{
  "title": "In Lausanne, should managers use fear to prompt action?",
  "url": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/lausanne-alerter-sans-paralyser-faire-peur-pour-faire-agir-en",
  "language": "en",
  "datePublished": "2025-01-30",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "SHR — Swiss Human Resources",
    "url": "https://www.shr.swiss",
    "address": "Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 9A, 1212 Lancy, Suisse"
  },
  "summary": "Highlighting the consequences of an error can motivate people, but it is not a communication strategy in itself. Research suggests paying particular attention to the action recipients believe they can take.",
  "section": "Research",
  "topic": "Communication",
  "place": {
    "name": "Lausanne",
    "region": "Vaud",
    "country": "CH"
  },
  "keyPoints": [
    {
      "heading": "What the literature establishes",
      "point": "Melanie B."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A threat does not explain how to act",
      "point": "In their meta-analysis, Kim Witte and Mike Allen (2000, Health Education & Behavior) distinguish responses that support prevention from defensive reactions to the message."
    },
    {
      "heading": "The premature conclusion",
      "point": "One might conclude that all it takes is to dramatise a risk and then add an instruction."
    },
    {
      "heading": "What the evidence does not allow us to transfer",
      "point": "A substantial part of this literature concerns prevention and health, rather than enduring hierarchical relationships at work."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A practical check in Lausanne",
      "point": "In a workshop within SHR’s “[Communication](/formation-communication-lausanne)” programme in Lausanne, a team could compare two versions of a non-urgent preventive reminder: the same risk information, but with the second version specifying an action, its usefulness and the means to carry it out."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "authors": "Albarracín",
      "year": "2015",
      "source": "Psychological Bulletin"
    },
    {
      "authors": "Allen",
      "year": "2000",
      "source": "Health Education & Behavior"
    }
  ],
  "wordCount": 464,
  "image": "https://www.shr.swiss/img/blog-Training-Communication-Lausanne-lausanne-alerter-sans-paralyser-faire-peur-pour-faire-agir-en.jpg?v=4",
  "translations": {
    "fr": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/lausanne-alerter-sans-paralyser-faire-peur-pour-faire-agir",
    "en": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/lausanne-alerter-sans-paralyser-faire-peur-pour-faire-agir-en",
    "de": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/lausanne-alerter-sans-paralyser-faire-peur-pour-faire-agir-de",
    "it": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/lausanne-alerter-sans-paralyser-faire-peur-pour-faire-agir-it"
  },
  "relatedPages": {
    "programme": "https://www.shr.swiss/formation-communication-lausanne",
    "city": "https://www.shr.swiss/formations-ville/lausanne",
    "blog": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog"
  },
  "citationPolicy": "Citation autorisée avec mention « SHR — Swiss Human Resources » et lien vers l'article."
}