Principles of Management CLEP Practice Exam 2025 - Free Management Practice Questions and Study Guide

The Hawthorne Studies, conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues in the 1920s and 1930s, primarily focused on the effects of working conditions on employee productivity. The research began at the Hawthorne Works plant in Illinois and explored how various environmental factors, such as lighting, breaks, and work hours, influenced worker efficiency.

One significant finding from these studies was that social factors and the psychological well-being of employees also played a crucial role in productivity. When workers felt observed and valued, their output improved, demonstrating that employee motivation, satisfaction, and interpersonal relationships were vital components of workplace performance. This led to a shift in management thinking, highlighting the importance of human behavior and social dynamics in organizational settings.

The other choices pertain to different aspects of management and industrial psychology but do not capture the essence of what the Hawthorne Studies revealed about the importance of working conditions and their psychological impact on productivity, making this choice the correct answer.