Psychology in Data Governance: The IKEA Effect
Applied Data Governance can be a lot like building IKEA furniture. The more involved people are in building and maintaining Data Governance policies, the more invested they become in the process, which in return will likely lead to better outcomes and a stronger Data Governance culture.
What is the IKEA Effect?
The "IKEA Effect" is a term used to describe the psychological phenomenon that occurs when people place a higher value on products or services that they have had a hand in creating or maintaining. The term comes from the experience many people have had when building furniture from IKEA (in the unlikely case you have never heard of IKEA, it is a Swedish furniture retailer known for its do-it-yourself furniture assembly).
In the context of applied Data Governance, the IKEA effect can be leveraged to build a stronger Data Governance culture within an organization. When employees are involved in creating and maintaining Data Governance policies, they become more invested in the process and are more likely to value and adhere to those policies. While this is not a guarantee, there is a high likelihood that this will lead to better outcomes, such as improved Data Quality, better decision-making, and increased trust in data.
The psychology behind the IKEA Effect
The IKEA effect is related to the concept of "ownership bias," which refers to the idea that people value things more when they feel a sense of ownership or control over them. By involving a wider range of people in the Data Governance process, organizations can tap into this bias and increase the likelihood that people will view Data Governance as a priority and take ownership of the Data Governance policies and procedures.
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Considerations on how to leverage the IKEA Effect
To leverage the IKEA Effect in applied Data Governance, organizations would involve a broad range of stakeholders in the development and implementation of Data Governance policies. This should then include representatives from business units, IT, legal, compliance, and other areas that deal with data day in and out. By involving such a diverse group of stakeholders, organizations ensure that Data Governance policies are relevant, practical, and widely adopted. Nevertheless, organizations should provide training and support to help their people understand the importance of Data, its Governance and their role in maintaining it. That bit of data literacy is indeed essential - and available through OriginML .
Thus food for thought in case you are on a mission to establish or improve Data Governance in your organization. Especially when you want to reap the benefits of Machine Learning, then good Data Governance is an imperative, as we just discussed in one of our previous articles: A foray into Data Governance
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