The Hawthorne effect was a term coined by Henry A. Landsberger in 1950 when analysing experiments from 1924-1932 at the Hawthorne Works (a factory in USA) showed that productivity increased or decreased when the workers were impacted by the motivational effect of the interest being shown in them.
How does this relate to the public transport situation in Singapore? Since the Hawthorne effect can explain how working conditions can affect workers' motivation and thus their productivity, the public transport in which the average working Singaporean takes to/from the workplace would also form part of these working conditions.
Following the working patterns in Singapore, the average working Singaporean needs to wake early to commute to work (and even earlier if they have to prepare to send their kids off to school) and most of them have their moods spoiled the moment they get onto crowded MRT trains or crowded buses. Many face immense pressure at work, and when the day ends and when they commute back to their homes, they face the same crowded situation regardless of the time they leave the workplace.
Despite being physically and psychologically drained, many do not hope of getting a seat on the trains or buses to rest their tired bodies, and in fact even have difficulties getting a decent place to stand. The cycle continues and as the days pass, the average Singaporean workers' physical and mental health deteriorates and thereby leading to more societal problems - healthcare.
Public transport directly affects the workforce in Singapore and if the situation doesn't improve, who knows what will happen to the society in Singapore?
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