their qualities. People who were of certain qualities were notShow MoreRelatedEvaluate the Contribution of the Hawthorne Studies to the Development of Management Theory and Practice2439 Words   |  10 Pagesfour important areas of management theory: Frederick Taylor s Scientific Management, Elton Mayo s Hawthorne Works experiments and the human relations movement, Max Weber s idealized bureaucracy, and Henri Fayol s views on administration. It will provide a general description of each of these management theories together with observations on the environment in which these theories were applied and the successes that they achieved. Frederick Taylor - Scientific Management Description FrederickRead MoreManagement Thoughts and Theories1727 Words   |  7 PagesMANAGEMENT THOUGHTS AND THEORIES The industrial revolution, which began in Europe in mid-1700s, was the starting point for the development of management concepts and theories. 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Basically the aim of these experiments was to † attempt to reduce worker dissatisfaction and resist trade unionRead MoreDiscuss Scientific Management, Max Weber and Concept of Bureaucracy, the Hawthorne Experiments and Contemporary Management Thought, Giving Advantages and Disadvantages of Each One of Them.2820 Words   |  12 Pagesorganization and the development of groups and their goals. These provide the cohesion and communication that allow a rule bound organization to function. 3.0 THE HAWTHORNE EXPERIMENTS The Hawthorne experiments were studies that were undertook by Elton Mayo at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company between 1927 and 1932 in Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in Cicero, to study human relations approach. 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Summarize and evaluate the classical perspective on management, including scientific and administrative management, and note its relevance to contemporary managers. 3. Summarize and evaluate the behavioral perspectiv e on management, including the Hawthorne studies, human relations movement, and organizational behavior, and note its relevance to contemporary managers. 4. Summarize and evaluate the quantitativeRead MoreDIFFERENT APPROACHES TO MANAGEMENT4510 Words   |  19 PagesTO MANAGEMENT Management was influenced by various disciplines like sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, psychology, and even literature. Due to such multidisciplinary influences, even authors like Harold Koontz (1961) referred to management as a ‘jungle’. Even then, differences exist in the classification of approaches. Although one of the ways to classify management approaches is from the analysis of John G. 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