George Elton Mayo – Psychologist and Sociologist Essay Example

procedure while conducting the studies: The members of the groups whose behavior has been studied were allowed to choose themselves. Two women have been replaced since they were chatting during their work. They were later identified as members ofa leftist movement. One Italian member was working above average since she had to care for her family alone.  Thus she affected the group's performance in an above average way.

Summary of Mayo's Beliefs: Individual workers cannot be treated in isolation, but must be seen as members of a group.  Monetary incentives and good working conditions are less important to the individual than the need to belong to a group. Informal or unofficial groups formed at work have a strong influence on the behavior of those workers in a group. Managers must be aware of these 'social needs' and cater for them to ensure that employees collaborate with the official organization rather than work against it.