Hawthorne Effect and its impact in the workplace
The Hawthorne effect, also referred to as the observer effect, refers to a phenomenon whereby individuals improve or modify an aspect of their behaviour in response to their awareness of being observed.
The studies from the Hawthorne effect conclude that:
The aptitudes of individuals are imperfect predictors of job performance
Informal organization affects productivity
The researchers discovered a group life among the workers. The studies also showed that the relations that supervisors develop with workers tend to influence the manner in which the workers carry out directives.
Work-group norms affect productivity
The Hawthorne researchers were not the first to recognize that work groups tend to arrive at norms of what is a fair day’s work; however, they provided the best systematic description and interpretation of this phenomenon.
The workplace is a social system
The researchers came to view the workplace as a social system made up of interdependent parts.
