The Hawthorn Experiments: Critical Synthesis
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Introduction
At the core of administration today is driving output. In such a competitive business world as today’s output is necessary to keep the organization in competition with rivals. It is for this reason that most administrators pay close attention to factors that will improve the output of their employees in order to design effective motivation strategies. the Hawthorne studies were a revolutionary group of experiments which sought to explain the factors that improved output. This paper will critique the article by Fritz Roethlisberger that explores the Hawthorne Studies and their implication to management.
Synthesis Section
The core concept in this paper was factors affecting worker output. In the quest to identify what is it that really drives human productivity, the Hawthorne Studies were conducted. In these studies, the researchers sought to evaluate the impact of the work. environment, and different aspect of the work environment on worker productivity. The tests conducted in relation to these studies were illumination tests, rest period tests and group behavior through the bank-wiring tests. What emerged from these experiments is the fact that output was not a factor associated with the external environment such as lighting, the work environment or even the speed at which complaint were resolved. Instead, the researchers identified that social factors such as group behavior were critical determinants of output and cooperation.
Roethlisberger’s conception of the human being is that humans are driven by their perceived social importance. When an individual is recognized as socially useful, through actions such as being social recognized, being asked as a newcomer or even being greeted by the superior, the individual received communication that they are socially important and this gives them some type of social security which then positively affects the person’s performance. At the organization level, the results imply that organizations should move away from placing importance on factors such as reward, proper working conditions and even extrinsic motivation and instead, focus on creating an environment that provides a positive social function and security, that will guarantee improved loyalty and output.
Critical Section
The findings of this study suggest that activities to improve output have to be approached in a different way. Currently, the most popular activities to improve performance included motivators such as rewards and bonuses. This is based on the assumption. that it is these factors that drive motivation. These practices were informed by certain theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which postulates that at the basic level of human needs are the physiological need which are food, drink and shelter, factors that are procured by these rewards (Muldoon, 2017). This text, however, highlights that contrary to popular practice, administrators should instead focus on the social needs of the workers such as the need for social recognition. This means that administrators need to focus on creating supporting and welcoming environment such as by promoting positive group behavior, assigning employees to welcome new colleagues and listening to the needs and grievances of the employees. To some extent, this also falls in line with other theories, such as the aforementioned Maslow’s hierarchy of needs since once employees have fulfilled their basic psychological needs, the next level that are need to keep them motivated are the areas of security and love and belongingness which are provided by the positive social environments at work. One limitation of the ideas presented in the paper is that it fails to give the necessary credence to the employee as an individual and how factors such as their attitudes, class, consciousness and other factors extinction to the organization would affect the concept in the studies (Mathieu et al., 2018). For instance, an employee with a negative attitude about the organization or work may not increase tehri out even with the necessary social support.
Conclusion
Based on the Hawthorne Studies, administrators have to change their strategy of motivation, and focus on creating positive social environment in their workplaces which will provide social recognition and security, thus facilitating improved output. It is however important to note that one major shortcoming of these finding is that they fail to recognize factors extrinsic t the organization, such as the employees attitudes social class and the role of labor unions in influencing how receptive employee are when it comes to these social changes.
References
Mathieu, J. E., Wolfson, M. A., & Park, S. (2018). The evolution of work team research since Hawthorne. American Psychologist, 73(4), 308.
Muldoon, J. (2017). The Hawthorne studies: An analysis of critical perspectives, 1936-1958. Journal of Management History.