Embracing Change Part 3: Norm Nudging
How to use norm nudging to shift staff norms.
This piece is part of a series on ‘Embracing Change’ - navigating the transition from a 1:1 fleet model to a shared fleet model using nudges.
Last week, we delved into informational nudges and their role in presenting clear, factual data to support behaviour change. Today, we turn our attention to norm nudges and the “bandwagon effect”.
Understanding Norm Nudges
Norm nudges leverage the power of social norms to foster behaviour change. They use peer actions and approvals to show that desired behaviours are both common and supported within the community, making them more appealing to adopt. Research highlighted in a study from Frontiers in Communication shows that communicating descriptive norms can significantly influence group conformity by providing cues about expected behaviours.
Many people hold tight to a set of beliefs and routine actions that aren’t great for the planet. These beliefs and behaviours don’t come from a vacuum – they are almost always, in some form, the result of social influence. This social influence can become a helpful tool when shifting staff norms.
Norm nudges use peer actions and approvals to establish new social norms. This type of nudge communicates the idea that desired behaviours are not only common but also supported within the community, making them more appealing to adopt. Norm-nudging can be especially effective when your employees’ beliefs and behaviours are influenced by their colleagues.
This brings us to the bandwagon effect - a phenomenon where people do something simply because others are doing it. This effect is often observed in group contexts where individuals feel pressure to conform to the perceived norms or behaviours of the group. This can lead to a cascade of increasing acceptance as more people join in, believing that the growing popularity validates the choice.
Examples in action
Messages about what others are doing
Opower, in partnership with utility companies, sent personalised home energy reports that compared consumers' energy use to that of their neighbours. This normative nudge effectively encouraged reductions in energy usage. Studies found that this approach led to a statistically significant decrease in energy consumption.
Messages about what is the right thing to do
Starbucks announced in 2018 that it would eliminate plastic straws from all its stores worldwide by 2020, aiming to reduce environmental impact and ocean pollution. They communicated this decision through a global campaign framing it as the right thing to do for the planet and displaying customers who made the change. The campaign effectively increased customer acceptance and participation in using strawless lids and compostable straws.
Messages about what is commonly approved of
A large tech company introduced a health and wellness programme that included monthly newsletters featuring employees who achieved their health goals, like quitting smoking and hitting daily steps. The newsletters highlighted community approval and support for these achievements. Participation in the programme increased as employees perceived this as commonly approved and supported by their peers.
How you can implement norm nudges
Leadership endorsement: Encourage company leaders to use and endorse the shared fleet, setting a powerful example for all employees. Leadership behaviour can significantly influence employee attitudes and acceptance.
Managers leading the charge: Get key people leaders who support the initiative onboard as hero users, demonstrating and demystifying the new shared fleet model and sharing their experience amongst their teams.
Social norm campaigns: Create internal marketing campaigns that feature testimonials from peers who have adopted the shared fleet, focusing on their positive experiences and the personal and professional benefits they have gained.
Norm nudges are simple yet powerful. They don’t require extensive policy changes but instead focus on how information is presented and organized, influencing how people make choices within existing structures.
If you’d like support with shifting your organisation towards a shared fleet model using informational nudges, reach out to our team at info@carbn.nz.
In Part 4 in this series, we’ll look at convenience nudges, which leverage the influence of social norms and peer behaviour to embed new behaviours.
Read part one here
Read part two here