The Human Relations School of thought, which became widely accepted in the 1950’s, focused on the individual and satisfying individual needs. The School emphasized individual empowerment and responsibility for completion of work tasks. This theory believed that the employee should be involved in the organization and job design, development of policies and procedures, creation of standards and productivity goals, etc.

Research by Elton Mayo got managers to start thinking about the importance of the individual, which was a paradigm shift from previous theories on how organizations function. Mayo conducted a series of experiments from 1924 to 1927 called the Hawthorne Studies. It was Mayo’s early research that started the change in management theory and eventually became part of the Human Relations School.

Conduct research on Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Studies. You need to locate a minimum of three different and credible sources.

Compose a 1-2 page double-spaced essay on the studies and their affect on organizational theory. Cite your sources using APA style guidelines. If you need assistance with APA, please visit the Online Library which is accessible through the Resources tab.