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MN1115 Essay Assignment

Critically discuss the continued relevance of the Hawthorne studies to 21st Century 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, p. 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.