Final answer:
Some companies do indeed create awkward scenarios to observe potential employees' reactions. These scenarios are used to assess candidates' adaptability and composure in unexpected situations and derive from sociological research methods like breaching experiments.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, some companies do set up awkward or uncomfortable situations to observe a candidate's response, often as a part of the interview process or for research purposes. For instance, sociological research, like the breaching experiments developed by Harold Garfinkel, involved creating situations that break social norms in subtle ways to study social norms and conformity. These studies showed how people react to unexpected behaviors and can illustrate our reliance on social etiquette and norms. This technique, when applied in a business context, can provide insight into how potential employees might handle stress or unusual circumstances. However, it is worth noting that ethical considerations must be taken into account, ensuring participants are not harmed or overly distressed by such experiments.
In the realm of observational research, the concept of the Hawthorne effect is also significant. It refers to the change in behavior that occurs when individuals know they are being observed, which can have implications on the results of a study or an interview process. Understanding such psychological and social phenomena can be very useful for companies looking to hire individuals who are adaptable, resourceful, and able to maintain composure in unforeseen situations.