Elton Mayo (1880-1949), the founder of the Human Relations movement, was an Australian psychologist, sociologist and organization theorist. Elton Mayo's contribution to management, also known as the Hawthorne Studies, found that groups could affect the behavior of individuals at work, meaning that negative groups can spread their negativity to other workers while positive, energetic groups can foster those traits in others.

The Elton Mayo theory also states that individuals desire a sense of belonging within the organization and that sense of belonging has more impact on one's productivity and morale than money. Making the most of management theory of Elton Mayo involves taking the necessary measures to give all employees the opportunity to feel included within the organization. Ways to do this include:

1. Identifying the personality types that exist in your organization

2. Learning about the behaviors of others

3. Conducting a neutral fact-finding investigation

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine the personality types that exist in the workplace through personality profiles

Personality profiles reveal the makeup of an individual - whether they are introverted or extroverted, a perceiver or judger, their agreeableness and stability. Following Mayo's management theory that individuals feel a need to belong, knowing what types of personalities exist in your workforce will enable you to create groups compromised with diverse personalities that can complement each other and increase productivity.

I recommend: The Jung Typology Test (also known as Jung-Myers-Briggs typology) identifies the dichotomies of extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling and judging/perceiving. The Criteria Personality Inventory assesses individuals on the “Big Five” traits: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness and stability.

Enroll in training for the behavioral sciences aspect of the management theory of Elton Mayo

Making the most of management theory of Elton Mayo involves identifying what you can do to make individuals feel that they are part of the organization. Taking courses that discuss the various personality traits that individuals possess and learning how to manage introverts so they feel they belong and have role in the functioning of the organization are some steps managers can take. Managers can also provide training to those individuals falling in the introvert and unstable dichotomies so they can learn how others view their behaviors and what they can do to change those perceptions.

I recommend: The American Management Association provides a course entitled “Moving Ahead: Breaking Behavior Patterns That Hold You Back” that provides insight to individuals about behaviors that may be affecting their professional image. Training-Classes.com offers a course for managers titled “Managing Shy, Introverted Employees” that examines how introverts differ from extroverts and what they can do to motivate them in the workplace.

Consider Elton Mayo's theory when determining office dynamics

Elton Mayo's theory states that an individual's sense of belonging to a group is more important that other factors such as money and their physical working environment. While personality traits of an individual can prevent them from feeling included within a group, sometimes there are external factors such as workplace bullies or cliques that can prevent individuals from feeling included. Conducting a neutral fact-finding investigation can identify any workplace bullies and/or cliques and allow management to address the situation in an effort to create a more positive environment for everyone.

I recommend: The Texas Workforce Commission provides a list of issues for employers to review when conducting a workplace investigation on their website. HR Training Center offers training in conducting internal investigations that your Human Resources office can complete.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Employ the services of a consultant to implement the behavioral science aspect of the Elton Mayo theory of management into your organization. Consultants can take a personal approach to Mayo management, work with individuals one-on-one, and address how they can modify their behavior and gain acceptance within the organization.

Elton Mayo's contribution to management theory helped pave the way for modern human relations management methods. Based on his well-known Hawthorne experiments, Mayo's management theories grew from his observations of employee productivity levels under varying environmental conditions. His experiments drew a number of conclusions about the real source of employee motivation, laying the groundwork for later approaches to team building and group dynamics. Mayo management theory states that employees are motivated far more by relational factors such as attention and camaraderie than by monetary rewards or environmental factors such as lighting, humidity, etc.

Elton Mayo developed a matrix which he used to illustrate the likelihood that a given team would be successful. His matrix demonstrates the role that varying combinations of group norms and group cohesiveness play in team effectiveness. The following are the four combinations of Mayo theory and the effect of each on team dynamics:

1. Groups with low norms and low cohesiveness are ineffective; they have no impact, since none of the members are motivated to excel, according to Mayo's theory.

2. Groups with low norms and high cohesiveness have a negative impact, since fellow members encourage negative behavior (e.g., gangs).

3. Groups with high norms and low cohesiveness have some degree of positive impact through individual member accomplishments.

4. Groups with high norms and high cohesiveness have the greatest positive impact, Mayo's theory predicts, since group members encourage one another to excel.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand the concepts of Mayo's theory and how they can benefit you

Numerous websites provide valuable information about Mayo theory. In addition to diagrams, summaries and explanations of Mayo management principles, you'll find various videos and instructional materials that can help you develop the background knowledge and practical expertise to put Mayo's theories to work for your company.

I recommend: The ACCEL Team Supervisor's Guide to Employee Motivation contains a section called Elton Mayo's Hawthorne Experiments, which lists the conclusions to be drawn from these experiments and how they affect employee teamwork, productivity and motivation. The Good and Bad Teams video presentation, available on YouTube, explores Mayo's theory of group dynamics, explaining how the comparative levels of group norms and group cohesiveness determine the effectiveness of a given team.

Take advantage of consulting services that can help give you greater insight into Mayo theory

Consultants with knowledge and experience in the management theory of Elton Mayo can guide you in maximizing the benefit of his principles in your own company's unique environment.

I recommend: Morgan Management Consulting offers leadership consulting, coaching and training in employee motivation, which is based in part on Elton Mayo's theory of management, developed through his Hawthorne Studies. And Glenn Parker, a team-building consultant offers various other services in addition to consulting.

Take advantage of resources designed to help you make the most of Mayo's management theories

Widely available online tools and resources can help you more easily implement Elton Mayo management principles. Videos and various other Elton Mayo theory-based products, information and services let you choose the resources most valuable to your business.

I recommend: The Resource Connection offers its Team Dimensions Profile online software, along with various other web-based profile and report applications, which can provide insight into the effectiveness of your company's teams. The site also offers podcasts which provide a richer experience for anyone using the above profiles and reports. The American Management Association (AMA) offers its Leader's Edge e-newsletter, which provides guidance in leading, motivating and inspiring your teams in the tradition of Mayo's management theory. And Teambuilding, Inc. provides an array of team-enhancing activities and assessment materials through its online store.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider the many benefits of putting the Elton Mayo management theory to work for your business. If you decide to use it, why not go all out and practice it in all the areas it can effectively address: your own leadership of the company, your managers' development and your employees' engagement.

Elton Mayo, an Australian born in 1880, has greatly affected the business world of today. Mayo disagreed with the accepted theory concerning productivity in the business world and its focus on working conditions. Perhaps this is because he examined the work place from a sociologist's point of view. He went on to prove his theory to stunning effect in the Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Chicago from 1927 to 1932 and wrote about his results in his 1933 work "The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization."

The work place owes much to Elton Mayo. Making the most of the management theory of Elton Mayo means understanding Elton Mayo's contribution to management and how to apply it in your own business. You will be glad you did; productivity and the morale of your employees will improve.

1. Create a management system based on Mayo's Theory that works with the workers and engages them.

2. Allow informal organization within the workers themselves.

3. Give recognition for work well done, as well as providing security and a sense of belonging to your employees.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use Mayo's Theory to be a better manager

In the course of developing the Elton Mayo Theory, Mayo discovered that when the manager assigned to the women participating in the Western Electric Hawthorne Works study explained to the women what was expected of them and informed them of any changes during the course of the study, the women responded in a productive manner. By managing in an inclusive, rather than directorial manner, the women felt like an important part of the study and became enthusiastic participants.

I recommend: Find the information you need to carry this technique into the work-place in "The Hawthorne Effect - Mayo Studies Motivation" by Envision Software. Utilize Management for the Rest of Us to encourage your workers to feel that they are an important part of the company and the team.

Follow the advice of Elton Mayo and give the employees more power

When developing Mayo's management theory during the course of the Western Electric Hawthorne Works study, Mayo realized that when the women were allowed to choose their own teammates to participate with them in the study, their productivity increased. Foster the sense of power with the employees in your company, and allow them to become members of a team. Because they will be working together to accomplish a goal, you will find that the productivity increases.

I recommend: Learn how to empower your employees with the article at Scribd, which provides information about Elton Mayo. Read more about this in the book "Henry S. Dennison, Elton Mayo, and Human Relations Historiography" from SAGE Publications.

Give credit where credit is due according to the Elton Mayo Theory

The Elton Mayo theory of management included an important discovery that was found in the course of the Western Electric Hawthorne Works study: praise of a worker before her peers added to morale and productivity. When the workers realized the management was there to help and encourage them, and reward them for their achievements, it changed their attitude toward the company and management.

I recommend: Find way to reward your employees for their achievements using "The Hawthorne Effect" from ProvenModels. For more information, "An Overview of Management Theory" by Kerns Analysis.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You may want to hire a management consultant to review your current management system and to determine how to best implement Elton Mayo's Theory into it.

Elton Mayo introduced management students to scientific research that would help them work with the people in their organization. His research in the Hawthorne Studies at a Chicago electric plant showed that positive attention and treatment of employees produced positive results. Soon after Mayo published his findings, managers around the world changed the way they interacted with workers. Talented managers currently strive to balance the information provided by Elton Mayo with the pressures of competing in the global markets.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hawthorne Studies

The Hawthorne Studies changed the way that managers treated their employees. Elton Mayo started to study the effect of a properly lighted workplace and found out that production and motivation increased when managers interacted in a positive way with workers. Since the research at the Chicago electric company by the famous behavioral scientist, managers have remained vigilant in employee relations.

I recommend: Accel Team Development provides powerful insights for those interested in management strategies developed from the Hawthorne studies.

Social effects

Elton Mayo found through his research that social effects were more important to workers than their paychecks. When researchers paid greater attention to the workers in their research, they were more motivated and dedicated to their work. Workers produced more results when they received recognition from their superiors and assurance that they were vital to the organization.

I recommend: Proven Models has information to help managers improve their organization with tips from the research of Elton Mayo.

Psychological contract

Elton Mayo, in his extensive research, found that workers formed a psychological contract with their employers. The contract he described was not a written document, but an employee's understanding of the expectations of superiors. When managers showed an interest in their employees, their workers were more productive.

I recommend: LearnManagement2.com has more information on the research of Elton Mayo, including the idea of the psychological contract.

Employee motivation

Managers and others often assume that employees only work for a paycheck, but Elton Mayo did extensive research to outline the factors that motivated workers. The Harvard professor found that workers who felt that they were vital to the organization worked harder as part of the team. Recognition for a job well done motivated workers as much as their paychecks.

I recommend: Mftrou.com details the important factors that managers can use to motivate their employees.

Logic of Sentiment

Leaders in commercial organizations often focus on profits to determine success, but the employees look at the success of the organization with a logic of sentiment. Logic of sentiment refers to the emotional responses employees have to the actions of managers and the organization.

I recommend: Learn more about the logic of sentiment from the Human Relations School.

Personal reference

Elton Mayo found that workers had two frames of reference. Personal reference included their feelings, ambitions and interests. According to Mayo, employee complaints are usually based in personal reference rather than legitimate complaints about their work.

I recommend: Scribd is a valuable resource for information on Elton Mayo and other business leaders.