Have you ever heard of “the Nudge Effect”? It is changing people’s behavior or choice by slightly prodding their side. It is not compulsion, but their free will. The effect is used in various fields like sociology, economics, environmental campaigns, etc.
 When politicians make a policy and a government wants to change people’s behavior at low cost, they consider the effect. In 1986 Congress enacted the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. Companies and people have to report the amount of hazardous chemicals that they have and have released into the environment. Everyone can see which companies use the hazardous chemicals on the web site of the Environmental Protection Agency. The regulation does not prevent the ownership or use of hazardous chemicals, it just allows people to know the information. But it spurred a rapid decline of CO2 emissions throughout America. Companies do not want to be on the “Black list”, an unofficial list among environmental groups and try to reduce their damage to the environment to protect their image.
Companies also use the effect. Companies show that most leaders of society and famous actors use their products in advertisement. The advertisement does not say “You have to buy this product.”, but it makes you want to become like those people and makes you think “I can become similar to them if I buy the product.” Most luxury companies use this effect to prod women’s pride.
Beside these, there are many famous examples. One of them is Odenplan Station, a subway station in Stokholm, Sweden. A piano keyboard was placed on the stairs to make people go up the stairs. As people stepped on the stair then the stair sounded a note. People started to go up the stairs for their interest and people who use stairs has increased 66 percent.
The Nudge Effect affects people at a subconscious level. If the effect is used to promote group goals, it creates a synergy effect. Postechians will be leaders in various fields and they will have to manage people. Leading others will be just as important as knowing their respective field well. Soft inducement is more effective than compulsion, Postechians have to learn how to move people with various and subtle ways. And in terms of relationship as well as in terms of work, the Nudge Effect is useful. If a coworker has several weaknesses, nudging is better than demanding. For example, if a coworker is often late, he/she could be given one day’s work and allowed to go home after he finishes the work. He might think, “If I go early I can come back home early and I can enjoy my time.” Then the frequency of tardies will decrease rapidly. Sometimes trivial things make enormous changes.