​ The essence of the "Hawthorne Experiments" conducted by Elton Mayo lies in which of the following?
(a) Great Illumination Experiment
(b) Art of Cutting Metals
(c) Human Attitudes and Sentiments
(d) Bank Wiring Experiment

Choose the correct option from the option given below :-

Correct option is C

The Hawthorne Experiments primarily emphasized human attitudes and sentiments as well as the Great Illumination Experiment. These studies were initially intended to explore how changes in lighting affected worker productivity (Great Illumination Experiment). However, the broader findings centered on the social and psychological factors influencing workers’ efficiency. The Hawthorne Effect revealed that employee productivity improved not due to changes in physical working conditions but due to the attention workers received and their perception of being valued.

The experiments ultimately led to the realization that human attitudes, emotions, and group dynamics play a pivotal role in workplace productivity, marking a departure from purely mechanistic views of management.

There are three important experiment by Hawthorne :-

(a) Great Illumination Experiment
(b) Human Attitudes and Sentiments
(c) Bank Wiring Experiment

Important Pointers:

1. The Hawthorne Experiments were conducted at the Western Electric Company's Hawthorne Works (1924-1932).
2. The Great Illumination Experiment marked the starting phase, focusing on lighting conditions.
3. Human factors like morale, communication, and leadership gained prominence in later phases.
4. The "Hawthorne Effect" emerged as a major discovery, showcasing the impact of observation on behavior.
5. These studies gave rise to the Human Relations Movement.
6. Informal group norms and social cohesion were identified as crucial productivity influencers.

Additional Information:

• (a) Great Illumination Experiment: Correct as it was the initial phase of the study exploring the effect of lighting on performance.
• (b) Art of Cutting Metals: Incorrect; unrelated to the Hawthorne Experiments. It refers to engineering processes.
• (c) Human Attitudes and Sentiments: Correct as this became the primary focus and essence of the studies, leading to significant management insights.
• (d) Bank Wiring Experiment: A later phase of the experiments focused on Bank Writing Experiment .