Question

Discuss your observations and experiences, how Hawthorne effect increase or decrease productivity (or maybe both?) and what kind of bias will thin introduce?

Answer 1

The Hawthorne effect (also referred to as the observer effect) refers to a phenomenon whereby individuals improve or modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed. In other words, it refers to an increase in worker productivity produced by the psychological stimulus of being singled out and made to feel important.

Employees, irrespective of the era they belong to, always desire to be heard and valued; this is what motivates them and ultimately enhances productivity.

Here are a few ways in which the ‘Hawthorne Effect can be used in modern workplaces.

1. Listening is important

The Hawthorne effect established that the productivity of employees increased dramatically when they felt they were being heard. In fact, this is a great lesson for today’s leadership, who need to give a patient hearing to their team members.

It’s important to appreciate ideas and many start-up organisations have benefitted from this where younger employees were heard and their ideas appreciated. People are mainly motivated not by economic factors, but emotional factors, such as a feeling of being involved and receiving attention. It is important for employees to feel that their concerns are being heard and that they are contributing to a common purpose.

2. Observation over vigilance

The Hawthorne effect established that employees tend to perform better when they are being observed. But it has different connotations in the modern workplace. Employees hate being under vigilance 24×7, but yes, they want to be observed. They want the leaders to take notice of their good work, and be appreciated for the same, without being watched all the time. Paying attention to what employees are doing brings in some wonderful results.

3. Right people in the right group

Employees who are usually productive can become unproductive when placed in the wrong group. At the same time, attentive and communicated mindfulness of how others are working may have a positive impact on their engagement and increase productivity. During the Hawthorne experiment, two insubordinate and mediocre workers were replaced by two productive workers, of which one took on the role of straw boss. They discovered that production increased by the replacement of the two workers, due to their greater productivity and the effect of the disciplinary action on the other workers.

4. Gender diversity

Women are increasingly entering male-dominated professions. However, they are often made to feel unwanted by male peers, which leads to low productivity. Employers need to be observant and bring in small changes to make the environment more conducive. The individual attention and the normal human instinct to feel ‘chosen’ will skew the results.

5. God of small things

Organisations need to realise that the tools used for motivation don’t need to be in the form of ‘big’ things. Sometimes, small changes work wonders in improving productivity.