Hawthorne Revisited: Lighting, Hope, and Goal Setting

Hawthorne experiments are one of the most important social science experiments ever conducted and had profound impact on management and related fields by leading the human relation movement, during which time the effects of physical conditions of workplaces on motivation and behaviors were largely overlooked. Based on recent theoretical advancements in both management and psychology literature, our research revisits the conclusions of Hawthorne experiments. Across three studies, we found that self-reported ambient lighting of the immediate environment was positively associated with goal setting in multiple work and life domains (Study 1). In addition, college students reported setting lower academic and job-hunting goals in a dim (vs. bright) room (Study 2). Finally, ambient darkness decreased performance in a work simulation by inducing hopeless feelings and leading people to set lowers goals (Study 3). These findings call for a better understanding of the impact of workplace environment on employee motivations and behaviors. (150 words)