Answer

Management

 

Introduction

In the 21st century, people cannot live without organizations. People need to interact

with each other and help each other. Indeed, there are social activities to be asked people to ‘a

degree, cooperate and coordinate their efforts with some sense of purpose’ (Mcauley,

 

Duberley & Johnson, 2014, p. 10). For instance, people could not get substance alone, such

as food, and clothes, which is required of people come together to produce and transfer them.

Moreover, people need theories to understand and predict what might is going to happen. It is

believed that people not only work for monetary, but they also want to be a ‘membership of a

social group, ‘belong’ to an organization’ and have a right of speech in the organization

(McAuley, Duberley & Johnson, 2014, p. 94). It is necessary to motivate workers by meeting

their needs for the more efficient organization. According to McAuley, Duberley and Johnson

(2014, p. 23), people might change their behaviors and try to affect others’ activities because

of ‘social scientists analyses’, which make human understand their own behaviors. Moreover,

Human relation is one of the traditions of the organization, indeed, ‘the Hawthorne studies as

a classic example of applied organizational research within the human relations tradition’

(McAuley, Duberley & Johnson, 2014, p. 113). Theories play a critical role in the operation

and functioning of entities as they predict and guide people to carry out their duties. Because

of the continued evolution and new development in operations in the organizations, new

perspectives and theories develop to explain the changes. This however, does not mean that

ideas and concepts developed from the former theories are not applicable in certain current

situation. This essay will first explain what Hawthorne Studies are; and then discuss whether

Hawthorne Studies still work in 21st Century Management.

Description of Hawthorne Studies

Companies use scientific methods to manage their employees, lead to increase the

worker productivity. All the sense to start was Hawthorne Studies in 1924 and run-through

1933 at the Western Electric Company in Chicago (Franke and Kaul, 1978, p. 624).

Meanwhile, Hawthorne Studies are worthy of reliable research projects, organized by

Harvard business school, which has had impacts on the development of organization research

for a long time (McAuley, Duberley & Johnson, 2014, p. 93). More specifically, they indicate

 

that the Hawthorne studies started to experiment with five workers and end up with 20,000

workers as samples. Hawthorne experiments began with five people in the Relay Assemble

Test Room as ‘an experimental group’, and another five workers in the room as ‘a control

group’ (McAuley, Duberley & Johnson, 2014, p. 114), to investigate the hypothesis that

labor’ productivity was under the influence of physical factors, such as the level of

illumination, temperature, and amount of break. Researchers led by Elton Mayo when

conducting the study, discovered that increasing and reducing lighting had similar impact –it

increased the level of output (McAuley, Duberley & Johnson, 2014, p. 114. The reasoning

was that, altering the environment was the reason for the positive effects observed. Further

observation in the study, revealed that, workers did not respond to the changes in the lighting

conditions but the behavior change came about because of the fact that the experimenters

were observing them. This phenomenon is what led to the development of the concept of

Hawthorne effect. Just because, workers became aware of the fact that they were under

scrutiny this was enough to increase their productivity. Since the advancement of this theory,

it has attracted mixed reactions as well as criticism.

Critic of Hawthorne Studies

Hawthorne studies has been subjected to scrutiny and further studies by many

researchers despite the fact that it helps to create an understanding of how social and

psychological factors impact on the workers productivity. According to McAuley, Duberley

& Johnson (2014, p. 114) Hawthorne effects helped to recognize the benefits of social

factors as well as psychological factors in organizations helping to advance the human

relations theory. Studies carried out have indicated that indeed Human factors contribute to

the workplace motivation and productivity (Kirwan 2013, p. 25). These research

developments have been advanced from the Hawthorne studies. In the 21st century, even

though, the workers value space and freedom, they require supervision to execute their

 

mandates (Kirwan 2013, p. 56). The role of supervisors is to provide a sense of direction

towards achievement of the goals and aims. The study has therefore, helped in establishing

that social aspects affect the level of productivity in an organization. Managers nowadays in

the 1 st century have no obligation but rather to appreciate the people have the potential to

increase their efficiency if they are motivated and given the right tools to execute their

duties.

According to Franke & Kaul, (1978), Hawthorne studies have provided a basis for

most current studies in human relations and other areas such as leadership, organizational

development, participation, and organizational design. The contribution of the studies

therefore cannot be overruled. However, Franke & Kaul, (1978), on the contrary argue that

the complex data that the study findings collected in the span of 8 years to reach its

conclusion, is not available and has not been subjected to scientific analysis. Therefore, the

methodology of the study is what has been in question. However, using their data, Franke, &

Kaul, (1978), concur and support the contribution that these studies have done in the area of

human approaches in the organization. The studies have indicated the importance of

participative treatment of workers as this contributes or leads to better economic performance

Franke & Kaul, 1978).

Moreover, also Franke and Kaul (1978, p. 623) note that the Hawthorne studies

indicated that the more charitable an organization treated staffs, the harder they would behave

like, which could lead to better economic performance since 1924. Even in the 21 st century,

organizations have embraced some of the concepts and attributes in the Hawthorne studies.

Competition has increased, and to overcome the same and gain a competitive edge, many

entities are putting in place measures to increase the level of efficiency and competitive.

Motivation is one of the ways that organizations in the 21 st century are using to motivate their

employees. The application of neo modernist theories or motivational such as Maslow

 

theories has enabled these organizations to provide this motivation and this has contributed to

their motivation and increased productivity. According to the Maslow theory, the human

needs are classified into five categories on the pyramid (Kirwan 2013, p. 25). Once the lower

needs are satisfied, the workers aspiration is to satisfy the needs at the highest level of the

pyramid. The needs include physiological needs, safety needs, belonging or social, esteem,

and self-actualization.

Hawthorne studies (as McAuley et al. (2014) and Roethlisberger (1948) argue,

interaction within groups of workers has more impact on worker productivity than

management action. For this to be achieved there needs to be some modifications on how the

supervisors carry themselves around. It is also important that there be

managerial/organizational support through counseling and interviewing. In this age,

organizations have invested more on nurturing their workers. The emphasis has been on

creativity and innovation. Teamwork and groups have attained high level of freedom with

less motivation to ensure that people come up with different views and ideas to help in the

progress of the organization.

As the social psychologist, Kurt Lewin mentions ‘in the environment, every

individual has his goals they want to achieve (Kirwan 2013, p. 58). The environment keeps

on changing and the individual as well improvises the best ways to achieve their goals.

Furthermore, Lewin argues that every person has his own experiences that they bring into a

work place. These experiences shape the way they approach to life. This theory therefore,

builds on the Hawthorne studies that even if people work in groups, they have their own

experiences and goals that will drive them. In the 21 st century, a lot of changes have happened

in the environment as well as in the lifes of the people. The changes therefore, require that

managers or organizations change the way they manage or run their entities to achieve the set

goals.

 

Jones, (1990) argues that (again, using statistical method), Hawthorne researchers’

findings are reinforced. This point of view, therefore, refutes some of the views held by other

researchers or critics such as Carey. Carey believed that financial environmental and

physiological factors could not be taken alone without outside social context (Shepard, 1971,

1. 25). Furthermore, he believed that supervision was the cure- all for industrial relations

(Shepard, 1971, p. 26). Whether his arguments hold truth, is subjects o m critics as well.

Burnes and Cooke discuss the relevance of statistical/ mathematical models in

understanding the human (as opposed to the physical) world. There is further work available

on the balance to be struck between rigor and practicality in academic work. Based on own

epistemological approaches or reasoning, this is applicable in the 21 st century where it is very

critical to define and understand the model before applying the same to your organization.

Statistics or information is important in making or reaching appropriate decisions on how to

provide leadership and manage the organization (Kirwan 2013, p. 15).

Other criticism of the theory argues that it is irrelevant because it was advanced more

than 90 years ago. The situation and the patterns of working have changed in this time span.

The setting of the company the experiment was done is in America. The setting has changed

and the concepts may not be relevant in the 21 st century where systems have changed. At the

time of the experiment, the workers were engineers and were working or assembling

electronic components. Therefore, the work environment may not be the same across other

professionals that have different approach to work. Hassard (2015) as well provides in insight

on the changes that have occurred in the 21 st century organizations. These changes are

reminiscent in the lives of people the behaviors and the introduction of technologies such as

social media as well as changes in the family structures and distributed workforce. These

changes have impacted on the way people or workers execute their daily duties (Martins,

 

2014, p. 23). Human relations movement has changed and people way of responding to

external stimuli has changed impacting on the works they do.

Therefore, neo modernist theory of human relations is a critical trait of organizational

theory. Organizations nowadays are flexible as they incorporate different styles of

management. They embrace some traditional attributes that foster their achievement of goals

as the same time they adopt new styles and approaches of doing work to ensure they remain

competitive. Socio-psychological aspects of human behaviors nowadays are applied. Human

beings are social animals and require better terms of service and motivation.

Conclusion

As Jones said that the Hawthorn studies ‘have had a widespread influence in

industrial sociology and provide the foundation for the sub-fields of human relations,

organizational development and organizational design’ it is true (1990, p. 176). In other

words, Hawthorn studies have played a significant role in the development of other

approaches. The studies have formed as the basis of new models and theories that

organizations have embraced to advance their goals. Even though, the studies may have some

drawbacks as cited by critics such as not basing the conclusion on statistical analysis, they

have impacted greatly on the operations in organizations (Marcuse, 1964, p. 35). It is

important for managers to understand ways of motivating their employees. It may not be the

case like in the Hawthorn studies where by supervisors are used , it can be through provision

of better and fulfilling working environment, providing them with incentives among many

others. Like the human relations theories, the managers, and organizations have to understand

the social and psychological needs of their employs to be in a position to provide them with

what they want. This will as well help them to achieve their objectives. Gaining a competitive

edge, in the 21 st century is not easy and therefore, investing in the human capital is so critical

to achieving a competitive edge. Employees must be given time and space to come up with

 

new ideas and innovations. Companies depend on innovation and creativity to achieve their

goals. Therefore, working in a conducive and a fulfilling environment will enable these

workers to be efficient and help increase the productivity of the organization. It is also

important to acknowledge the fact that there needs to be goals an visions that should provide

guidance to ensure that these workers remain committed and work hard towards their

achievements. The people or workers have their own goals but they also must be able to work

had to achieve the organizational goals.