I have two grandchildren Kabir 4 years and Meera 2 years. Both are obsessed with smartphones and my laptop. Whenever they are to be fed either during breakfast, lunch and dinner it is a mini-crisis at home as they both have to watch different programs on the phone or TV. Kabir can eat while watching Pepa Pig or Rusty Rivet while Meera’s favourite program is watching classical music on YouTube. In a very subtle and not-so-subtle way, these programs influence or nudge them to have their meals. Manipulation is a dirty word but that is the reality. If we look around there are so many manipulators or influencers that are working on our minds constantly that even without our being conscious we are adopting them as a way of life. The size of the toothbrush, fairness creams, and the fitness regime shown on the TV all are carefully designed to influence the way we live our lives. In this sense, the use of ‘nudges’ and the nudge principles so effectively articulated by Thaler are the realities of life. Yet it is disheartening to see the non-application of these principles in agriculture or in vocational education. Both these extremely important domains are still resorting to traditional and often linear ways of providing ‘instructions and manuals’ that do very little to change the behaviour.
In this two-part article, I would try to relate these nudge commandments to agriculture and vocational education in the hope that academicians and practitioners put them to use.
Provide the choices to the user than becoming prescriptive:
It was Karl Rogers, who for the first time, used non-directive therapy for treating his patients suffering from psychological ailments. The principle behind his therapy was that the patient must solve his own problems. The doctor can only unravel the various factors in such a way that the patient suddenly arrives at the right solution. The doctor walks side by side with the patient sometimes leading, most of the time behind him and gently nudges him to arrive at the solution. When the available choice architecture is presented the person is able to ‘take control’ of himself and own the decision. Coming back to my grandchildren when my wife gives them only one dish they tend to reject it but when a choice is provided to select one among a few they tend to own it and eat that without creating a racket. So, in the context of agriculture what is needed is an intelligent menu of choice architecture presented to the farmer with the pros and cons. The farmer is most likely to own his choice. Unfortunately, it has been the experience that many or most input companies are very prescriptive in their approach with the assumption that they know what is good for the farmer while the farmer is an ignorant entity. Nothing can be farther from reality. In the domain of vocational education, one of the reasons why youth do not complete the course is due to inadequate information provided about the prospects after the completion of the course. Lack of information and non-availability of choices is a sure recipe for frustration and failure of the program. I have also observed that in their anxiety to attract more youth into vocational education false or exaggerated information is provided to them leading to frustration and disappointment.
Encourage a sense of ownership
In India every year on 5th September Teachers Day is celebrated. On this occasion, the students assume the role of teachers and run the school for a day. Someone becomes the Principal while others become teachers and they take classes. It is seen that on that day the ‘student teachers’ behave even more responsibly than the regular teachers. This is because they are put in control. The sense of ownership brings in responsibility and encourages conscientious behaviour. In agriculture, the classic story of Anand Milk Union Ltd. (AMUL) is well documented. Its visionary founder Dr.Varghese Kurien injected a sense of ownership among the farmers and the cooperative movement became a defining enterprise. Indian Farmer Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO) is another example that comes to mind. In both these instances it was the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA-CLUSA) http://ncba.coop/about-us/mission-and-values that was instrumental in setting up IFFCO and AMUL. When smallholder farmers, youth and women get a sense of ownership half the battle is won as the need for achievement and entrepreneurship become the propellers to realise the goals.
Get the user to make an argument for the desired outcome
It has been our common experience that when we put ourselves in another person’s shoes our perspectives and perceptions change dramatically. Steven Covey termed this as a paradigm shift. If through a carefully chosen nudge we can make the shift happen then the behaviour modification happens automatically. Rather than waxing eloquent about the virtues of our offering or product if the user is allowed to speak on our behalf, this becomes more creditworthy. It has been our experience in the vocational education sphere that when the counsellors talk about the usefulness of the course it is perceived as a rehearsed speech that produces little effect. But if a youth who has had the training and is now working in a good set-up comes back to share his experience that has a lasting impact.
Highlight/glorify personal stories
In a way, this aspect is related to the earlier one. When one is singled out and a story is made out of his/her accomplishment and given publicity he/she becomes a mascot and assumes that to be his actual personality and he starts living that role. There was a movie named Guide in India in the early 60s in which the main character named Raju was a street-smart crook. He is jailed for a forgery and when he comes out of jail he is dishevelled with a grown beard and shabby clothes. The villagers mistakenly assume him to be a holy man and they put him on a pedestal. That village has had a history of drought and villagers believe that if the holy man will fast then rain will come. In due course, the crook starts believing that he is indeed a holy man and starts fasting unto death. In that film, there is a touching sequence at the end when a reporter from a US newspaper, after hearing the story, comes to interview the holy man. She asks him a question ' Swamiji do you think because of your fast it will rain? The crook turned Swamy relies on ' I do not think because of my fast it will rain but here are few million people who have thronged to this place believe that my fast will bring in rain. Therefore it will rain.' This underlines another powerful principle that if we are able to develop a credible story then people tend to follow and make it as their own. Personal and credible stories make an immediate impact. ( To be continued…..)
