The Hawthorne effect in management

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

General

The "illumination experiments"

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

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.