illumination experiment

Charlene’s Module 6 Discussion

Module Based Content

The Hawthorne experiment conducted in the 1920s examined ways to increase worker productivity by altering lighting conditions in the work area. The first and most notable of the studies is known as the illumination experiment (Levitt & List, 2011). According to Levitt and List (2011) researchers discovered that changes in the working conditions did not improve productivity. Instead the results showed an increase in worker productivity due to the attention they received while working. This landmark research is the called the Hawthorne effect and set the stage for the study of human behavior within an organization. This discipline is known today as Organizational Behavior (Zhong and House, 2012).

The relay assembly room tests conducted between 1927 and 1932 leveraged the learnings from the illumination experiment by focusing on the principles of Organizational Behavior. Researcher methods concentrated on the relationship between supervisors and workers and its impacts on employee productivity (Brannigan & Zwerman, 2001). According to Brannigan and Zwerman (2001) the test subjects consisted of six women, who could choose their teammates and provided feedback concerning their work conditions. This was unheard of during those times and was one of significant differences between the illumination and relay assembly room experiments.

References

Brannigan, A., & Zwerman, W. (2001). The real “hawthorne effect”. Society, 38(2), 55-60. Retrieved from https://saintleo.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/docview/206716597?accountid=4870

Levitt, S. D., & List, J. A. (2011). Was there really a hawthorne effect at the hawthorne plant? an analysis of the original illumination experiments. American Economic Journal.Applied Economics, 3(1), 224-238. doi:http://dx.doi.org.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/10.1257/app.3.1.224

Zhong, C., & House, J. (2012). Hawthorne revisited: Organizational implications of the physical work environment. Research in Organizational Behavior, 32, 3-22. doi:http://dx.doi.org.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.riob.2012.10.004

Landmark Research

Klapper (1910) asserted that the Industrial Era had taken over and provided examples of the negative impact machines were having on the lives of the common laborer. According to Uddin and Hossain (2015) recognized as one of the most significant changes to the economic landscape, the Industrial Era brought about growth and prosperity, but also gave rise to social issues and labor disputes, such as unfair labor practices and exploitation of human resources.

Both employed and unemployed men ban together to form Organized Labor Unions which became an important faction within government parties. The labor unions championed the working man’s cause and challenged factory owners to improve the unsafe working conditions, low pay and long hours (Klapper, 1910). Today we live in a society that does not tolerate this type of abuse. Still enforced today, labor laws created during the 1930’s New Deal Era still protect workers from corporate abuse (Cowie, 2016). However, Colven (2012) asserted that government and legal entities must modernize the laws to reflect the new challenges arising in today technological advanced society.

References

Colvin, A. J. S. (2012). American workplace dispute resolution in the individual rights era. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(3), 459. Retrieved from https://saintleo.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/docview/917348409?accountid=4870

Cowie, J. (2016). Reframing the new deal: The past and future of american labor and the law. Theoretical Inquiries in Law, 17(1), 13-38. doi:http://dx.doi.org.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/10.1515/til-2016-0002

Klapper, P. (1910). Organized labor’s attitude toward machinery: I. introduction.Journal of Accountancy (Pre-1986), 10(000005), 321. Retrieved from https://saintleo.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/docview/198255513?accountid=4870

Uddin, N., & Hossain, F. (2015). Evolution of Modern Management through Taylorism: An Adjustment of Scientific Management Comprising Behavioral Science☆. Procedia Computer Science, 62(62), 578-584. Retrieved 10 30, 2017, from http://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s1877050915026721

Contemporary Article

According to Nerute (2012) society has embraced the benefits of the Digital Era, but also have seen the challenges posed by the internet and social media. Society has shifted to a knowledge based economy. We not only gather and transfer data but share knowledge through technology (Chan, 2009). “Internet and social media are an unknown area to many governments and legal institutions, because they merely do not know what to start from (Nerute, 2012, p. 72).

This challenge has many academics questioning the current business ethics and laws that are arising from the Digital Era. Previous labor laws created during the New Deal Era are useless because they cannot address issues occurring in the workforce today(Colvin, 2012). Nerute (2012) argue that new laws are needed to protect business interests and the individual person. He supports his claims by listing the numerous employee claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

References

Chan, J. O. (2009). Integrating knowledge management and relationship management in an enterprise environment. Communications of the IIMA, 9(4), 37-52. Retrieved from https://saintleo.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/docview/859009124?accountid=4870

Nerute Kligiene, S. (2012). Digital footprints in the context of professional ethics.Informatics in Education, 11(1) Retrieved from https://saintleo.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/docview/1004909050?accountid=4870