Red pearl attempt

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The red pearl experiment is an example devised by William Edwards Deming for a work process in which the workers have no influence on the result of their work and the achievement of goals is unlikely, but are nevertheless rewarded or punished for this result. It is also known by its English name as the red bead experiment .

Description of the experiment

From 4,000 pearls, 800 red and 3200 white, which differ only in color, 50 pearls are sifted out by six workers in a fixed process: mixing the starting material, immersing the standardized scoop, counting the red pearls by two independent inspectors who be monitored for their part. The aim is to create as few red pearls as possible. However, the workers must not deviate from the specified procedure and change the result, for example by shaking or scooping up fresh water.

Due to the standardization of the process, a share of around 20%, i.e. around 10 red pearls per process, is to be expected.

execution

After each work cycle, the workers are classified in a ranking list according to their - coincidental - work success and rewarded or punished. Apparently surprisingly, the worker initially rated as best does not perform as well in the next work passes.

After the specified goal - a maximum of four red pearls per work step - was not achieved, the company management initially threatened to close production, but then decided to continue production with the three best workers in double shifts. Apparently surprisingly, however, even these show no repetition of their success in further rounds. Eventually production is closed and they too lose their jobs.

Understanding

If incompetent management sets arbitrary goals and at the same time defines processes that make the achievement of goals improbable or impossible, even the best will of the executor cannot ensure success.

further results

Ranking lists are not useful - especially not if the rank achieved does not grow out of personal merit, but results from the process.

The same applies to performance-based payment.

Employees must be able to change the process in order to improve it and achieve better results.

literature

  • William Edwards Deming : The New Economics. For Industry, Government, Education. 2nd edition. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Advanced Engineering Study, Cambridge MA 1994, ISBN 0-911379-07-X , pp. 154-171.
  • Ernst C. Glauser: Quality quo vadis? The swiss Deming institute, available online (PDF file; 1.63 MB), p. 13