DSIR’s Industrial Psychology Division 1942–1954

Abstract

ABSTRACTDSIR’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.