UNRAVELING BEHAVIORS

Insight 1

AWARENESS INGRAINS CERTAIN FACETS OF A TOPIC COGNITIVELY BUT STOPS SHORT OF CHANGING BEHAVIOR

Now more than ever we need everyone as a community to come together and exhibit #safe behaviour. While the government is rapidly handling #unsafe conditions & raising awareness, every individual needs to do their part. Why do you think educated & aware individuals are still committing unsafe acts? To truly understand this we must spend some time understanding human behavior and #mindsets. While conducting deep #ethnographic #research on factory floors we learnt that individuals think they are invincible (it will happen to others but no, not them) and get complacent (and don't adopt safe practices).

insight 2

PEERS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES AND SENIORITY TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER CERTIFIED EXPERTS AS A TRUSTWORTHY GUIDE

In uncertain times such as what we are experiencing these days, it's important that every individual follows the prescribed #safe acts and conditions. Yet we hear multiple stories of people putting themselves in harm’s way by trying some remedy that they heard from their friends and family (victims of fake news and rumors) Why do you think that individuals believe and fall prey to such #unsafe acts? It is important to understand the underlying emotions and mindsets. Through our ethnographic research with contract workers to understand decision making influences we learnt that people see the norms of their peers and groups as reliable, credible sources of information and are more likely to trust them over unknown sources, even if their peers are not experts

INSIGHT 3

PRODUCTIVITY TRUMPS SAFETY

From the Indian Prime Minister declaring a nation wide lock down, to police officers singing songs on COVID-19 awareness in housing colonies, there is no dearth of information out there to educate us about safe practices during this global pandemic. The potential risk of not following these practices are so high! And yet there are many who don't or are unable to follow them. Through research with contract workers to understand #safe behaviors, we learnt that for them, often productivity trumps #safety. During these troubled times, it is all the more crucial to adhere to safe behaviors than ever before. Much like most necessity stores who are taking precautionary steps in the right direction towards safety.

INSIGHT 4

FAILING TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF ONE’S UNSAFE ACTS ON OTHER PEOPLE DECREASE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SAFETY MECHANISMS

According to a recent video by Vox Media, LLC., the incubation period for #covid19 can be as long as 14 days. This means that one may be spreading this highly contagious disease before they even realize that they are sick. Our interdependence and linked fate as a #community are more apparent now than ever. In our #researchstudy with contract workers on #safe behaviours, we learnt how their inability to realize the consequences of their unsafe acts on the people around them reduced the sustainability of safety mechanisms. The importance of #collectivism over #individualism is extremely relevant in these trying times.

INSIGHT 5

IMITATING THE BEHAVIOR OF MORE EXPERIENCED FOLKS CAN LEAD TO CONTINUED SPREAD OF UNSAFE BEHAVIOR

As everyone the world over is coming to terms with this new reality in the wake of #covid19 we all need to acknowledge our role in curtailing the spread of this disease. It is a known fact that the experienced & educated hold great sway over the #behaviours of their less fortunate brethren. It is absolutely the need of the hour for us all to model the appropriate, safe behavior in such times, to avoid going on those morning walks in the name of exercise, to avoid having our household help come in and do the chores, to wear protective gear whenever required, and so on. Irresponsible behavior on the part of this segment of the populace will only trigger the same from those who watch and emulate! In our #researchstudy with contract workers on #safe behaviors, we found that oftentimes imitating the more experienced folks leads to workarounds for many of the safety measures in place.

insight 6

STAYING SILENT AND ACKNOWLEDGING UNSAFE ACTS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE DOING IT

With COVID-19 rapidly spreading, it's necessary to obey safety rules proposed by the government. Responsibility for safety starts from both you and your house. If you spot family members going out to purchase essential goods, without the required precautions such as mask or gloves, do not be silent. By being silent you not only acknowledge that this is alright but also encourage them to continue this unsafe behavior. Now isn't the time to test your immune system, however perfect it may be. As we did ethnographic research with contract workers in a manufacturing industry, we noticed that these workers saw fellow experienced workers perform unsafe acts yet never stopped or asked them to change. They instead stayed silent and acknowledged it. Stop acknowledging unsafe acts. Staying silent and acknowledging unsafe acts encourage people to continue doing it.

INSIGHT 7

PEOPLE COMMIT UNSAFE ACTS TO IMPROVE THEIR SOCIAL STANDING WITH PEER GROUPS

Why do people ignore expert warnings?

We've all heard about the college students who went on spring break or religious gatherings continuing despite the corona virus outbreak. Peer pressure is real and people often put themselves at risk in an effort to improve social standing. While carrying out #behaviouralchange research in a manufacturing company we learned that people often take shortcuts and commit unsafe acts just to improve social standing within their circles. Those behaviors in turn were being rewarded with acknowledgement, better work and greater social clout. In the current situation peer pressure to put fun and productivity over safety could be our downfall. It is our responsibility to not succumb to it and do what's right for us and more importantly for the most vulnerable and the greater good.

INSIGHT 8

SAFETY AND PRODUCTION NEED TO GO HAND IN HAND, TO MAKE SAFETY A CULTURE THROUGHOUT THE ORGANISATION

As the saying goes “Time is money”, Safety and Productivity go hand in hand too! However, sometimes the enthusiasm to save time can cost us much more. During our research with factory workers, we noticed that safety measures were frequently overlooked, in the fear of reducing productivity. Production was often prioritized over safety, which led us to the underlying need to develop an environment of safety for the managers as well as the factory workers. A strong safety culture, leads to accident prevention and reduction in injuries, thereby actually increasing productivity. Encouraging the development of a safe work culture improves efficiency without sacrificing the well-being of the workers.