From the Hawthorne Studies, Elton Mayo found that the relationships that had formed naturally in the workplace made up what he called the informal organization.

Hawthorne Studies

A series of studies conducted in the early 20th century focusing on how work conditions affect employee productivity and morale.

Informal Organization

The ever-changing set of relationships and interactions that are not formally put together; they form naturally in the workplace.

Elton Mayo

An Australian psychologist and organizational theorist best known for his research in the Hawthorne Studies, which examined the effects of social relations, motivation, and employee productivity.