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  • December 24, 2019
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review Digital Articles

Why It's So Hard to Change People's Commuting Behavior

By: Ariella S. Kristal and A.V. Whillans
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

Car commuters report higher levels of stress and lower job satisfaction compared to train commuters—in large part because car commuting can involve driving in traffic and navigating tense road situations. Some employers are trying to get involved and reduce car commuting. But how can organizations encourage their employees to commute differently? Researchers tried to answer this question by designing a series of experiments to “nudge” employees to change how they commute. Overall, they found these light-touch interventions failed to shift people’s commuting behavior.

Keywords

Sustainability; Motivating People; Time And Wellbeing; Time Stress; Commuting; Behavior; Change; Motivation and Incentives

Citation

Kristal, Ariella S., and A.V. Whillans. "Why It's So Hard to Change People's Commuting Behavior." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (December 24, 2019).
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About The Author

Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

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    Perceived Job Difficulty Influences Unionization Support for Workers in Low-Wage Jobs

    By: Elizabeth R. Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
More from the Authors
  • The Secret Tax on Women’s Time By: Lauren C. Howe, Lindsay B. Howe and Ashley V. Whillans
  • The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Ashley V. Whillans
  • Perceived Job Difficulty Influences Unionization Support for Workers in Low-Wage Jobs By: Elizabeth R. Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
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