Biography of elton mayo

This article by Helen Bourke, (not produced here), was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, (MUP), 1986

George Elton Mayo (1880-1949), a highly regarded social theorist and industrial psychologist, was born on 26 December 1880 in Adelaide, the eldest son of George Gibbes Mayo, draftsman and later civil engineer, and his wife Henrietta Mary, née Donaldson; he was married to Dorothea McConnell on 18 April 1913 in Brisbane, Australia.

He was educated at Queen's School and the Collegiate School of St Peter and also at medical schools in Edinburgh and London, but strangely lost interest in medicine at the University of Adelaide.

Following work which he did in West Africa he returned to London in 1903 and turned his attention to writing articles for magazines and, occasionally teaching English at the Working Men's College.

Back again in Adelaide in 1905 he took a partnership with the printing firm of J. H. Sherring & Co., but went back to the university to study philosophy and psychology in 1907 under Sir William Mitchell, where he won the Roby Fletcher prize in psychology and graduated with honours (B.A., 1910; M.A.) in 1926; in 1911 he was installed as foundation lecturer in mental and moral philosophy at the new University of Queensland and in 1919-23 held the first chair of philosophy there. Known more commonly as Elton Mayo, he was the founder of the Human Relations Movement, and is best known for his research including the Hawthorne Studies, and his book The Social Problems of an Industrialised Civilization (1933).

Elton Mayo became a public figure in Brisbane, lecturing for the Workers' Educational Association and serving on the university's war committee. Influenced mostly by Freud, Jung and Pierre Janet, he studied the nature of nervous breakdown and with a Brisbane physician, Dr T. H. Mathewson, pioneered the psychoanalytic treatment of shell-shock. This led to the publication of his first book, Democ

Elton Mayo (1880 – 1949) was an Australian psychologist, an industrial researcher and an academic organizational management scientist. His conducted studies, together with the Hawthorne studies, became the base for his lifelong breaking theories on Human Relations Theory of Management and scientific management.

Elton Mayo biography

After attending several schools in Australia without finishing, Elton Mayo started his study in philosophy and psychology in 1907 at the University of Adelaide.

There he graduated with honours in 1910 (B.A.) and also won the Roby Fletcher prize in psychology. After that, he also got his masters degree (M.A.) in 1926.

After graduation, Elton Mayo stayed connected to the scientific world and became a foundation lecturer in philosophy in 1911 at the new University of Queensland.

Between 1919 and 1923 Elton Mayo held the first chair of philosophy. After 1923 his focus shifted to industrial research and he became professor at the Harvard Business School.

Hawthorne studies

His first ground breaking research involved workers that worked at a textile mill. The high rate of turnover had a big influence on their mental abnormalities. Elton Mayo helped them through the introduction of rest periods which led to great results and recognition.

This was the foundation for the human relations theory and his book The Human Problems of an Industrialized Civilization (1933).

His research between the 1920’s and 1930’s showed the importance of groups in affecting the behavior of individuals at work. His principles and ground rules are still repeatedly used today in numerous of “how” books on leadership, management and mentoring.

Elton Mayo continued his research and lectures as a professor of industrial research and stayed connected to the Harvard Business School until 1947.

When he retired in 1947, he moved to the United Kingdom. Elton Mayo died in 1949 due to the

Australian academic

George Elton Mayo (26 December 1880 – 7 September 1949) was an Australian born psychologist, industrial researcher, and organizational theorist. Mayo was formally trained at the University of Adelaide, acquiring a Bachelor of Arts Degree graduating with First Class Honours, majoring in philosophy and psychology, and was later awarded an honorary Master of Arts Degree from the University of Queensland (UQ).

While in Queensland, Mayo served on the University's war committee and pioneered research into the psychoanalytic treatment of shell-shock. As a psychologist Mayo often helped soldiers returning from World War I recover from the stresses of war and with a Brisbane physician, pioneered the psychoanalytic treatment of shell-shock and conducted psycho-pathological tests. He was a lecturer in psychology and mental philosophy at the UQ between 1911 and 1922, when he sailed to the United States. In 1926 he was appointed to the Harvard Business School (HBS) as a professor of industrial research.

In Philadelphia he conducted research at a textile plant in order to develop a method to reduce the very high rate of turnover in the plant. Mayo's association with the Hawthorne studies as well as his research and work in Australia led to his enjoying a public acclaim granted to few social scientists of his day.

Mayo has been credi

George Elton Mayo (December 26, 1880 – September 7, 1949) was an Australian-born Americanpsychologist and sociologist. He is famous for the Hawthorne studies, which examined the effects of social relations, motivation, and employee satisfaction on factory productivity. This work was a landmark in industrial psychology. Despite later criticisms of the validity of his results, Mayo's work introduced the idea that the external factors (lighting, temperature, and so forth) were of lesser significance in determining productivity levels of workers than the social factors (such as work group relationships and feelings of belonging). Mayo and others extended this idea into larger social organizations, greatly enriching theories of management.

Life

George Elton Mayo was born on December 26, 1880, in Adelaide, Australia, into the respected colonial family of George Gibbes Mayo and Henrietta Mary Donaldson. After graduating from the Collegiate School of St Peter, a high school in Adelaide, Elton tried to enroll into the medical school, but failed the university examinations. Consequently he was sent to England, where he turned to writing. He worked for the Pall Mall Gazette and taught at the Working Men’s College in London.

After his return to Australia he enrolled in the University of Adelaide, where he became one of the best students of philosophy, studying under Sir William Mitchell. After his graduation in 1912, he was appointed a foundation lecturer in philosophy and education at the newly established University of Queensland. In 1913, he married Dorothea McConnel, with whom he had two daughters.

During World War I he served on various government bodies, advising on the organization of work in the war, and wrote and lectured on industrial and political psychology and psychoanalysis. He became a professor at the University of Queensland in 1919, teaching philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, economics, education, and psychology. He also treated patients suff