RELAY ASSEMBLY TEST ROOM (R.A.T.R)
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RELAY ASSEMBLY TEST ROOM
(R.A.T.R)
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• R.A.T.R was the second of three major
Hawthorne experiments.
• It was conducted from 1927 to 1932.
• The people involved in this experiment were;
Elton Mayo, F.J. Roethlisberger, W.L. Warner,
G.A. Pennock, M.L. Putnam, H.A Wright and
W.J. Dickson.
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Details:
• For the Relay Assembly Experiment they
improvised a room by detaching from the Relay
Assembly Department, with the help of a wooden
partition.
• Each operator had to assemble into a telephone
relay unit a number of parts.
• Researchers attached a chute to the right side of each worker with its corresponding hole through
which each relay was dropped on completion.
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• While falling, the relays were being automatically
recorded. Thus frequency per unit time and the
number of relays were being recorded.
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Preparation
• 5 operatives plus one layout operator
• An observer(Pennock) was introduced to keepaccurate records of conversations and
maintain friendly atmosphere. More assistantswere added with time.
• Record of temperature and humidity of room,
periodic medical examination of operatives.Output, sleep, amount of food taken,everything was measured with exactness.
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The Schedule (Division into 14 periods)
PERIOD 1: From 25-4-27 to 10-5-27 (2 weeks)
• Silent watch on the five girls selected whilethey were still working in general department.
• Objective was to get standard performance innormal conditions.
• Girls did not know that they were being
observed.• Output was 2400 relays per girl in 48 hour
week.
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PERIOD 2: From 10-5-27 to 11-6-27(5 weeks)
• Girls were transferred to the test room.
• Work continued under ordinary conditions except
for the presence of observer.• Work hours were from 7:30 to 12 and 12:45 to 5
except Saturday on which they stopped at midday.
•
Expectation was that they will return to theirnormal state of mind during this period.
• “Disturbance” resulted in gradual increase inoutput.
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PERIOD 3: From 13-6-27 to 6-8-27 (8 weeks)
• 6th girl was introduced as “feeder” of the
group.
• Group placed at piece rate payment. Common
earnings divided by five, giving one part to
each girl.
• Output went to 2500 relays.
• Working time: 48 hours per week
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Experimental Periods (4 to 11)
PERIOD 4: From 8-8-27 to 10-9-27 (5 weeks)
• Two 5 minute rest pauses were introduced.
One in morning at 10 and other at 2.
• Result: No increase or decrease in output.
• Working Time: 47.05 hours per week
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• PERIOD 5: From 12-9-27 to 8-10-27 (4 weeks)
• Rest pauses were increased too 10 minutes
each.
• Result: Increase in production
• Working Time: 46.10 hours per week
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PERIOD 6: From 10-10-27 to 5-11-27 (4 weeks)
• 6 five minute pauses were introduced at 8:45,
10:00, 11:20, 2:00, 3:15, 4:30.
• Girls did not favour these and complained that
their work rhythm had been interrupted.
• Result: Production decreased for the 1st time.
• Working Time: 46.15 hours per week.
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PERIOD 7: From 7-11-27 to 21-1-28 (11 weeks)
• 15 minute rest pause for lunch(paid by
company) at 9:30 AM and 10 min rest at 2:30
PM.
• Result: Production increased up to level of
period 5, i.e 2500 units
• Working Time: 45.40 hours per week.
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PERIOD 8: From 21-1-28 to 10-3-28 (7 weeks)
• Two non cooperative girls were replaced.
•
Work stopped at 4:30.• Result: Production went up.
• Working Time: 43.10 hours per week.
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PERIOD 9: From 12-3-28 to 7-4-28 (4 weeks)
• Same conditions as in period 7 but work
stopped at 4PM.
• Result: Average hourly output rose, but daily
weekly output fell slightly.
• Working Time: 40.40 hours per week.
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PERIOD 10: From 9-4-28 to 30-6-28 (12 weeks)
• Same conditions as in period 7 but work
stopped at 5PM
• Result: Daily and weekly averages reached the
highest levels, 2888 relays, though the hourly
average decreased.
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PERIOD 11: From 2-7-28 to 1-9-28 (9 weeks)
• Conditions were same as period 7 with the
difference that work on Saturday morning was
supressed.
• Result: Output was same as period 10, with
slight fall in weekly total
• Working Time: 41.40 hours per week.
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PERIOD 12: From 3-9-28 to 24-11-28 (12 weeks)
• All improvements were supressed including
rest pauses, snacks, time off, etc. Return to
period 3.
• Result: New record of 2900 relays per week.
Highest ever reached. Hourly production went
down.
• Working Time: 48 hours per week.
Progress and Decline (Period 12 and
following)
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PERIOD 13: From 26-11-28 to 29-6-29(31 weeks)
• Return to same condition as period 7; but
company gave only hot tea. (No free lunch)
• Result: All previous records beaten-3000
relays.
• Working Time: 45.40 hours per week.
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PERIOD 14: From July 1929 to December 1931
• Interest in experiment began to wane owing tothe Great Depression which began asserting
itself.• Result: Output varied. It began to fall with fear of
recession.
PERIOD 15: From Jan 1932 to July 1932 (7 months)
• Industrial Depression at its worst.
• Result: Output fell.
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If environmental changes were the cause of
increase in output, the suppression of all the
changes should have brought the increase in
output down to minimum.
But instead it went higher! WHY??
Question that was raised!
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THE SOLUTION
Elton Mayo explained:
• 6 individuals became team from a group.
•
They felt less pressure then ever before.• Absenteeism decreased from 15.26 days a
year per operative to only 3.56 days. Even
muscular fatigue reduced.
• An atmosphere of freedom and friendliness
prevailed.