13.

Gordon, a manager, makes the following statement: "Our experimentation with a teams-

focused product development process is complete, and the evidence clearly supports adopting

this process across our organization. We picked a test project to see if productivity would be

better under shared leadership, team accountability, and collaborative work. That project,

Zen

Park Frantic

, was a market success. What more do we need to know?"

Linda, another manager, responds by saying: "You are jumping to conclusions. If

Zen Park

Frantic

went especially well, then that improvement was probably caused by the Hawthorne

effect and almost any change from the normal procedures would have produced a benefit."

Which of the following is a point at issue between Gordon and Linda?

Was

Zen Park Frantic

a market success?

Would

Zen Park Frantic

have been as successful if it had followed the organization's normal procedures?

Are team-based product development processes successful in any organizational setting?

Is the "Hawthorne effect" an important concept in explaining the causes of increased productivity?

Does the evidence support a move to team-based product development?