A famous example of the difficulty in experimental design is the Hawthorne Effect. Studies were done in the Hawthorne Plant of Western Electric in Illinois between 1927 and 1932 to determine if the effect of lighting, humidity and other factors affected employee productivity. It was discovered that the mere fact of doing the experiments, independent of which factor was changed, had a significant, positive effect on employee productivity. It is thought that the extra attention employees received during the experiments was the most important factor driving productivity.
Think of a situation in where you work. What are some of the reasons that experiments in the workplace may be difficult to conduct?