Hawthorne Studies: Motivating Factors
While studying physical conditions in the workplace, researchers found that weaker
lighting in the workplace did not reduce productivity as predicted. They concluded
that the attention they paid to the workers during the study increased the workers ’
sense of importance, the attention they paid to their duties, and their communication, and this raised their productivity. Other phases of the research indicated that the work group played an important role in influencing workers to attend to their job and be productive. The studies have come to be regarded as a classic illustration of the importance of social and psychological factors in motivating workers.