Elton Mayo: The Humanist Temper (The Life and Work of Elton Mayo)

"The definitive biography of the life and work of Elton Mayo (1880-1949) is the first full, accurate account of the activities and intimate life of one of Australia and America's pioneering social scientists. Mayo, who established the scientifi c study of organizational behavior, was highly infl uential in American social science and business management theory, following his work at the Harvard Business School and the Western Electric Company."--Provided by publisher The definitive biography of the life and work of Elton Mayo (1880-1949) is the first full, accurate account of the activities and intimate life of one of Australia and America's pioneering social scientists. Mayo, who established the scientific study of organizational behavior, was highly influential in American social science and business management theory, following his work at the Harvard Business School and the Western Electric Company.Still the subject of vigorous debate, Mayo's ideas spanned several disciplines-psychology, sociology, philosophy, and business management. Mayo developed the field of industrial psychology by applying the results of scientific research to the problems of work in order to improve the life of industrial workers and managers and to encourage collaboration between administrators and their subordinates. Trahair's biography traces the origins of Mayo's ideas in order to help clarify aspects of the debate.Alfred W. Clark of La Trobe University commented, "It will become a definitive biography...it is based on a masterly grasp of detail into Mayo's life, theories and impact... Trahair's expression is always clear and lively; he never writes a turgid sentence, let alone a paragraph"; while Arthur G. Bedeian at Auburn University noted that Elton Mayo is "laced with wit and insight, and graced with style. For all its scholarship, it is wholly readable. Historians interested in the development of the social sciences should find the book particularly valuable. It offers a searching example of the scientific enterprise." Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Foreword: The Promise of Elton Mayo Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations and Sources 1. Mayo Family in Adelaide, 1880-1893 2. Early Failures, 1893-1904 3. Education and Career, 1905-1911 4. Early Years in Queensland, 1911-1913 5. Career, Family, and Friends, 1914-1919 6. War, Politics, and the New Psychology, 1914-1919 7. Professor, Clinician, and Lecturer, 1919-1921 8. Crises and Career, 1919-1921 9. To America, 1922-1923 10. Industrial Studies in Philadelphia 11. Philadelphia to Harvard 12. Harvard 1926-32: Early Research and Associates 13. Harvard 1926-1932: Teaching, Clinical Work, Writing and Travel 14. Mayo at the Hawthorne Works: 1928-1931 15. Collaboration at the Hawthorne Works: 1929-1932 16. Hawthorne Reported and Early Criticism: 1932-1942 17. Family and the Clinic: 1932-1942 18. Collaboration: 1932-1942 19. Personal and Political Problems: 1932-1942 20. Last Years at Harvard: 1942-1947 21. Retirement and Death in England: 1947-1949 22. The Character and Contributions of Elton Mayo Photographs Writings of Elton Mayo References General Index Elton Mayo Index "The definitive biography of the life and work of Elton Mayo (1880-1949) is the first full, accurate account of the activities and intimate life of one of Australia and America's pioneering social scientists. Mayo, who established the scientific study of organizational behavior, was highly influential in American social science and business management theory, following his work at the Harvard Business School and the Western Electric Company." "Still the subject of vigorous debate, Mayo's ideas spanned several disciplines - psychology, sociology, philosophy, and business management. Mayo developed the field of industrial psychology by applying the results of scientific research to the problems of work in order to improve the life of industrial workers and managers and to encourage collaboration between administrators and their subordinates. Richard C. S. Trahair's biography traces the origins of Mayo's ideas in order to help clarify aspects of the debate."--BOOK JACKET Richard C.s. Trahair ; With A Foreword By Abraham Zaleznik. Includes Indexes. Bibliography: P. 373-376. Writings Of Elton Mayo: P. 367-372.