Focusing on the human elements can help in improving organizational performance. The Hawthorne studies have
helped to understand the nature of performance improvement and social
expectations within the workplace. The creation of higher effort often requires
change and then solidifying that change through new social expectations. Focusing on people encourages them to perform
at higher levels.
The Hawthorne Effect is a concept of reactivity where people
improve their performance because they are being singled out and made to feel
important and not as a direct result of actual experimental manipulation. The phenomenon was first experienced at the
Bell Telephone Western Electric manufacturing plant in 1924 Chicago by Henry A.
Landsberger. The plant employed over
29,000 people and developed an industrial research center to improve morale and
productivity (Brannigan, & Zwerman,
2001).
The primary benefit of the study is that it furthered the
argument that organizations are social systems and motivation is an important
human element to performance. Focusing on the human aspects of the workplace is
a critical avenue of improving the organization. Performance itself is seen as
part of the overall improvement of the worker and their conditions. It placed
an emphasis on the human element of the workplace that has impacted management
strategy.
The Hawthorne Study is often referred to as the Illumination
study on light and productivity. As the light changed the productivity of
people increased but once the study was concluded people’s performance slumped.
It was believed that the study helped to highlight that when people are
receiving attention their motivation improves in an effort to increase the
perception of their performance.
Other parts of the experiment include the changing of the
workplace to receive short-lived improvements in performance. Organizations
that change the work environment from time to time can create performance improvements
but these performance improvements will become short-lived unless they are
supported by new social expectations and feedback. The studies helped highlight
how group norms, behaviors, and patterns are important to sustainable performance
development.
There are some criticisms of the study. The study was never
formally analyzed and has had mixed results in follow-up (Levitt & List,
2011). The variables were confounded and it is possible that other factors may
have influenced the results. For example, seasonal temperatures or the
treatment by managers could have an impact on the performance of employees. The original records are believed to have been
destroyed.
Human performance is essential to organizational success.
Companies often focus on creating efficiencies but fail to achieve high level
of gains. By not understanding the in-depth complexity of human social activity
performance improvements will be limited. Focusing on the development of the
individual and their social group affords a higher level of expectation and
motivational effort. Avoiding complacency by adjusting the work situation and
expectations may increase effort but the social system maintains it.
Brannigan, A. & Zwerman, W. (2001). The real
"hawthorne effect". Society, 38 (2)
Franke, R. H. & Kaul, J. D. (1978). The Hawthorne
experiments: First statistical interpretation. American Sociological Review,
1978, 43, 623-643
Levitt, S. & List, J. (2011). Was there really a
hawthorne effect at the hawthorne plant? an analysis of the original
illumination experiments. American Economic Journal. Applied Economics, 3(1)
