Elton Mayo – Hawthorne Experiment

Mayo looked at motivation in the Hawthorne laboratories in the USA

• Found that just by being studied the subjects levels of motivation increased
• Highlighted the importance of team work and group dynamics to motivation
• Applied theories of sociology to management, and in the Hawthorne Experiment found that productivity increased when working closely with management, highlighting a sociological need
• Workers act accordingly to sentiments and emotion
• If you treat workers with respect and try to meet their needs, they will be better workers for you, benefitting both management and staff