Neoclassical Theory (9)
Bank Wiring Test Room Experiment: This experiment was conducted by Roethlisberger and Dickson with a view to develop a new method of observation and obtaining more exact information about social groups within a company and also finding out the causes which restrict output. The experiment was conducted to study a group of workers under conditions which were as close as possible to normal. This group comprised of 14 workers. After the experiment, the production records of this group were compared with their earlier production records. It was observed that the group evolved its own production norms for each individual worker, which was made lower than those set by the management. Because of this, workers would produce only that much, thereby defeating the incentive system. Those workers who tried to produce more than the group norms were isolated, harassed or punished by the group.
The findings of the study are:-
(i) Each individual was restricting output.
(ii) The group had its own “unofficial” standards of performance.
(iii) Individual output remained fairly constant over a period of time.
(iv) Informal groups play an important role in the working of an organization.
