Over the years management thought has been changed due to the applied research of the Hawthorne effect. Work productivity and social behaviour and interaction have influenced management to further look at ways to improve and sustain the outcome of their workers. However one can see why a person would consider the Hawthorne studies as inefficient and not capable of truly deserving to be recognised as the fundamental change for management and being scientifically correct in the research and study used. The effects of the Hawthorne studies towards management provided managers with a different way to lead and create an understanding of their worker’s behaviour. Giving insight on different ways the productivity of its workers occurred, the future of management was influenced by the methodologies created by the Hawthorne studies. However the studies themselves cannot be truly deserving of its scientific findings, it has contributed very much to the change of management.
The Hawthorne effect provides management with a better understanding of the work behaviour and attitudes of physical, economic and social variables (Pennock, G.A 1930). During the years 1927 to 1932 of the industrial revolution the series of investigations for work behaviour were conducted with the use of five selected women at Western electric factory, Hawthorne, Chicago. The research found that over time productivity continued to rise due to the experiments socialisation of workers (Obrenovic, Z 2014). Even if a change of conditions was put in place to decrease the productivity of work, it was found the decline was not as much as predicted before (Obrenovic, Z). The result of the productivity was concluded to be because of the team dynamic, socialisation and the relationship between the managers and women (Carey, A 1967). Management for the research did not use direct approaches to the women but instead conducted interviews and made sure when working they did not force their output in anyway, but to work at a comfortable and natural pace (Dickson & Roethlisberger 1939). The productivity of the workers also went up when their pay was not based of the overall production of the plat, but only of the five girls themselves (Homans, G.C et al 1952). It can been seen that motivators for employees can be dominated by a number of factors within the workplace. Having good working conditions and having happy workers means harder work repaid (Hiemstra & McDonald, 1973). What was found in the research was that good leadership and interaction increased the productivity of workers (Porter 2012). Management has taken these factors of the hawthorn studies and applied them throughout the years to make working conditions and relationships productive in the production of workers.

What was applied to the Hawthorne studies continued afterwards to provide managers with an insight to change the way they applied themselves to workers (Porter 2012) The Hawthorne studies now days is more recognised for its methodological problems then their scientific finding (Muldoon, J 2012). The Hawthorne studies not only helped the thought of management but significantly contributed to the development for studying complex social situations (Obrenovic, Z 2014). Today management can apply techniques of psychological motivation to improve productivity, reduce defects and establish a culture for continuous improvement (Porter 2012). Without the Hawthorne studies becoming an important research experiment of its time the way managers looked at work behaviour would have had a slower recognition that it needed to be used. Managers found it beneficial to be aware of an employee’s situation outside of their working conditions (Obrenovic, Z 2014). By looking at factors such as regular interviews with employees and building a manger, employee relationship, and managers can understand the personal and economic background of their workers and why they may complain or praise their working condition (Obrenovic, Z 2014). Industrial Sociologists created a situational bias when they failed to note the difference between the worker at home and what outside social interactions impacted their performance, and found it difficult to understand the workers and not see them as a machine or appendage to the machine (Friedmann et al, 1949; Kornhauser, 1934; Sonnenfeld, J.A 1985). The Hawthorne studies stimulated thought on the differences between individuals, job matching, incentive plans, the social nature of activities and leadership (Obrenovic, Z 2014). When the Hawthorne studies found these other factors, it contributed to the way managers thought about finding the right way to approach leadership and encourage the best performance of its workers (Porter 2012). The Hawthorne studies convincingly showed that working for money or earning a living was not the only factor of motivation in the workforce, the studies brought to light that job satisfaction, resistance to change, group norms, worker participation and effective leadership could have been the other factors influencing the workers (Sonnenfeld, J.A, 1985). This brought development over time to change the way managers lead their employees.
However Not all research done in the experiment was scientifically and critically correct to prove how effective or ineffective these factors really were. The Hawthorne studies can be highly recognised for its contribution to management today, but there are some things that can be criticised for the conduction of the research. Although we can apply many of the things found my Elton mayo, such as good worker management relationship, motivational factors and working conditions. One can see why the research lacked some important relevance to scientifically correct practices and conclusion of results. The study did not randomly select the five women involved and were limited to a very small sample size (Briefs, G.A 1940). With the experimental group being the women no control group was formed to compare the output of work productivity and behaviour (Carey, A 1967). However conclusions from the five women found that team based working meant the workers formed relationships and sort to form together to create a better productivity of their work (Parsons, H.M 1974). This factor was increased when the women’s wages were changed to reflect only their outcome instead of the whole production line of the workers (Homans, G.C et al 1952). Providing mangers to see that social interaction made work more enjoyable for their employees as they did not feel isolated. However much of the criticism to the Hawthorne studies lays in its inability to provide scientifically correct conclusions and supporting evidence. The smaller sample size of women meant they formed relationships but may not have occurred if the sample size was larger, and that it was too limited to make a judgement on the whole population (Briefs, G.A 1940). One thing that could have affected the study was the experiment sample size was aware of the experiment taking place ad where often told what would be happening in advance (Burns & Dobson, 1981; Parsons, H.M 1974). These factors meant the results could have been influenced by knowing that conditions and working methods could change the women continued to increase in their productivity. And may have produced other results if the experimental group; the women, was blind tested. Meaning they had no prior information of the experiment (Parsons, H.M 1974). Regardless of the scientifically wrong information the studies provided incentive to be recognised as influencing management thought.
The Hawthorne studies can be recognised for influencing change in the way managers thought. The contribution the Hawthorne studies had, provided future management to think of different ways they could change the outcome of productivity of their workers. With Socialisation, working conditions, good leadership and interaction these factors contributed to the way managers could apply or change the way they thought. The Hawthorne studies provided management to understand work behaviour and the way productivity could be effected by personal or other influences. Applying some of the research done into the modern world can influence and motivate better worker behaviour. The studies found social conclusions and a better understanding of the way employees applied themselves at work. The five women’s results increased over time and was found to be caused by the various factors that was experimented with them. They made relationships with not only each other but with the managers, providing future management with an incentive to also do the same. The Hawthorne studies came up with many concepts that can be applied today, although many believe it does not truly deserve to be fully recognised, the criticism for the Hawthorne studies is mainly found because of its wrong conclusions and scientific practices. There is no doubt that the Hawthorne studies had flaws in its findings. No control group to compare with the experimental group and giving prior knowledge to the women were just a few of the flaws. But the concepts and social science found in the application of the study provided a very influential finding that can be recognised as influencing management thought today.