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Information and Decision making - who's rational now?
In a changing labour market, there is a challenge. The thirst for 'straightforward information' is likely to be insatiable as it will grow in inverse proportion to the increasing complexity of the world of work. But why is labour market information seen as so important to guidance work? Well, presumably, because high quality information can lead to informed decisions, and well-informed decisions are good ones, aren't they?
How rational is decision-making?
Traditionally decision-making is regarded as a rational and linear process. If this is true, then think of a decision you made recently and you might be able to follow through three identifiable stages:
- Information gathering - finding out the basic facts
- Analysis - weighing up the pros and cons
- Making a choice - using your head, rather than your heart you make your decision
This model is appealing because it looks straight forward and obvious. However, it is flawed.
If you think about choices we collectively make all the time then it becomes a lot clearer that we are surrounded by irrational beings! If all people's choices were based on rational decisions, no-one would ever drink and drive, light a first cigarette, make that impulse purchase they can't really afford - or go for the 'impossible dream job' of professional footballer or millionaire entrepreneur for that matter. This point is not to imply a value judgement, only to encourage a pause for thought.
We don't always act on information we are given, and that might be for any number of reasons. As practitioners, it might be helpful to pause to reflect on what makes the difference between us ignoring or acting on information or advice. Once we can identify these factors, we might increase the chances of communicating information and advice more effectively to our service users.
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