LEADERSHIP
39
KATE COOPER
Beware the Hawthorne Effect
Be careful what you measure Kate Cooper is head of research, policy and standards at the Institute of Leadership & Management
In the 1950s, social scientist Henry A narrowly – or even exclusively – on what is Landsberger knuckled down on one of the measurable and quantifiable. And you will most valued meta studies – or research of essentially get what you measure.The risk is research – ever carried out in the field of that you will base your decisions only upon work. Essentially, Landsberger carried out known quantities – while a host of often a forensic review of numerous industrial extremely interesting unknown ones will pass experiments that his forerunner George Elton by unnoticed. Mayo had conducted in the 1920s and 1930s. The key is to provide clarity around Staged at a Chicago factory called the what you expect from people. But, while Hawthorne Works, Mayo’s experiments the fulfilment of some of your expectations had aimed to discover the extent to which may be measurable, the meeting of others – workers’ performance was influenced particularly in the interpersonal realm – may by their immediate surroundings. So, not be so easy to pin down. Mayo’s team made a variety of tweaks to In the era of so-called ‘gig’ work, several the employees’ working conditions to see key aspects remain unknown. Managers of whether they would affect productivity such workers are often largely unaware of and, if so, how it would other demands on their be affected. time; how they like to When Landsberger manage their workload; The key is to cast his eyes over the and competing bids provide clarity findings, something from other clients for around what you expect stood out: it didn’t their attention. Leaders from people seem to matter whether might be able to specify Mayo’s tweaks involved the desired outputs in the amount of light a particular timeframe, beamed on to the factory floor, the layout but they have very little insight into the of the assembly lines, or the cleanliness of impact their requests might have on the the workstations… each difference seemed individual’s welfare or, indeed, the quality of to produce a result that was a) measurable, the work they are likely to produce for us. In but not significant, and b) decidedly shorta traditional office setting we gain a clearer term. Landsberger concluded that the results insight into ‘what else is going on’. Getting had stemmed largely from the workers’ similar insight for the more isolated gig awareness that they were being watched. It worker is far more challenging. was observation itself that had produced the Consideration of emerging ways of outcomes. That phenomenon came to be working draws attention to the limitations of known as the ‘Hawthorne Effect’. too much measuring of that we can measure. It makes sense that if you’re into It reminds us not to lose sight of the more measuring, and have lots of different metrics subjective ‘deliverables’. Paramount among for a whole range of workplace functions, these is the sustainability of good working then you will take advantage of those metrics relationships, whatever the employment and report to your senior leaders that you status of those working with us. use them. And, because you’ve decided There remains a role for measurement upon what you’re measuring, and you’re and monitoring in some areas. Leaders are focusing on that with particularly keen encouraged to assess people’s abilities to attention to detail, you will clearly see some complete specific tasks, and the time it takes improvements over time. them to do so. But beware the temptation to As the Hawthorne Effect demonstrates, diminish the importance of more challenging the problem with an overt attachment to metrics. Intangibles are often the most analytics is that it can lead you to focus very critical factors of all. Q1 2019 Dialogue