Written Assignment Unit 4
MBA Business Administration
University of the People
BUS 5511-Human Resource Management
Spend some time researching the above theorists and then choose the theory you find most
relevant for developing your personal management style
Several pieces of research and studies have been done to understand employees' behavior in the
workplace, increase productivity, and enhance profitability. This is linked to the industrial
revolution and the economic boom that required advanced management practices and policies.
Some of the most notable theorists that shape the current management practice include Elton
Mayo, Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg, and Douglas McGregor.
The most famous study done by Elton Mayo is the Hawthorne experiment that took place in the
Western Electric Company's Hawthorne Plant in Chicago between 1924 and 1933 (Dr. Bates,
2014). The study revealed fascinating ideas that revolutionized how organizations manage their
employees. The study tried to analyze the relationship between physical surroundings (lighting
level) on the level of productivity of workers.
However, the study illustrated that the physical surrounding didn't affect the productivity of
workers in significant ways. Rather the psychological effect of being the center of attention
impacted the change in the level of productivity. The second study was done in 1932 and it was
the 'Bank winning observation room' experiment (Peek, 2020). These revealed that workers
commonly function as a group rather than as an individual, individual motivation and
productivity are dependent on the need for recognition and status rather than monetary value, and
supervisors have a significant impact on workers' productivity.
Abraham Maslow's major contribution is he suggested that there are five sets of basic needs
which have to be fulfilled in sequential order. These basic needs include physiological, safety,
sense of belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualization presented in order (Dininni, 2010).
Consequently, people strive to satisfy their physiological needs like hunger, thirst, or sleep
before moving on to safety which encompasses the need for protection against any form of
danger. Then the other needs will follow finally people aspire to fulfill their need for self-
MBA Business Administration
University of the People
BUS 5511-Human Resource Management
Spend some time researching the above theorists and then choose the theory you find most
relevant for developing your personal management style
Several pieces of research and studies have been done to understand employees' behavior in the
workplace, increase productivity, and enhance profitability. This is linked to the industrial
revolution and the economic boom that required advanced management practices and policies.
Some of the most notable theorists that shape the current management practice include Elton
Mayo, Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg, and Douglas McGregor.
The most famous study done by Elton Mayo is the Hawthorne experiment that took place in the
Western Electric Company's Hawthorne Plant in Chicago between 1924 and 1933 (Dr. Bates,
2014). The study revealed fascinating ideas that revolutionized how organizations manage their
employees. The study tried to analyze the relationship between physical surroundings (lighting
level) on the level of productivity of workers.
However, the study illustrated that the physical surrounding didn't affect the productivity of
workers in significant ways. Rather the psychological effect of being the center of attention
impacted the change in the level of productivity. The second study was done in 1932 and it was
the 'Bank winning observation room' experiment (Peek, 2020). These revealed that workers
commonly function as a group rather than as an individual, individual motivation and
productivity are dependent on the need for recognition and status rather than monetary value, and
supervisors have a significant impact on workers' productivity.
Abraham Maslow's major contribution is he suggested that there are five sets of basic needs
which have to be fulfilled in sequential order. These basic needs include physiological, safety,
sense of belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualization presented in order (Dininni, 2010).
Consequently, people strive to satisfy their physiological needs like hunger, thirst, or sleep
before moving on to safety which encompasses the need for protection against any form of
danger. Then the other needs will follow finally people aspire to fulfill their need for self-
