Beginning in 1927 and continuing through 1932, the Hawthorne Studies took place at the Chicago plant of the Western Electric Company, which employed primarily women assembling telephone equipment. The main goal of the Hawthorne studies was to examine how different working conditions affected employee productivity. When Mayo started, it experimented with the physical environment of the plant, adjusting lighting and humidity, then moving on to modifying the hours worked, the timing and length of breaks, and finally the manager's/management's leadership style ( Boundless, 2016). to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although the Hawthorne Studies lasted nearly six years, Elton Mayo became famous for a small part of the experiment, which included six female workers in the Relay Boardroom. During this portion, Mayo staff sat in the Assembly Hall with the women and took note of everything they did, all the while talking to the workers, keeping them updated on the experiment and asking them about themselves. Mayo then began with carefully controlled changes over the course of four to twelve weeks. Changes included adjusting the lighting in the room, adjusting the time at which breaks were taken and the length of the breaks, as well as the time at which workers could leave work. Under most of these conditions, Mayo found that labor productivity increased. Only when too many breaks were introduced did production collapse. Mayo found that by adding too many breaks, it actually disrupted workers' rhythm (The Hawthorne Experiments, 2017). Conclusion When Mayo began examining the results of the experiment, he noticed that the Conference Room results seemed out of place and illogical. At the time, it was believed that people worked solely for money and to earn a living. Mayo realized that this was not the case. He found that work was a social atmosphere and that the behavior and interaction of employees, managers, and/or observers influenced productivity. Mayo also found that physical conditions, such as lighting and humidity, did not affect productivity as much as the recognition and attention they received. The increase in production was due to the observation of workers and not to changes in conditions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay When workers feel appreciated and noticed, their job performance increases (The Hawthorne Experiments, 2017). Furthermore, the Hawthorne Studies ushered in a more open and trusting environment that placed greater emphasis on groups rather than just individuals..