M9 – Liam Cassell
After reviewing the Hawthorne Studies video, for this week’s Class Discussion, what, if any, has been your experience with the Hawthorne effect on a job?
I tend to do my best work when I don’t have someone looking over my shoulder. I feel as though whoever is watching me is trying to micromanage me. I find that if someone is micromanaging me, I am less likely to want to do a good job because I perceive it as their work not my own. So, in these terms the when I feel I am being watched I am less productive. This is due to me feeling like I can’t make something that is mine. Personally, when I can take ownership over something, I get invested and do a better job. In this regard this the Hawthorne Effect has the opposite impact on me as it did on the people in the video.
Describe a supervisor who inspired and motivated you — what were their characteristics or actions that made such a positive impact?
I worked at McDonalds when I was about 16 to buy my first car. I had a boss that really help motivate me to do a good job. He was super charismatic and always cheerful. He was always happy to see his employees and would always make sure to let them know they are doing a good job. When someone would mess up, he would never lose his temper. Instead he would give constructive criticism and would help them out to make sure they know how to do it properly next time. This helped motivate the team to work harder and really improved morale. He also treated me as an equal and as a teenager that respect was something, I desired from adults but never really got. All of these things made him a really good boss.