Social group influences and interpersonal factors must also be considered when performing efficiency research such as time and motion studies. The major finding of the study was that almost regardless of the experimental manipulation employed, the production of the workers seemed to improve. One reasonable conclusion is that the workers were pleased to receive attention from the researchers who expressed an interest in them. The study was only expected to last one year, but because the researchers were set back each time they tried to relate the manipulated physical conditions to the worker's efficiency, the project extended out to five years. Although they give some indication of the physical and mental potential of the individual, the amount produced is strongly influenced by social factors.
Informal organization affects productivity.
The Hawthorne researchers discovered a group life among the workers. The studies also showed that the relations that supervisors develop with workers tend to influence the manner in which the workers carry out directives. Work-group norms affect productivity. The workplace is a social system. The Hawthorne researchers came to view the workplace as a social system made up of interdependent parts.