Final answer:
The claim that operations research began with the publication of the results of the Hawthorne studies is false. Operations research is rooted in mathematics and military strategy, while the Hawthorne studies contributed to organizational psychology, identifying the Hawthorne effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that operations research started with the publication of the results of the Hawthorne studies is false. Operations research, as a distinct discipline, typically concerns the application of advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions and is heavily steeped in mathematics and has its origins in military strategy during World War II.
The Hawthorne studies, however, played an influential role in the development of organizational psychology, exploring the influence of social relations, work conditions, and the psychological atmosphere on worker productivity. Specifically, these studies examined the effects of the physical work environment on workers at Western Electric's Hawthorne Works and later identified a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne effect, where changes in behavior result from the awareness of being observed.
Fredrick Taylor's work on scientific management, predating the Hawthorne studies, laid some of the groundwork for human factors and organizational psychology, focusing on time-motion studies to increase efficiency in the workplace.