In 1924, the Western Electric Company commissioned a research program to study individual productivity at the Hawthorne Works of the firm’s Chicago plant. The initial “Hawthorne Studies” had a scientific management perspective and sought to determine how economic incentives and the physical conditions of the workplace affected the output of workers. An initial focus was on the level of illumination in the manufacturing facilities; it seemed reasonable to expect that better lighting would improve performance. After failing to find this relationship, however the researchers concluded that unforeseen “psychological factors” somehow interfered with their illu

Argyris’ Theory of Adult Personality

Ideas set forth by the well-regarded scholar and consultant Chris Argyis also reflect a belief in the higher order of human nature advance by Maslow and McGregor. In his book Personality and Organization, Argyis contrasts the management practices found in traditional and hierarchical organizations with the needs and capabilities of mature adults. He concludes that some practices, especially those influenced by the classical management approaches, are inconsistent with the mature adult personality.

Douglas McGregor was heavily influenced by both the Hawthorne and Maslow studies. His classic book The Human Side of Enterprise advance the thesis that managers should hive more attention to the social and sel

Some topics in this essay:
Abraham Maslow, Electric Company, Readiness Workbook, Human Enterprise, Organization Argyis, Chris Argyis, Personality Ideas, Theory Human, Hawthorne Maslow, Douglas McGregor, human nature, “theory y”, “theory x”, human relations, adult personality, called “theory,