Broken windows theory in simple terms. Broken Window Theory: Why Everyone's Behavior Affects Everyone. Zero tolerance for violations of law and order

20.04.2019

In 1982, criminologists James Wilson and George Kelling developed and formulated the theory of "broken windows". Their idea was that if you pay enough attention to minor offenses - pickpocketing, painting walls and street crossings in the wrong place, it will help reduce the number of really serious crimes - murder and robbery. The fact is that even such a harmless disorder as broken windows sends a signal to everyone who walks by: here no one pays attention to the broken window, which means that more serious violations may remain without consequences.

Broken windows theory applicable to business too. For example, if the restaurant toilet runs out toilet paper, then customers receive a signal: the management of the establishment does not care about visitors and, probably, is also not too scrupulous about washing dishes and preparing food. Check yourself and your company for such “broken windows”.

How often does a leader need to tackle or change the company's strategy? Most of the directors who created successful businesses, and management consultants agree on one thing: in these times - constantly. A change in strategy is not an indicator of weakness, but, on the contrary, an indicator of a company's vitality.

In this article, we have collected four types of strategic approaches, their examples, as well as templates and tables for determining the company's strategy.

Broken windows theory means that chaos can spread like an epidemic. Suppose a window has been broken in the room. If not a single person inserts a new one, then after a while there will not be a single whole glass in the room. In other words, the apparent disorder and non-observance of the rules of conduct by some can provoke others to also ignore the rules. Consider how the Broken Window Theory affects business and how it can be practically eradicated.

What confirms the theory of broken windows: the experiments of sociologists

Sociologists from the Netherlands (University of Groningen) conducted 6 experimental research in order to confirm SRW.

Experiment 1. The first study of the theory of broken windows was carried out on a street with many hypermarkets and department stores, against a parking wall retail space, near which the townspeople who have come to shop leave their bicycles. A clearly visible sign was placed near this parking lot, prohibiting writing on the wall. In the beginning, the entire area of the wall was clean. Sociologists attached to the handlebars of all bicycles (there were 77 of them at that time) an advertising booklet wishing a happy holiday and the emblem of a fictional sports market. Taking shelter in a convenient location, the scientists began monitoring the reactions of bicycle owners. The litter bins nearby had been removed so that people could either toss the leaflet at their feet, or hang it on one of the nearby bicycles, or put it in their pocket to throw it away at the first opportunity. The first and second options would be considered a violation of the established rules, and the third option would talk about their observance. Only 25 out of 77 people (33%) violated the norms of behavior. After that, the study was carried out again, observing the same conditions: the same weather, the same time of day, but having previously painted the entire area of the wall abstract lettering... The second time, 69% of cyclists decided to litter. The revealed difference showed an important statistical significance: the violated ban on staining walls provoked a violation of another generally accepted rule not to litter on the street.

Experiment 2. The second study of the theory of broken windows was to demonstrate whether it only confirms generally accepted norms or applies to local rules established within the same space or circumstance. The experimenters erected a fence blocking the entrance to the car parking, but leaving a wide opening in this fence. Two signs were installed near the parking lot: “No entry. The entrance is 100 m to the left "and" Parking bicycles at the fence is prohibited. " The experiment was again organized in 2 modes: "rules are followed" and "rules are broken". For the first time, 5 bicycles were placed a few meters from the partition, not fastened to the fence. And the second time, these 5 bicycles were left fastened. While in a secluded place, the researchers monitored the reaction of citizens who came for their car: whether they want to look for the entrance to the left or will they crawl through the crack. The results were positive: only 27% of drivers rushed into the gap in the “rules are followed” mode, and 82% rushed in the “rules violated” mode.

Experiment 3. The third study of the theory of broken windows was organized in an underground parking lot near a hypermarket, where a large and visible sign hung asking to return the cart taken from the store. In the "rules followed" mode, there was not a single trolley in the parking space, and in the "rules violated" mode, the drivers had already left 4 trolleys. Sociologists also attached leaflets to the windshield wipers of their cars, as in the first experiment. The result was predictable: in the first mode, a piece of paper was thrown at the feet of 30% of car owners, and in the second - 58%.

Experiment 4. The fourth study of the theory of broken windows was similar to the first, but the violation of the rules was no longer visual, but sound. Dutch law prohibits the use of firecrackers and fireworks during the pre-New Year period. As a result of the experiment, it was proved that bicycle owners throw garbage under their feet several times more often when pyrotechnic sounds are heard nearby.

Experiments 5 and 6. The fifth and sixth experiments in the framework of the theory of broken windows pushed a person to commit petty theft. Envelopes with transparent windows stuck out of the mailboxes, from which 5 euro bills were clearly visible. Sociologists watched passers-by, calculating the number of cases of theft. In Rules Enforced, the mailboxes were clean and free of debris. And in the "rules violated" mode, some boxes were painted with graffiti (study 5), or littered next to them (study 6). In the "rules are followed" regime, only 13% of citizens stole a bill from an envelope. The painted box provoked to steal money from 27% of citizens. A a large number of garbage near the box provoked to steal a bill of 25% of people.

How broken window theory is applied in practice

The theory of broken windows is studied by forensic science, but is it applicable in other areas of life (business, relationships, everyday life)? Of course, yes. Looking at it in other planes, you will notice that it is true for them as well. Where it is littered, there is even more litter, where someone does not work well, there are "trash" and others. Any negativity entails even more negativity, the number of problems grows like a snowball. How to identify a broken window in your home?

For long-term difficulties, learn the big picture to identify small flaws that can destroy discipline in labor collective or in the family. If one person is constantly late for work, or drinks at work, or flirts with married lady- the rest of the employees immediately delve into their vices. Someone starts to play "shooters", someone - to sleep off at the workplace, someone - to take out stolen tools, stationery, etc. from the office. As soon as someone finds a loophole in the public order, others begin to use it.

The reason for slovenliness in any team (family or work) is sometimes hidden in simple household trifles: an old computer in an office, a leaking roof in a dining room, a dirty office toilet.

Broken window theory also applies to self-discipline. For example, you do not have a habit of browsing in the morning email to remove spam mailings and reply to important letter... Because of this "broken window", you can skip promising suggestions or comments from the customer, getting lost in the electronic trash. The consequences of the "unglazed window" will affect the general disorganization of work, the collapse of a serious project, a reprimand from the management, the loss of trusting relationship, the inability to build a career. Even if the person is considered a professional employee. He clutches his head, thinking in despair for what reason there was such a mess in the office work - and the beginning was mailbox... Of course, this is only an illustration - everyone will have their own development of events, because all people are different.

Everything can start small. Remember how our parents told us about early years: “Don't you dare smoke! First you will want a cigarette, then a beer, then a sniff of marijuana, then a needle and taking out everything of value from the apartment. " We were often outraged by their words, but today we understand that for most drunken alcoholics, drug addicts, thieves, and murderers, everything began with minor offenses: the killer trained on cats, and the thief stole gum in the supermarket.

Let's not square the risk. Take the average person who is confused in worries and does not understand how to fix it all. You need to start simple. If the problem is about hard work, you can try to cultivate the habit of at least washing a cup after yourself. Broken window theory is applicable in both upward and downward movements: just as a lot of serious difficulties accumulate from negative little things, so, thanks to positive small achievements, these difficulties are gradually solved.

Look at the world around you: because of what little things, because of what bad example (including your own), you go astray. It will not be difficult for you to see them.

Small becomes big over time. One person by his example will provoke crowds to act in this way. Imagine a passer-by who cannot find an urn to throw away a candy wrapper. Most likely, he will not throw the wrapper on the ground, but, having noticed a garbage heap by the side of the road, he will immediately throw a piece of paper into this heap without any remorse. The delusion will work: everyone throws garbage there, which means that I can do the same. But just a couple of days ago, there was a single wrapper lying around here. Later, one more was added to it, then another. This is how this garbage dump came about. To paraphrase a phrase from an American movie: it all starts with patient zero. He threw the first candy wrapper on the ground, and the others repeated it like "monkeys". This is our essence - it is easier for us to imitate the crowd than to take some action alone.

To summarize, how the theory of broken windows manifests itself and how it works:

A messy and unkempt setting can provoke people to break the rules.
Bad examples of people around lead to the removal of moral prohibitions.
A minor offense prompts a more serious offense.
Broken windows theory works both ways: by eliminating garbage, bad behavior, minor violation, you can establish discipline, order, higher responsibility and self-control of people.
Broken window theory should be applied to yourself first.

Knowing the theory of broken windows will help change the mind about the little things in all areas of human activity. Starting with small improvements in the household and professional sphere, you can radically change your whole life. And it may very well be that cultivating one little habit of doing morning jogging with your shepherd dog will help its owner develop discipline, hard work and successful growth in business. Many will not even notice this relationship, but we already understand what it is.

Broken window theory in business

The range of application of the theory of broken windows is very wide, it certainly affects business. For example, Dan Kennedy in the book Tough Management. Make People Work, ”writes that discipline violations should not be overly tolerated. A broken window can show up in the form of a dirty counter, illiterately laid out goods, an unordered list of dishes or a rude worker ... When people around you begin to perceive your company as second-rate, it does not matter how well you perform your main duties.

It's hard to argue with Dan. You can invest big money in office design decorating the room with snow-white leather sofas, glass doors, beautiful girls-waiters ... But if the glass doors are stained with someone's greasy prints, the sofas are noticeably "overstretched", and the administrator girl's nail polish has worn off - your efforts will be in vain. Customers have a negative opinion of both your business and you. After all, if you do not provide elementary order in office space, does it make sense to start cooperation?

But the impact of the theory of broken windows on staff. Imagine when someone on the team breaks the rules. Others become witnesses that this employee can get away with everything. Soon, absolutely everyone begins to come to work at the wrong time, allow unauthorized departures on business, spend work time for games on the Internet and long correspondence in social networks, leave workplace until the end of the working day, wandering around the office without purpose, creating the appearance of a stormy activity. Before you know it, you realize that you have assembled a team of highly paid loafers. It is important to notice the “broken window” in the team in a timely manner, so that the efficiency of the activities of all employees does not suffer from it.

Let's say a few words about the personal workplace within the framework of the broken window theory. After all, TPO is manifested here as well. Barricades of dirty coffee cups, piles of candy wrappers, stacks of useless pieces of paper, dusty monitor screen ... All these little things quickly and imperceptibly spoil the working mood, provoking a person to sit back, toil with boredom, laziness, overeating, performing their duties without desire and effort.

In a word, you need to start and end each work shift by cleaning your workplace, getting rid of all unnecessary things in time, carefully putting everything in its place, systematically wiping it off dust. These simple actions will have positive influence on your productivity and on the image of the company as a whole.

How to Apply Broken Window Theory (Using Sales as an Example)

Broken window theory applies to sales teams as well, providing good tangible results. How to implement it?

Be strict about being late to work. No other problem demonstrates the failure of the sales manager more than the inability to put things in order in this matter. Either there is an order allowing a free work schedule, or everyone arrives on time. The same should be applied to leaving ahead of time, and to smoke breaks, and chaotic breaks.
Strictly monitor the timely entry of data into customer base... Lack of control over the CRM system leads to discouragement of the sales department.
Require employees to adhere to standards of appearance. All staff must adhere to it. If your company has not yet established such a standard, then it is time to implement it.
Conduct timely general cleaning in the offices. Demand from all employees perfect order at their workplaces.

Do you think it doesn't matter? Yes, when you do not have such standards. But if you have a set of rules, and the staff ignores them, being late for work, not filling out CRM, not observing appearance standards, and these shortcomings are not controlled by you, then people will continue to violate these requirements. It may seem that all these are trifles. But little things can cluster into big problems, preventing you from increasing sales.

6 rules for executives to follow to counter the theory of broken windows

Rule 1.Real leaders need to be obsessed with their business.

By obsession, we mean focusing on one thing. To prevent the appearance of a broken window or the temptation not to repair it for a long time, the director needs to be obsessed with his business.

The manager should be outraged by uncleaned waste bins or uncleaned counters. Finding something like this can make the possessed boss feel real physical pain. He may stay awake at night thinking about how to improve his work. He worries about it when he eats and when he rests. With his attitude to business, he stimulates the zeal of his subordinates.

Howard Schultz, president of Starbucks, is rightfully considered such a leader. He demanded that the customers of his coffee houses be met by specialists who are professionally versed in coffee, who are able to give competent advice. Howard proactively created a massive training program for his employees, which enabled the company to grow rapidly. At the same time, paid tuition was 22 hours annually. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's, can be considered such a leader. He could grab a mop and start scrubbing the floors when he noticed that the restaurant did not fit established standards hygiene.

Rule 2.Be persistent about how the company works.

The love of cleanliness and the inability to live where it is dirty are not the same thing. Prevent your customers from going into a toilet that does not shine clean, so that your customers wait longer than 2 rings for an answer. To avoid this, it is necessary to draw up rules and monitor their observance every minute.

The title of orderly can be deservedly awarded to George Steinbrenner III, the owner of the famous Yankees baseball team. He paid great attention to the appearance of his athletes, as he believed that it strengthened the good perception of the team and increased the incoming cash flow... He ordered all players to appear in in public places in suits and ties. Athletes were prohibited from wearing stubble and letting go long hair... Violation of these rules was severely punished, regardless of merit. George was rightfully proud of his team's image.

Rule 3.Be scrupulous in fulfilling your obligations.

Many business giants were destined to collapse. The reason was their permissiveness. For example, in 1980-1990, Kmart stores were a monopolist in the US retail market. But by 2002 the company had closed 600 stores (about 25%) and laid off 67,000 of its employees, having suffered losses of $ 3 billion. The crisis happened because the organization began to allow itself to break promises. It declared itself as a territory of quality and cheap products, but in reality set reasonable prices for only a certain number of goods. Customers have finally stopped trusting the company.

Rule 4.Shape nice first the impression that the staff makes on the visitors.

To establish a solid emotional connection with customers, you need to take care of positive first impression. If the experience was unpleasant, then the client is unlikely to come to you again. Most often, cashiers, secretaries, sales agents, sellers, call-center employees are the first to meet your customers. The risk is that most companies do not pay enough attention to the selection and training of candidates, taking away the opportunity to make a good first impression.

Baseball player Joe DiMaggio is known for his 56 straight games wins. The athlete said that each game is the limit of his capabilities, because in the stands there will always be someone who watches him for the first time. If Maggio had not paid attention to first impressions, he would hardly have achieved such a record number of victories.

Rule 5.Be moderately loyal to employee mistakes.

Modern business forgives mistakes more often than it should. The specialist was made several comments, but he makes the same mistakes over and over again (he cannot give a competent answer, ignores the questions of visitors, is rude). The problem will be solved together with the dismissal of the would-be employee. Do not put up with systematic violation of work discipline and non-compliance job descriptions... Bugs like viruses spread at lightning speed. Their eradication must be dealt with immediately.

Excessive employee loyalty, according to Jack Welch, general director General Electric is false kindness. He taught managers not to be wrong, believing that leniency was good for the staff. On the contrary, connivance creates a delusion in the employee that he is a great worker, although in reality the person performs his duties poorly. It is known that only those who do not work do not make mistakes. But there is a limit to the number of misconduct. You have compassion for an employee who is going through a personal drama now, and you do not ask much of him - this is acceptable. But you need to define boundaries. “I enter your position and help you. But in any case, you need to do your job at the proper level. Otherwise, I will have to fire you. " You will need to fulfill what you promised if you did not receive a quality result from the person.

Rule 6.Do a little more for your customers than they expect.

It is not enough to repair broken windows. We need prevention. And this is more of searching and solving problems. The Nordstrom department store chain is not much different from other stores in terms of area, assortment and prices. But people make a choice in their favor, even if there are options closer to home or work place. The secret is that grand pianos are installed in Nordstrom department stores, and stylishly dressed pianists play beautiful pieces behind them. Music can be heard throughout the store, but it is unobtrusive and calm. Taking care of its visitors, the company decided to add some luxury to shopping, which is often accompanied by fuss, rush and waste. Of course, an organization can install showcases with goods instead of a piano, not buy expensive musical instruments, or pay for the work of pianists (music is free for visitors). But the company chose a different path, not only fixing broken windows, but also doing everything to avoid them in the future.

You had to overbear desire cross the road at a red light when there are no cars on it? Do you know the annoyance that you are standing in front of an empty road just because other pedestrians are also patiently and law-abiding waiting for the green light?

And then someone in front dives off and runs, and you are running after him, relatively easily eliminating the feeling of awkwardness from breaking a generally accepted rule. Have you ever had a chance to spit gum into them when passing by an abandoned heap of rubbish or a "accidentally" formed dump, although the absence of a trash can and the prohibition to litter are very obvious? Such elements of behavior are reflections of one remarkable criminological theory - the theory of broken windows.

This theory is based on the assertion that constant maintenance general order in a specific place and strict control over it appearance are able to stop the development of vandalism in it and the deterioration of the crime situation in general. According to this theory, any more or less noticeable signs of a violation of order in even a very cultured society and settlement will immediately cause a certain reaction from others: they will induce them to act in the same way.

The basis of the theory was first described in detail in the article "Broken Windows", written by social scientists James Wilson and George Kelling and published in 1982 in the issue of one of the oldest American magazines, The Atlantic Monthly (now simply The Atlantic). The article received a wide response in society and was increased attention representatives of the field of science. But long before the article was published social phenomenon, which later became known as the "theory of broken windows", haunted the scientists. Back in 1969, Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted an interesting experiment to study this phenomenon.

As an experiment, he placed a rather shabby car with no license plates and with an open hood in one of the parking lots in the outskirts of the Bronx, the most criminal district of New York. He left a second car in exactly the same condition in Palo Alto - one of the most elite and expensive university cities in California. During the observation, it was noted that a car in the Bronx was vandalized literally in a matter of minutes after the start of the experiment. Moreover, the first offenders were a whole family - it was a father, a mother and their young son, who were pulled out of the car and carried away the battery with them. Over the next twenty-four hours, the contents of the car were already completely plundered, the windows shattered, and teenagers were playing in the car itself.

The car left in Palo Alto remained untouched for over a week! But after the experimenter partially smashed the car with a hammer with his own hand, it underwent further destructive action from the city residents. Thus, it was noticed that in less prosperous areas, where the practice of theft, vandalism and crime prevails, crimes and offenses are committed faster, since the local society does not see anything reprehensible in this and is frankly indifferent to this.

But also in prosperous areas, where society is more cultured and where crime is less widespread , though later, exactly the same thing happens. The slightest sign of non-observance of order by some people causes a chain reaction among others. By the way, the psychologist noticed that in both cases the so-called vandals were very well dressed and gave the impression of quite decent people!

But why is this happening? Actually, psychological aspect the problem is not complicated at all. The fact is that being in an environment where cleanliness and order reign, a person subconsciously reads a signal informing that this location is being guarded, under control and that criminal or any behavior that is different from the generally accepted behavior will not be approved here. In the same way, the opposite situation, that is, being on a street, the walls of which, for example, are painted with graffiti, or the windows of houses are partially shattered, will entail a subconscious belief that the street is not controlled by anyone and is not kept in order on it, and therefore it is possible do whatever you want here. It is not the very presence of a broken window on the street that is important, but the information that its appearance carries into the subconscious of people on this street. The broken window is partly a sign of the conditional "abandonment" of the street. And vice versa, the more or less decent state of the street stops others from any vandal or criminal actions. In turn, if we delve into the theory, we can assume that just one broken window cannot lead to looting, complete destruction of the house itself, transformation of the microdistrict where the house is located into an extremely unpleasant and dangerous place.

In support of the theory of broken windows, many interesting and curious experiments have been carried out under the guidance of researchers from various universities and institutes in the United States, and then the Netherlands.

In one of them, held in the Dutch city of Groningen, on 77 bicycles that were parked in front of a store near a wide white wall (marked with a prominent sign prohibiting drawing on it), experimenters hung one advertising booklet each with unremarkable information. The goal of the first stage of the experiment was to find out what percentage of cyclists would violate the cleanliness of the street and the accepted norms by throwing the booklet on the ground or putting it on someone else's bike. As a result, 67 percent of the total number of bicycle owners took the booklet with them to throw it away later, while the number of violators was only 33 percent. For the second stage of the experiment, the following was done: the very wall at which the cyclists parked and which was marked with a sign prohibiting staining it in any way was brightly painted with graffiti. The second stage was carried out in absolutely identical conditions as the first, even at the same time of day and in the same weather. But this time, the percentage of violators was 69 percent! Thus, the fact of observing the result of violation of one public rule, not to draw on the wall, prompted the participants in the experiment to break another rule - not to litter on the street.

Another similar experiment was carried out in the same city. Having partitioned off the central entrance to the car park, but at the same time leaving a considerable gap in the partition, the experimenters put up a notice on it with an indication of the bypass route. As a result, in the situation "the order is observed", only 27% of car owners crawled into the hole, breaking the rule, and in the situation "the order was violated" - as many as 82%.

A large number of similar experiments carried out in the process of researching the theory of broken windows made it possible to prove its correctness. But what is the value of this theory? Research results this phenomenon and the principles revealed in the process of studying it also have an applied function.

Local governments of many cities, especially American ones, relying on this theory and realizing that the process of preventing riots is much easier than the process of eliminating them, began to pay more attention to maintaining the safe condition of the streets and the general positive atmosphere of the area, and also began to monitor more strictly petty crime. Also in the nineties, a whole program was deployed in New York based on the theory of broken windows, especially in relation to the subway. This is because it was the then head of the transport police, William Bratton, who considered and did not hesitate to call that very scientist, George Kelling, his "mentor of thought." Bratton ordered, first of all, to tighten the regulation of minor offenses: drinking alcoholic beverages in transport, relieving needs in subway crossings, prostitution at bus stops, painting graffiti on train cars, etc. His policy was strongly condemned by New Yorkers. Why is there so much focus on petty crime that there are no other problems in New York? - the media and ordinary Americans were indignant. But Bratton’s belief is that it’s the indulgence of petty wrongdoing that ignites green light for committing larger crimes, brought nice results- numerous statistical calculations revealed a significant decline in small and large crimes in New York, and the downward trend continued for another decade.

The theory served as the basis for many small security reforms public order and the organization of police work, and also gave new round in the development of some sections of forensic science.

The principles of the theory are widely applied in practice in some American schools. This is expressed in an extremely strict attitude towards non-compliance with generally accepted rules at school. The rules exist, roughly speaking, for everything, and their violation will entail inevitable consequences, up to expulsion from school. For example, it is forbidden to violate specially established rules of communication, class etiquette, the so-called dress code, strictly defined behavior. The administration of such schools believes, according to the theory of broken windows, that ignoring violation of the rules by one student may lead to violation of them by other students, therefore, adherence to school rules is considered very important.

In the early 1990s, all the newspapers were talking about the "New York miracle". Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his team managed the almost impossible: to stop the wave of crime that threatened to swallow the city. A few facts to understand the seriousness of the situation: every day the police recorded more than 1,500 serious crimes, 6-7 murders a day. And a metro passenger could easily be left without a wallet at any time of the day.

The change began when a new director appeared in the New York subway in the mid-1980s - David Gunn. He began the fight against chaos by ordering to clean all the cars from graffiti. At that moment, this decision seemed outrageous stupidity: firstly, nothing prevents the vandals from painting them over again. Secondly, the press wondered: how the fight against "some pictures" will stop those who break down turnstiles and rob passengers?

But Gann's critics were wrong about both. His efforts quickly bore fruit and was followed by Transport Police Chief William Bratton, who declared war on the rabbits.

Disguised patrolmen were on duty at each turnstile, methodically catching every free rider.

As the head of the city's police department, he took up petty crimes just as tough: now the prison was waiting for everyone who urinated in the wrong place. Before, they simply turned a blind eye to this - against the general background, these violators seemed like angels.

The confidence of Gunn, Bratton, and Giuliani was not blind. The basis for their ideas was the "broken windows theory", which had been proposed 20 years earlier by American forensic scientists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. And today it is successfully used in urbanism, crisis management and even programming.

The essence of "broken windows theory"

What was the discovery of Wilson and Kelling? “They argued that crime inevitably arises from a lack of order,” writes science journalist Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point. - If someone broke a window and it remains in this state for weeks, passers-by decide that no one cares and no one is responsible for anything. More windows will be broken soon. The feeling of impunity will spread throughout the street, sending a signal to the entire neighborhood. A signal calling for more serious crimes. "

Wilson and Kelling did not take their reasoning from the ceiling. They relied on several observations.

First, they noticed that in areas of the city that are regularly patrolled by the police, residents feel more secure and generally feel that the crime rate in their areas is low (although this may not be the case).

Secondly, he conducted an experiment and discovered a curious pattern: if you leave the car on the street for a long time in a quiet area, nothing will happen to it. But if you break her headlight, random passers-by or vandals will complete the job, and the car can be handed over for scrap.

The main conclusion that researchers made is that people tend to behave responsibly or irresponsibly depending on the situation.

If someone nearby begins to cross the road at a red light, others will join him. If there is no trash can, and we want to throw away the wrapper, it will be easier for us to do this if everything around is already littered.

Another conclusion is that violation of the general order, if it is not stopped immediately, may entail more serious consequences. There is a "butterfly effect": a broken window attracts those who, for fun, will knock out ten more, the area will gradually become uncomfortable, prosperous residents will move out, and less pleasant people will settle in their place. Drug dens will appear, prostitution will flourish, gangs will scour the streets. And such changes can happen in a few years or even months.

But this theory has an encouraging consequence on which the "New York miracle" was based: by starting with the little things, you can stop chaos in its larger manifestations. As Gladwell writes, it is enough to increase the sensitivity to the most insignificant violations, the most trivial deviations from the rules, and this will be passed on to others.

5 postulates of the "theory of broken windows":

In an environment of devastation and desolation, people are easier to break the rules.

Disregarding or harmful behavior is contagious.

If ignored minor violations, they are sure to be followed by larger ones.

The longer the problem remains unresolved, the faster the destruction of social norms occurs.

The theory can be applied in both directions: by fighting hack or vandalism, you can establish discipline and encourage people to be more responsible.

"The theory of broken windows" in everyday life

A huge building that appears to be eternal can collapse due to an improperly welded beam or a loose bolt. This image is a good metaphor for other areas of life. The same can happen with any community and business.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Kmart was a monopoly in the US retail market. But by 2002, the company was forced to close 25% of stores and lay off 67,000 employees. The crisis happened because the organization began to allow itself to break promises. Their motto was "high quality and cheap", but in reality only a few goods were sold at reasonable prices. Clients left, no longer trusting the company.

Conversely, the most successful leaders were intolerant of any form of hack. Howard Schultz, president of Starbucks, demanded that only coffee connoisseurs who could provide competent advice were greeted by coffee shop customers. To achieve this, he started a massive employee training program, and it was a success. And the founder of McDonald's, Ray Kroc, could take a mop and start scrubbing the floor on his own when he noticed that the restaurant was not properly cleaned.

Concern about the integrity of "windows" may seem unreasonable to someone, especially in a crisis. Why take the best raw materials when you can save money?

Why regularly conduct training on fire safety techniques and add compliance with all requirements when you can not do this? If the building is dilapidated, but still standing, why worry about the fact that one day it could collapse and bury hundreds of people under the rubble? There are more and more "holes", and at some point the "ship" will be one step away from sinking, although no one will understand what was the reason.

Broken windows theory as a key to change

This theory has much in common with the theory of small numbers, which was also popularized in his book by Malcolm Gladwell. To change the opinion of the majority, you do not need to convince everyone individually, collect an army of followers and become president.

Change is spread by the energy of people. We can make an impact simply by creating and maintaining the reality that we value.

For example, the way the black American Rosa Parks did when she took a seat on the bus that was traditionally reserved for whites. Parks was not a fighter by nature, but her consistent, calm resistance to discrimination eventually infected others. As a result of the campaign in support of her, racial segregation was declared illegal by the decision of the Supreme Court.

How do you apply the positive consequences of Broken Window Theory to yourself? Here are some ideas from Malcolm Gladwell.

Notice "broken windows" around you - what may look like little problems that are draining your strength. What little things make you go astray? Messy papers and desktops? Too many emails and social media notifications to reply to? Toxic relationships with a colleague or relative? Better to fix it right away.

Don't create "broken windows" yourself. Do not get involved in the chain of spreading devastation. Notice when you want to follow bad example... Take action if you notice that someone else has broken the window. What can you do to "glaze" it?

From time to time, make a "detour" of your territory. Think about areas of your life that are important to you. Do they raise unresolved questions, suspended solutions that can turn into serious problems? Are all your "windows" intact? And at work? In your obligations to partners? Attention to detail will help you avoid future troubles and will give you the feeling that at least your “neighborhood” is doing well.

If you normal person you feel overwhelmed at times, as if life is out of control.

You want to do something, but it covers you with depression, and you are unable to cope with the tasks that you have planned for yourself for the day.

Interesting thing, isn't it?

The broken window theory as applied to the performance of people in a team or company is a fairly straightforward story. Each team exists in a specific social environment. And in order to change the situation in it, you need to make efforts to change this very environment.

At the same time, each of us is the same ecosystem, creating our own social context. And today we will try to transfer social theory to private life.

For the first time, the theory of broken windows was talked about after an article by sociologists James Wilson and George Kelling, which was published in 1982.

The main point of the article is that minor cosmetic damage to neighbors can lead to large negative social consequences. Those. broken windows, rubbish on the streets and others indirect signs urban decline leads to increased crime, anti-social behavior and all kinds of other crimes and delinquencies.

Think back to pictures of disadvantaged neighborhoods New York... There is so much dirt on the streets, dilapidated houses, adult shops, graffiti on the walls, rubbish, people asking for trouble.

Mayor Giuliani tried to overcome this phenomenon in the mid-90s, repaired "broken glass" in the New Jersey area. Now it is a kind of urban Disneyland.

How does broken window theory help you develop good habits?

Let's try to apply broken windows theory to ordinary life... By doing a little personal facelift, you can create an atmosphere that helps you avoid being overwhelmed and feeling out of control. The same idea was recently confirmed in her works by Gretchen Rubin (author of the book “Project Happiness. Dreams. New Life).

Her theory is simple - most people have a set of bad habits that make them feel like they are not coping with the situation. And if these windows are not "repaired", your day is easily unsettled. Think about it.

What are the little things that worry you?

This could be:

unmade bed
unanswered letters
dirty dishes in the sink
heaps of washed linen
overflowing garbage bin
mess in the kitchen
clothes on the floor

We all have such "broken windows". I only know a bunch of mine. And while I was writing this article I wrote whole list things that make me feel disorganized, overwhelmed, overwhelmed.

Small snippet of the list:

unmade bed in the morning
messy papers and desktops
too many emails and notifications in social networks that need to be answered
stacks of laundry that has not been disassembled after washing
misunderstanding of the next step ...

If several items from the list happen at once on the same day, I feel absolutely no energy to rejoice in the new day. I want to go back to bed and read a book.

How to fix broken windows

So, even if you have a pile of dirty dishes in your kitchen, this does not mean at all that you will become the hero of the Horror of Our Town issue. We are all disorganized from time to time. What is important is to be aware of how the immediate environment affects your mood. As with a real window - you can make minor repairs. When you see your "broken" habits, create new ones to prevent the former from occurring.

For example:

We write a list of our "broken windows", and then a list of solutions.

I clean the bed every morning. And this is setting me up for the day.
I structured my papers according to the David Allen system ("How to get things in order").
Now I am working on my "zero inbox" habit.
Immediately put the washed things in their places
I make a plan for the day, week, month

I am definitely far from ideal, but the repair of these "windows" already gives a more sense of lightness. Check how little things affect your mood and create new habits to prevent "outbursts of disorganization."

Insert new glasses

This is how the theory of broken windows works in everyday life. And here are four ways to apply this information.

1 Look for small victories

Find ways to achieve small victories. Agree, “brushing your teeth twice a day” is much easier than “quitting smoking” or “losing 20 kg”. Small wins may not seem so important at first glance, but they train willpower and have a cumulative effect on changing your other habits.

2 Implement the 80/20 principle

Little bad habits negatively affect your mood. It would seem such a trifle as an unmade bed in the morning. But if you get rid of this habit, the feeling of control in life will increase.

3 Use good habits as a driving force

When you gradually change bad habits into good ones, you create momentum for movement. Every success in the little things gives you more confidence to deal with the more difficult ones. bad habits... Learned to work with one habit, take on another.

4 Enjoy

I admit that I am not neat, but I like to make my bed every morning. The process itself doesn't matter. What matters is that he prepares for an amazing and active day.

Your "broken windows" may be very minor, but the cumulative effect of repairing them can be very, very strong. When you are aware of your limitations, you can take steps to give yourself the opportunity to feel more in control and to influence your life.

It all depends on you. And here the principle of managing the system also works, in which you create conditions for yourself to do the right thing.

- was formulated by James Wilson and George Kelling in 1982. According to this theory, if someone broke the glass in the house and no one put in a new one, then soon not a single whole window will remain in this house, and then looting will begin. In other words, clear signs disorder and non-observance by people accepted norms behaviors provoke others to forget about the rules too. As a result of the resulting chain reaction, a "decent" urban area can quickly turn into a cloaca, where people are afraid to go out. This theory is described by Canadian sociologist Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point:

The Broken Windows theory implies that crime is the inevitable result of a lack of order. If the window is broken and not glazed, then those passing by decide that no one cares and no one is responsible for anything. More windows will soon be broken, and the feeling of impunity will spread throughout the street, sending a signal to the entire neighborhood. A signal calling for more serious crimes. ”

Gladwell deals with social epidemics. He believes that a person breaks the law not only (and not even so much) because of bad heredity or wrong upbringing. Great value what he sees around him has an effect on him. Context. The theory found wide application in practice - first in New York, and then in many other cities of the USA, Europe, Georgia, South Africa, Indonesia, etc. Carefully keeping the streets clean and removing graffiti from the walls, the New York authorities have not only taught behave more cultured, but also achieved a significant reduction in crime in the city. Sociologists from the University of Groningen (Netherlands) conducted six experiments to test the truth of the theory of broken windows.

Experiment 1

The first experiment was carried out on a street with many shops, near the wall of a house, where residents of Groningen park their bicycles when they come to shop. There was a bright, conspicuous sign against this wall prohibiting painting on the walls. At first, the wall was clean. The experimenters hung a piece of paper on the handlebars of each bicycle (there were 77 bicycles in total) with the words “We wish everyone happy Holidays! " and the logo of a non-existent store sporting goods... Hiding in a secluded corner, the researchers began to observe the actions of cyclists. There were no trash bins on the street, so a person could either throw a piece of paper on the ground, or hang it on another bicycle, or take it with him to throw it away later. The first two options were considered as a violation of the accepted norms, the third - as their observance. Out of 77 cyclists, only 25 (33%) behaved uncivilized. Then the experiment was repeated, in the same weather and at the same time of day, having previously painted the wall with meaningless drawings. This time, 53 people out of 77 (69%) littered. The revealed difference has high degree statistical significance. Thus, breaking the ban on painting on walls has proven to be a serious incentive for people to break another generally accepted rule of not littering on the streets.

Experiment 2

The second experiment was to show whether the theory of broken windows is valid only for generally accepted norms, or whether it also applies to local rules established for a particular situation or place. The researchers blocked the main entrance to the car park with a fence, in which, however, a wide gap was left. Next to it they hung a sign "No entry, bypass 200 m to the right", as well as a notice "It is forbidden to fasten bicycles to the fence." The experiment was again carried out in two versions: "the order is observed" and "the order is violated." In the first case, four bicycles were standing a meter away from the fence, obviously not fastened to it. In the second case, the same bicycles were fastened to the fence. From a secluded place, the experimenters observed how citizens who came for their cars would behave: they would go around the fence or crawl through a hole. The result turned out to be positive: in the situation "the order is observed" only 27% of car owners crawled through the hole, and in the situation "the order was violated" - 82%.

Experiment 3

The third experiment was conducted in an underground supermarket parking lot with a large, highly visible notice: "Please return shopping carts you took from the store." In the situation "the order was observed" there were no carts in the parking lot, in the situation "the order was violated" there were four carts. Researchers prudently smeared their pens with fuel oil so that visitors would not have a desire to use them. The same papers were attached to the machines as in the first experiment. The result was the same: in the first situation, 30% of the drivers threw a piece of paper on the ground, in the second - 58%.

Experiment 4

The fourth experiment resembled the first, with the difference that the signs of "violation of norms by other people" were now not visual, but sound. In the Netherlands, the use of firecrackers and fireworks on New Year's Eve is prohibited by law. It turned out that cyclists are much more likely to throw pieces of paper on the ground if they hear the sound of exploding firecrackers.

Experiments 5 and 6

In the fifth and sixth experiments, people were provoked to petty theft. An envelope with a transparent window protruded from the mailbox, from which a 5 euro note was clearly visible. The experimenters monitored people passing by, counting the number of thefts. In a “good order” situation, the mailbox was clean and there was no debris around. In the “out of order” situation, either the box was painted with meaningless graffiti (Experiment 5), or rubbish was lying around (Experiment 6). In the situation "the order is observed" only 13% of passers-by (out of 71) took the envelope. However, 27% of passers-by (out of 60) stole an envelope from a painted box, and scattered garbage provoked 25% of people to steal (out of 72).

__________________________

People are divided into three types. The first, under no circumstances, will shit in inappropriate places... The latter do not bother about this and shit where they have to. But there is a certain stratum of people who will shit if and only when they are already nasty, but at the same time behave culturally if there is cleanliness and order around.

If you observe, you will notice that the number of never fortunetellers is 5%, always fortunetellers 5% and shitting in the nasty 90%. And it is enough for a representative of 5% of those who are always guessing to start the process, for a wave to go from the very 90%. The 95% principle this case persists.

Here you can once again quote “Wikipedia”: “In other words, clear signs of disorder and non-compliance by people with accepted norms of behavior provoke others to forget about the rules too. As a result of the resulting chain reaction, a “decent” urban area can quickly turn into a cloaca, where people are afraid to go out. ” The theory also works for the Internet. If a nerd is wound up on a network resource, who only does what crap, then sooner or later this resource turns into a trash heap. The converse is also true. If the patient does not see the garbage, then, most likely, he will drag the garbage to where it should be thrown away. Naturally, not everyone abstains, because if no one crap, then there would be less dirt on our streets.

To avoid pollution of streets and sites, you must:

1. Timely and promptly clean up where dirty.

2. Do not get dirty yourself.

3. Do not let others get dirty.

As you might guess, point number 1 is the most difficult to accomplish, number 2 is the most unobvious, and number 3 is able to create around you the image of a “brazen bastard, unceremoniously invading personal life surrounding and telling them what to do! ”, the watchman in one word. However, without it, any attempt to transform the environment is doomed to failure.

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In the 1980s, New York was a hell of a hell. More than 1,500 serious crimes were committed there EVERY DAY. 6-7 murders per day. It was dangerous to walk the streets at night, and it was risky to ride the subway even during the day. Burglars and beggars on the subway were commonplace. Dirty and damp platforms were barely lit. It was cold in the carriages, rubbish was lying underfoot, the walls and ceiling were covered with graffiti.

Here is what they said about the New York subway: “After standing in an endless line for a token, I tried to lower it into the turnstile, but found that the coin acceptor was damaged. Some tramp was standing nearby: having broken the turnstile, now he demanded that passengers give tokens to him personally. One of his friends leaned over to the coin acceptor and pulled out the stuck tokens with his teeth, covering everything with saliva. The passengers were too scared to argue with these guys: "Here, take that damn token, what difference does it make to me!" Most people passed the turnstiles for free. It was a transport version of Dante's hell. ”

The city was in the grip of the most ferocious crime epidemic in its history. But then the inexplicable happened. Having reached a peak in 1990, crime declined sharply. Over the next few years, the number of homicides has decreased by 2/3, and the number of violent crimes - by half. By the end of the decade, 75% fewer crimes were committed in the metro than at the beginning. For some reason, tens of thousands of psychos and gopniks stopped breaking the law.

What happened? Who pressed the magic stop-tap and what kind of tap is it? Its name is “Theory of Broken Windows”.

In the mid-1980s, leadership changed in the New York subway. New director David Gunn started with ... the fight against graffiti. It cannot be said that the entire city community was delighted with the idea. “Boy, get serious about technical issues, fire safety, crime ... Don't waste our money on nonsense! " But Gann was persistent: “Graffiti is a symbol of the system's collapse. If we begin the process of restructuring the organization, then the first must be the victory over graffiti. Without winning this battle, no reforms will take place. We are ready to introduce new trains worth $ 10 million each, but if we do not protect them from vandalism, we know what will happen. They will last one day, and then they will be mutilated. " And Gunn gave the command to clean the cars. Route by route. Composition by composition. Every damn carriage, every single day. “For us it was like a religious act,” he later said.

Washing stations were installed at the end of the routes. If the car came with graffiti on the walls, the drawings were washed off during the turn, otherwise the car was taken out of service altogether. Dirty wagons, from which the graffiti had not yet been washed off, were by no means mixed with clean ones. Gunn delivered a clear message to the vandals.

“We had a depot in Harlem where the cars were parked at night,” he said. - On the very first night, teenagers came and smeared the walls of the cars with white paint. The next night, when the paint was dry, they came and outlined the contours, and a day later they painted it all. That is, they worked for 3 nights. We waited for them to finish their “work”. Then we took the rollers and painted over everything. The guys were upset to tears, but everything was painted over from top to bottom. This was our message for them: “Do you want to spend 3 nights disfiguring the train? Let's. But no one will see it. "

In 1990, William Bratton was hired as Chief of Transportation Police. Instead of getting busy a serious matter- serious crimes, he came to grips with ... free riders. Why? New boss the police believed - like the problem of graffiti, a huge number of "hares" could be a signal, an indicator of the lack of order. And this encouraged the commission of more serious crimes. At that time, 170 thousand passengers made their way to the metro for free. The teenagers simply jumped over the turnstiles or broke through by force. And if 2 or 3 people cheated the system, those around (who otherwise would not break the law) joined them. They decided that if someone didn't pay, they wouldn't either. The problem grew like a snowball.

What did Bratton do? He put 10 policemen in disguise at the turnstiles. They grabbed the "hares" one at a time, handcuffed them and lined them up on the platform. The free riders stood there until the “big catch” was over. After that, they were escorted to a police bus, where they were searched, fingerprinted and punched through the database. Many had weapons with them. Others had problems with the law.

“It became a real Eldorado for the cops,” Bratton said. “Each arrest was like a bag of popcorn with a surprise in it. What kind of toy am I getting now? Gun? Knife? Do you have permission? Wow, murder is for you! .. Pretty fast bad Boys wiser, they began to leave their weapons at home and pay for travel. "

In 1994, Rudolph Giuliani was elected mayor of New York. He took Bratton out of the transport department and put him in charge of the city's police force. By the way, it is believed that it was Giuliani who first applied the "Theory of Broken Windows". We now know that this is not the case. Nevertheless, the mayor's merit is undeniable - he gave the command to develop a strategy across the whole of New York. The police have taken a fundamentally tough stance towards petty offenders.

She arrested everyone who drank and raged in public places. Who threw empty bottles. I painted the walls. He jumped through turnstiles, begged for money from drivers for cleaning windows. If someone urinated on the street, they would go straight to jail. The urban crime rate began to plummet - as quickly as in the subway. Police Chief Bratton and Mayor Giuliani explain: "Minor and insignificant, at first glance, misconduct served as a signal for the implementation of serious crimes." The chain reaction was stopped. By the end of the 1990s, crime-ridden New York had become the safest metropolis in America.