Hawthorne Effect

Hawthorne effect refers to a type of human reactivity in which individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed. Descriptions of this well-known and remarkable effect, which was discovered in the context of a research conducted at the Hawthorne Western Electric plant, some scholars feel turned out to be fictional.

The original research involved workers who made electrical relays at the Hawthorne Works, a Western Electric plant in Cicero, Illinois. Between 1924 and 1927, the famous lighting study was conducted. Workers experienced a series of lighting changes in which productivity was said to increase with almost any change in the lighting. This turned out not to be true. In the study that was associated with Elton Mayo, which ran from 1928 to 1932, a series of changes in work structure were implemented (e.g., changes in rest periods) in a group of five women. However, this was methodologically poor uncontrolled study that did not permit any firm conclusions to be drawn.

One of the later interpretations by Landsberger's suggested that the novelty of being research subjects and the increased attention from such could lead to temporary increases in worker's productivity. This interpretation was dubbed as "the Hawthorne effect," although the data does not support that view.

History

The term "Hawthorne Effect" was coined in 1958 by Henry A. Landsberger when he was analyzing the Hawthorne studies conducted between 1924 and 1932 at the Hawthorne Works. The Hawthorne Works has commissioned a study to determine if its workers would become more productive in higher or lower levels of light. The workers' productivity seemed to improve when changrs were made, and slumped when the study ended. It was suggested that the productivity gain occurred as a result of the motivational effect on the workers of the interest being shown in them.

The effect was observed for minute increases in illumination. In these lighting studies, light intensity was altered to examine its effect on worker productivity. Most industrial/occupational psychology and organizational behavior textbooks refer to the illumination studies when discussing the Hawthorne Effect. Only occasionally are the rest of the studies mentioned.

Although illumination research of workplace lighting formed the basis of Hawthorne Effect, other changes such as maintaining clean work stations, clearing floors of obstacles, and even relocating workstations resulted in increased productivity for short periods. Thus the term is used to identify any type of short-lived increase in productivity.

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