Factory Workers Are More Productive When Managers Can’t See Them

In a factory where mobile data cards were being made, hanging a curtain to conceal workers from managers’ view increased production by 10% to 15%, according to an experiment by Ethan S. Bernstein of Harvard Business School. The curtain prevented distractions and allowed workers to test productivity-boosting ideas before explaining them to managers. Managers need to consider not only their individual workers’ privacy on the job but also group privacy, Bernstein says.