Values-based nudging

How to alter our everyday environment to trigger behaviours that help us live the IKEA key values automatically

Why nudging?

Our behaviours are not always in line with our values, goals and intentions. We act in dissonance with what we actually want and think are important. A values-action-gap occurs. This is because we as humans are not fully rational beings.

Here is an example. We eat a chocolate bar instead of fruit even if it is violating our own commitment to eat healthier food. And we risk continuing reaching for the chocolate bar unless we disrupt the table by placing the fruit on the best place of the table. To disrupt the table is a nudge.

 

Working with nudges

What is nudging?

• Nudge (= a gentle push or pull) is a concept which proposes positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence the behaviour and decision-making of groups or individuals.

• The changes in the environment shall be easy and inexpensive to implement.

• A nudge is not about applying trainings, rules and policies to shift behaviours, but instead to alter the everyday environment to automatically trigger better behaviours.

What are types of nudges?

There are several different techniques for nudging. Here are three:

• Lead by example: People look at the behaviour of other people to help guide their own behaviour. It’s like with children. They don’t do what we tell them to, but instead they do what we do.

• Default option: People are more likely to choose a particular option if it is the default option. For example, consumers tend to choose the renewable energy option for electricity when it is offered as the default option.

• Noticeable option: When our attention is drawn towards a particular option, we will more likely choose that option. For example, consumers purchase more fruit and healthy snack options when they are relocated next to the cash register.

Short-comings

There are two relevant short-comings with nudging:

• Nudging does not help people make long-term behavioural changes. To make long-term behavioural changes we need to work in all four parts of the Culture Model and use a multiple of channels and methods, e.g. learning solutions, values-based decision-making, values-based habits and feedback.

• Nudging is a type of social engineering and can, if abused, become manipulative. Nudges diminish autonomy and “fool” people to do what they otherwise would not have done. To avoid abuse, we always need to secure that nudging is used based on the IKEA key values.

 

Applied at IKEA

What are ways and examples where we today are nudging co-worker and customer environments to trigger behaviours based upon the IKEA key values? And what are ideas going forward? 

Creating one strong approach

A strong and sustainable movement is created when you combine values based habits, routines & rituals and values based nudging into one strong approach for individuals, teams and the organisation.