DSIR's Industrial Psychology Division 1942-1954

DSIR's Industrial Psychology Division was founded in 1942 by Ernest Marsden, and its mission was to research the working conditions in factories of wartime New Zealand. The education of management and workers on good working practices was also an important part of its work, as was the undertaki...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 2017-04, Vol.47 (2), p.199-204
Main Author: Hearnshaw, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absenteeism
Colleges & universities
Defense industries
Education
Educational institutions
Employees
Employment
Ernest Marsden
Eye
Eyes
Factories
female factory workers
health and safety legislation
Illumination
Industrial plants
Lighting
Management
New Zealand factory conditions in WW2
Occupational psychology
Psychological aspects
Psychology
psychology at Victoria University College
Psychology, Industrial
Women
Work environment
Workers
Working conditions
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Summary:DSIR's Industrial Psychology Division was founded in 1942 by Ernest Marsden, and its mission was to research the working conditions in factories of wartime New Zealand. The education of management and workers on good working practices was also an important part of its work, as was the undertaking of special service investigations, as required. The first director was Leslie Hearnshaw (my father), at the time a psychologist at Victoria University College, and he hired Ralph Winterbourn, Arthur Churton and later Ralph Waite to the division's staff. Visits were made to factories all over New Zealand. Some of the issues that arose were the high level of absenteeism in New Zealand factories, the employment of women in many munitions factories, keeping workers motivated for tedious and repetitive work, excessive hours of work (in one case up to 74 hours per week) and poor lighting in factories causing eye strain.
ISSN:0303-6758
1175-8899
1175-8899
DOI:10.1080/03036758.2017.1291439