The Hawthorne experiments, conducted from 1924 to 1932, were designed to assess whether improvements in physical working conditions would increase employee productivity. Scientist Elton Mayo and his colleagues manipulated multiple aspects of the work environment for a selected group of workers at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company and subsequently measured their productivity.

The Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) is an international system of numeric classification of PRODUCTS. With HTS, products are classified using a 6- to 10-digit number. The first six digits are standardized worldwide, while some governments use additional numbers to further distinguish products.

In general, harmonization means “to bring into common accord or agreement.” In business, particularly international business, harmonization of laws, agreements, definitions, and specifications is an important consideration.