SOCIAL NORMS AND THE RESILIENT WORKPLACE By Jillian Pedro
U
nderstanding human behavior in the workplace requires investigation into situational cues and social norms as well as motivations more deeply ingrained in the psyche, such as values or attitudes. The behavioral motivations that organizations have the most oversight of are social norms within their company culture. Understanding social norms and how they motivate human behavior should be a primary consideration for creating and adapting a workplace culture that keeps people healthy, prioritizes their wellbeing, and aligns with any other unique organizational values. One of the most prominent questions being asked today is: what will become the “new norm” of the near and distant future? To answer that, we must first understand what the norms are.
SOCIAL NORMS Social norms are behaviors that represent the perception of what ought to be (injunctive norms), and the perception of what is (descriptive norms). Some norms are explicitly encouraged through policy and others form more organically as people respond to a social and physical environment that drive their behavioral responses. Both types of norms have significant impact on human behavior, and they can both form through explicit policy or organic human reaction. They can also complement or contradict each other. Appropriate behavior according to policy may be widely known, but if people witness others not complying, this descriptive norm may be a more influential motivator on how to behave. In some cases, a cross-norm inhibition effect can occur, meaning that violation of one norm can inhibit the influence of other norms. In a post-pandemic world, for example, witnessing others no longer maintain physical distancing could cause one to stop following recommendations for hand-sanitizing or other related behaviors. In other cases, a boomerang effect can occur where one behaves in a manner opposite to the injunctive norm that is presented to them. For example, if an organization shows gratitude to individuals for an exemplary job following healthy protocols in an attempt to reinforce what one ought to be doing, it is possible that they will respond by no longer following those protocols because they gain a sense that they have 'done their part'. It is important to consider how both types of norms can affect behavior to ensure interventions will have an impact that aligns with their intent.
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Beyond Workplace II
