NCJ Number
161626
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 33 Issue: 1, secial issue Dated: (February 1996) Pages: 28-48
Date Published
1996
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Hawthorne relay assembly research has been misinterpreted in criminology and other fields as showing that interest in employee well-being is sufficient to stimulate increased in performance.
Abstract
In original studies of the Hawthorne effect, relay assemblers received considerable attention, but they also wanted to improve their performance and they were given feedback on how they performed. As a result, they learned to produce more relays. The "Hawthorne misunderstanding" is common in criminology, criminal justice, and other fields because authors have failed to recognize this explanation of improved work output. Producing real Hawthorne effects, improvements in human performance, is important in action research, and such improvements are often the aims of scientists who pursue this form of research. Examples of Hawthorne effects are described that involve delinquency prevention and correctional workers. To produce Hawthorne effects, new action research is recommended to engage program implementors in specifying goals or standards for their activities, provide feedback to implementors and performance incentives, and seek the removal of organizational obstacles to effectiveness. 29 references, 5 notes, 3 tables, and 7 figures