Hawthorne Studies

Experiments in Illumination (19241927)

Experimenters manipulated the quality and quantity of lighting to see whether changes affected employee efficiency. Increases in illumination resulted in increased output, but so did decreases in illumination—in both experimental and control groups. Because of the mixed results, researchers assumed that light was one variable among many that affected employee output, and experiments conducted on the shop floor had so many variables that it was nearly impossible to extricate the effects of one particular variable. The Hawthorne effect derived from the results of the illumination studies. That is, employee behavior during the course of an experiment can be influenced by a subject's knowledge of participating in the experiment. To isolate the effects of particular variables, researchers wanted to control extraneous variables, leading to the relay assembly test room studies.

The Relay Assembly Test Room (19271932)

Initially planned to be a brief study, this series of experiments lasted five years. A small group of employees was isolated in a separate room so that behavior could be systematically studied. Researchers attempted to control variables such as workload, changes in type of work, and the introduction of new[Page 578] group members. Five women assembling telephone relays were isolated in a room where their behavior could be carefully observed and their output measured. The longitudinal design of the experiment enabled researchers to vary the length of variables such as rest pauses, the workday, and the workweek. As the study progressed, researchers found that when work conditions improved (e.g., longer rest periods and shorter workdays and weeks), so did output. However, when favorable work conditions were removed, output remained at its higher level.

Once again, the studies produced mixed findings. The researchers concluded that the experimenter's behavior was very different from what the typical supervisor might display, and that employee attitudes were an important determinant of effectiveness. This conclusion led to the interviewing program.

The Interviewing Program (19281930)

The interviewing program was a distinct departure from the previous studies. In many ways it was a revolutionary idea in 1928, in part because researchers were concerned with employee feelings and attitudes. Scientists of that time were not equipped to measure attitudes. More than 20,000 interviews were conducted, leading to several notable findings: (1) some employees tend to complain regardless of the working conditions. These employees were labeled “chronic kickers,” and the phenomenon may have been a precursor to what is now described as negative affectivity. (2) Being heard was an important component of job satisfaction. Some employees actually reported an increase in job satisfaction after the interview process even though no employee complaint had yet been addressed. (3) Attitudes were an important moderating variable in the relationship between an organization's attempt to increase employee satisfaction and the employee's response.

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