As you observe people at work, as shown in Figure 4-21, consider a factor called the Hawthorne
Effect. The name comes from a well-known study performed in the Hawthorne plant of the Western
Electric Company in the 1920s. The purpose of the study was to determine how various changes in the work environment would affect employee productivity.
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The surprising result was that productivity improved during observation whether the conditions
were made better or worse. Researchers concluded that productivity seemed to improve whenever the
workers knew they were being observed. Although some recent studies have raised questions about the original findings, you should be aware that observation can and does have an effect on normal
operations. With this in mind, always give advance notice to the supervisor in that area.
In some situations, it might be helpful to explain the purpose of your visit to the people
being observed.