Chapter 5 Social Organisation

Question 1

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

Answer 1

The act of observing a person changes their behaviour, so their actions cannot be considered natural (E.G Hawthorne workers output were constantly observed every 30 mins, meaning they had an incentive to better adjust their output )

• Denotes the increase in productivity that is seen (due to psychological fand social factors)
• Notes impossibility of researching what people actually do because of the overt act of observation and monitoring performance changes behaviour
• Research cannot be assumed to represent what people actually do

Question 2

What is the Mary Parker Follet?

Answer 2

• Managment must consider human side
• Employees must be invovled in job analysis
• Authority should go with knowledge whether up or down
• Cross functioning teams used to accomplish projects

Question 3

What are the Group norms?

Answer 3

The unwritten rules that shape people’s behaviour in a group

• This rules controlled behaviour, and output more than rewards
• They provide the rules and standards of conducts that group members follow to fit in
• They provide stability to the group by providing an accepting way of behaving (Difficult in sexist/homophobic environments)

Question 4

What are the Hawthorne Studies?

Answer 4

Six experiments credited with discovering human side of organisation, conducted to evaluate workers, and evaluate management problems and potential solutions, within a real factory rather than a lab / Modifications of employee behaviour based on the perception that they are being watched 29000 employees

Illumination - Testing how diff light levels impact productivity from workers (no correlation between light lvl and output

Relay 1 - Assessing impact of rest periods /Tested fatigue and monotony thesis (no clear correlation for either )

Relay 2 - Tested effects of wage incentive on output (Increase in output from wage incentive but not sustained

Mica splitting test room - Duplicated relay assembly room without wage incentive (same pattern as 1st year but declines, due to psychological issues

Interview Programme - Assessing links between morale and supervision/ improvements with supervisor relations (Workers have irrational views, social groups have powerful influence over actions of individuals)

Bank wiring observation - Role of the group in determining output (Informal group is key to impacting behaviour)

Question 5

What is Social Organization

Answer 5

The belief that social relations between people are a key factor in shaping how people act in organisations