Comments on: Utah’s 4 Day Work Week http://www.productivity501.com/utahs-4-day-work-week/5682/ Pieces of the productivity puzzle. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:42:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mark Shead http://www.productivity501.com/utahs-4-day-work-week/5682/comment-page-1/#comment-130570 Mark Shead Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:19:18 +0000 http://www.productivity501.com/?p=5682#comment-130570 Thanks for the link. It was a very interesting read. It seems that "The Hawthorne Effect" is usually used to describe situations where people's productivity changes when placed under observation. Of course this could also be referred to as the placebo effect. Thanks for the link. It was a very interesting read.

It seems that “The Hawthorne Effect” is usually used to describe situations where people’s productivity changes when placed under observation. Of course this could also be referred to as the placebo effect.

]]> By: Votre http://www.productivity501.com/utahs-4-day-work-week/5682/comment-page-1/#comment-130559 Votre Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:30:10 +0000 http://www.productivity501.com/?p=5682#comment-130559 I never ceased to be amazed that people are still citing the "Hawthorne Effect." Especially since subsequent studies have completely and repeatedly debunked its conclusions. Unfortunately, The Hawthorne Effect is yet another one of those "stories too good to let die." And like all good urban myths, it still keeps rearing its head - although nowadays, it's pretty much restricted to government agency 'studies' and reports. Apparently "Magical Thinking" is still alive and well in the Utah state government. --------- FYI: One good introductory article discussing the Hawthorne Myth can be found at this link: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~stotts/204/nohawth.html (A quick Google will net you dozens more.) I never ceased to be amazed that people are still citing the “Hawthorne Effect.”

Especially since subsequent studies have completely and repeatedly debunked its conclusions.

Unfortunately, The Hawthorne Effect is yet another one of those “stories too good to let die.” And like all good urban myths, it still keeps rearing its head – although nowadays, it’s pretty much restricted to government agency ’studies’ and reports. Apparently “Magical Thinking” is still alive and well in the Utah state government.

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FYI: One good introductory article discussing the Hawthorne Myth can be found at this link:

http://www.cs.unc.edu/~stotts/204/nohawth.html

(A quick Google will net you dozens more.)

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