The Hawthorne effect in management
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== History: The Hawthorne studies == | == History: The Hawthorne studies == | ||
| − | + | The Hawthorne effect is a phenomenon named after a series of studies conducted at the Hawthorne Plant, an electric factory, in Cicero, Illinois, during the 1920s and early 1930s. It refers to any change in behaviour related to an awareness of being observed, graded or measured. | |
| + | The studies were originally intended to examine how the work environment affected the employees at the plant. The earliest of these studies is referred to as the "illumination experiments. | ||
| − | The "illumination experiments" | + | '''The "illumination experiments"''' |
| + | The aim of the illumination experiments was to test claims that brighter lightning increased productivity. | ||
How reliable are the studies? | How reliable are the studies? | ||
Revision as of 23:41, 19 February 2023
Contents |
Abstract
An important part of successful project management is about emotional intelligence and soft skills, such as motivating and communicating. It requires skills in human relations.
The Hawthorne effect refers to the tendency of people to alter their behaviours in response to being aware that they are being observed. It is named after a study of worker productivity at the Hawthorne Electrical Works near Chicago in the late 1920s. The original idea was to test how changes in the work environment, such as lightning, working hours and rest breaks affected the productivity. However, based on the observations, the researchers concluded that the workers' productivity was not affected by the changes in working conditions, but rather by the awareness that someone was observing them.
This article will briefly present the history of the phenomena and the original studies it deprive from, explain the theory behind it and why it is relevant within project management, propose an application as well as reflect upon the limitations and challenges around the subject.
Can an intentionally application of the Hawthorne effect within a team lead to greater productivity among the team members, and thus increase the probability of a successful project?
History: The Hawthorne studies
The Hawthorne effect is a phenomenon named after a series of studies conducted at the Hawthorne Plant, an electric factory, in Cicero, Illinois, during the 1920s and early 1930s. It refers to any change in behaviour related to an awareness of being observed, graded or measured.
The studies were originally intended to examine how the work environment affected the employees at the plant. The earliest of these studies is referred to as the "illumination experiments.
The "illumination experiments" The aim of the illumination experiments was to test claims that brighter lightning increased productivity.
How reliable are the studies?
Hawthorne in management
As a project manager, there is a constant strive for productivity and efficiency among team members. The level of performance is dynamic or put in other words, in constant change. One way to explain this is with the Hawthorne effect, which states that your employees will work with a greater productivity if they are being observed, and more importantly, are aware of it.
As a manager, having an understanding of the Hawthorne effect can potentially help create a management style that enhances productivity. Put in a business context, this concept is highly related to motivation, integration and encouraging the employees.
Enhancing productivity of employees or team members
Different ways to enhance the productivity of employees:
- Periodically hold focus group meetings. That way, the manager can get input from their employees on changes to the operating procedures that could improve their working conditions.
- Make changes periodically. The Hawthorne studies concluded that generally, any change in the workplace tends to make the employees feel like their efforts are being watched and that attention is paid to their performance, thus it can be valuable that these changes happen periodically.
- Listen and pay attention to the employees. To make them feel appreciated will encourage them to improve their performance. People are motivated by emotional factors, such as the feeling of contributing to a common purpose.
- Employee engagement: Engaged employees are the most productive ones.
Concluding remarks
Today, the focus on project managers is mostly tended to human aspect rather than technical ones, which is why there is a great focus on the development of soft skills as a project manager. One of the most important human aspects is how to motivate the project team members, and this is where knowledge about the Hawthorne effect might come in hand.
Performance is not solely motivated by tasks and and salary. The social factors are also an essential and highly influential factor in terms of an employee's well-being and productivity. The Hawthorne studies is an empirically example of such and can be applied by managers in order to increase the productivity of their team members.
Annotated bibliography
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Jones, S. R. G. (1992). Was There a Hawthorne Effect ? Author ( s ): Stephen R . G . Jones Published by : The University of Chicago Press Stable URL : http://www.jstor.org/stable/2781455 Accessed : 11-04-2016 14 : 11 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of. 98(3), 451–468.
Sedgwick, P., & Greenwood, N. (2015). Understanding the hawthorne effect. BMJ (Online), 351(September), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h4672
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Vannan, K. (2021). History of the Hawthorne Effect. The Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice: Volume II: Parts 5-8, I, 264–248. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119111931.ch47
Wickström, G., & Bendix, T. (2000). The " Hawthorne effect " — what did the original Hawthorne studies actually show ? Institute of Occupational Health , the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment , and the Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health Stable URL. The Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment, and the Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health, 26(4), 363–367. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40967074
