The Discovery of Informal Organization
Once you have familiarized yourself with the theories proffered by Durkheim, Tönnies, and Lenski another piece in the puzzle is the Hawthorne Studies of 1924.
The Hawthorne Studies of 1924 shattered the “accepted facts of how people work together” The studies completely destroyed the common perceptions of what was believed to be the insurmountable stalemate of human interaction and collaboration. The studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his associates where performed at the Hawthorne Plant of Western Electric Co. in 1924. The goal was to study the relationship between physical factors and production. Much to their surprise, they uncovered proof of what they labelled as "Informal Organization".
The lessons of the “The Hawthorne Studies of 1924”
are the undoing of those who believe in the collectivist approach
The Hawthorne Studies of 1924 led to the Human Relations Movement in the mid 1920's. Studies revealed the natural human drive to find and thrive in individualism within structured demanding societal constricts which inevitable disable individualism in favor of collectivism and "order".
I have offered Will’s rule of Human Nature repeatedly, I want to delve deeper into the perspective and tie it together with many of the points that I believe are fundamental building blocks required for the mastery of building a solid and enduring team/society.
Will’s Rule # 9:
- All humans are inherently: Lazy, Greedy, and Violent.
- We begin lazy.
- We see others have things that we want (greed).
- We want it so much that we take it (violent).
- Humans have a natural drive to find and thrive in individualism
- Society naturally restricts individualism and in its quest for “order” and collectivism
- Language is the glue that brings and holds us together.
Civil society requires:
- Shared Language
- Shared Customs
- Shared Rules (Law)
- Civil Debate/Conversation
