什么让员工更努力工作

WhatMakesEmployeesWorkHarder:PunishmentorPampering?Badnews:Monitoringdevicesand,moregruesomely,massivelayoffsreallydoseemtomakeusmoreproductiveDerekThompsonAug27,2013You'reaboss.Youhaveabunchofemployeesyouconsiderundermotivated,unproductive,and,well,sortalazy.Youwonder:HowdoImakethemtalkless?Focusmore?Tryharder?Thinkmorecreatively?Justbebetter?Youturntosocialscienceandeconomicresearchandfindthatmuchoftheconclusionsappeartobedividedintotwostrategicapproaches.Forlackofmoreofficioussoundingterms,I'mgoingtocallthem:theFeelGoodstrategiesvs.theFeelBadstrategies.TheFeelGoodbossisdrawntotheresearchthatsuggeststhatjustabouteverythingyoucanthinkofthatmakesworkersfeelgoodaboutthemselvesalsomakesthembetterworkers.Fourdayworkweeksmeanmoremeaningfulworkhours.Shorterworkdaystranslateintobetterfocus.Morevacationtimemeansheightenedcreativity.Moreshortbreaksmeanssharperattentiontodetail.Moretoysmeansmorecreative,playfulemployeeswhoarenecessaryforoutoftheboxthinking.Andthenthedismalsciencecomesalongandfindsthat,oh,actually,scaringthebejeezusoutofworkersturnsouttobeprettyeffectivetoo.TheFeelBadbossisvindicated.TheGreatRecession,aGreatMotivatorLet'sgobackto2008.Theeconomytanked.Productivityspiked.Why?Therearetwobasicexplanations:theweakestlinkexplanationandthemotivationexplanation.Whenemployershavetoletpeoplego,theystartwiththeleastproductiveworkerstheweakestlinks.Thatmakestheremainingteammoreproductive,right?Theoretically.Butalso,ifyouthinkeverydayisanauditiontokeepyourjob,youmightbemotivatedtoworkharder.Oneexplanationdramaticallyovershadowstheotherwhenaccountingforourproductivityboominthebust,accordingtoeconomistsEdwardP.LazearKathrynL.ShawChristopherStanton,theauthorsofanewpaperMAKINGDOWITHLESS:WORKINGHARDERDURINGRECESSIONS.Actually,theanswerisrightthereintheheadline.Employersmadedowithlessbecausepeopleworkedharderduringtherecession.Fully85%ofincreaseinproductivitycamefromworkers'increasedeffort.Somepicturestohammerthepointhome.Here'stheirlookatproductivityperworkerbetweenDecember2007andJuly2009,theofficialbeginningandendoftheGreatRecession.Therecessionvisiblyincreasedmeasuredeffort.Inparticular,workersinstateswithhighunemploymentchanges(BLUELINEinthegraphbelow)becomemoreproductivethanworkersinstateswithlowunemploymentchanges(REDDASHline)areversalofwhatyou'dobservein2006duringbettertimes.Ineconospeak:anincreaseintheunemploymentratemakesfindinganalternativejobmoredifficult,whichreducestherelativecostofeffort.Inhuman:Peopleworkedharderinstateswherefindingajobwasharder,sincetheyweretotallyfreakedoutaboutbeingunemployed.Fascinatingly,theeconomistsfoundthattheleastproductiveworkershadthehighestgainsinmeasuredeffortpossiblybecausetheyfeltthemostscrutinizedinareaswithhighunemployment.BigBrother,Inc.Scrutinyworksinmysteriousways.Theknowledgethatyourindustry(orstate,ormacroeconomy)isundersiegemakesworkersfeelwatched.Butwhataboutworkerswhoare,quiteliterally,beingwatched?Thatwasthesubjectofanotherrecentpaperonsoftwarethatwatchesworkerstomakesuretheydon'tstealstuff:CleaningHouse:TheImpactofInformationTechnologyMonitoringonEmployeeTheftandProductivity.TheNewYorkTimesunpacks:Theresearchersmeasuredtheimpactofsoftwarethatmonitorsemployeeleveltheftandsalestransactions,beforeandafterthetechnologywasinstalled,at392restaurantsin39statesThesavingsfromthetheftalertsthemselvesweremodest,$108aweekperrestaurant.However,afterinstallingthemonitoringsoftware,therevenueperrestaurantincreasedbyanaverageof$2,982aweek,orabout7percent.Whathappenedhere?Yes,theftdeclined.That'stobeexpected.Butalso,revenuespiked.Productivityincreased.Turningcasualdiningrestaurantsintocasualdiningpanopticonsmadeeverybodyworkharder,perhapsbycuttingdownonprocrastinationorencouragingwaiterstosellmoredrinksandappetizerstocustomers.Productivityresearchremainssomethingofasprayandprayfield.Thereisresearchsuggestingthatpracticallyeverythingthatworkersenjoy,fromcatpicturestonaps,amazinglymakesthembetterattheirjobs,whilethere'salsoresearchthattheworstthingseverlikeGreatRecessionsandemployermonitoringmakeusmorediligent.Perhapssomeoftheseconclusionscanlivetogether:Beingwellrestedatworkgivesyouthementalspacetobecreative,butthethreatofconsequencesalsomakesyoumorearduousonaminutetominutebasis.Therearenoabsoluteshereyet,except,Isupposeforone.Ifyou'relookingforajob,anyjob,tryNorthDakota.