Evidence published in the September issue of Harvard Business Review reports that adults are likely to behave much better when there are reminders of children, such as teddy bears, in their presence.
You will know that, chance are, you watch your mouth and your opinions when you are around your own children. Well, it appears that it isn't just ACTUAL children who bring out this better behaviour in us but the IDEA of children such as toys, crayons, balloons etc in our vicinity.
An sample of the data from the research -
The number of people who will cheat in a given scenario is 20% lower when subjects are near children's toys or engaged in children's activities
The more day-care centres and kindergartens there are in an area, the more likely a company is to engage in charitable behaviour
Neuroscience has shown that oxytocin is released when people are near kids and oxytocin is associated with pro-social behaviour
At a time when business ethics is so high on the agenda, anything which might help leaders be more socially conscious is a good thing, right? Just to be on the safe side, I am bringing my childhood Winnie the Pooh in to the office on Tuesday. Anyone else?
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