Final answer:
Employers use electronic monitoring to evaluate employee performance, increase productivity, and prevent theft. Human factors psychologists are concerned about ergonomic aspects of workstations. Scientific management aims to improve efficiency, and productivity can be measured in various ways beyond output per hour.
Step-by-step explanation:
One method employers use to evaluate employee performance, increase productivity, and prevent theft is electronic monitoring. This practice involves the use of various forms of technology to oversee, record, and analyze the actions and communications of employees during work hours. Employers may use video surveillance, computer monitoring software, and phone recording technology to observe employee behavior. The goal is to ensure that employees are performing their duties effectively, abiding by company policies, and not engaging in activities that could harm the organization, such as theft. However, the use of electronic monitoring raises concerns about privacy and the psychological impact it can have on employees, who may feel that their every move is being watched, leading to increased stress and potentially deteriorating the trust between them and the management.
When it comes to an office workstation, a human factors psychologist would be concerned about the height of the chair, as it directly affects the comfort and ergonomics of the workspace, impacting employee performance and health. On the issue of employee productivity, the goal of scientific management was to increase workers' efficiency by timing their movements and designing workflows to be as streamlined as possible. However, measures of productivity can extend beyond output per hour, including quality of work, customer satisfaction, or employee engagement levels.
When dealing with suspicions of theft, like in the scenario where a cashier is accused due to a short drawer, labeling an employee as a thief can be detrimental. It is crucial for management to conduct a thorough investigation, provide due process, and consider all possible factors before drawing conclusions. Meanwhile, factors such as telecommuting, Theory X and Theory Y management styles, and leadership styles like transformational or transactional, also play significant roles in influencing productivity and workplace dynamics.