COLIN B. GABLER
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Some Musings About Our World


COVID-19 and the Socioeconomic Divide

3/27/2020

22 Comments

 

By now, people in the US and around the world have the basics down. We’ve read about flattening the curve, washing your hands to the choruses of several pop songs, social distancing, the list goes on. We’ve also heard about the impact on the economy in both the short and long term. As is usually the case with events of this magnitude, the consequences will be influenced by socioeconomic status, and the COVID-19 crisis will have a disproportionately larger negative effect on our more vulnerable populations.

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Take the group of folks who are simply working from home, getting paid the same salary, dealing with a dog barking on your Teams Meeting, COVID-19 is an inconvenience. Sure, some may get sick themselves and they will absolutely know someone who gets sick, hospitalized, and probably somebody who dies from the Coronavirus. I do not want to minimize the overall impact across the board. This virus does not discriminate; however, humans still do.
 
Now consider an example from another group of people. A couple with 3 kids who rent a house and both parents hold service positions at a restaurant. For this family, the situation is grave. The restaurant and school both closed, which increased their personal costs while eliminating their revenue source. Or consider the single parent who works at the grocery store who is ‘allowed’ to work—and might even see increased hours. Being an essential employee allows her to earn an hourly income, but she is exposed to the Coronavirus. Given financial burdens, she doesn’t have a choice. Sure, her place of employment has been labeled ‘essential’ by the government, and so she can earn money, but she might choose to be nonessential.
 
Both examples are more likely than the first group to live in closer quarters, to rent an apartment, have less access to healthcare, less savings, and fewer safety nets in general. There is, of course, a third tier of increased susceptibility. It is sobering to consider how this virus will spread through the most vulnerable of us, people in prisons, nursing homes, patients in cancer wards and with immune-deficiencies, and our growing homeless population. For these individuals, there is literally be no escape and no option.
 
None of this is new to the dialogue, however, I wonder if the COVID-19 pandemic will expose the inequality that exists in our world. If the misnamed Spanish Flu from 1918-1919 is a benchmark, then it absolutely will. However, given the stresses of World War I, many government officials and public news outlets did not want to present more bad news, and so the inequality was largely forgotten about soon after. In fact, it was the Spanish government who first presented real data on the situation, leading to the perpetually misnomer of the strand of influenza itself. In 2020, we do not have a global war to detract attention from the pandemic or the glaring inequality that it highlights.
 
In my sustainability marketing class, we go over all of the factors that contribute to the current problems we face. Global income inequality is not often on the top of mind, but the class quickly comes to a consensus of its role. The stats are always changing and always staggering. For instance, as of December 2019, the top 26 richest individual people hold as much wealth as the bottom 3.8 billion. [That one deserves a second look, but when you consider that 1+ billion people live on less than $1 per day and Jeff Bezos has 107.3 billion dollars, it adds up].
 
These eye-popping numbers go on and on. In normal times, socioeconomic status is related to outcomes such as quality of life and life expectancy, but we are about to witness just how negatively correlated the variables can be. For those of us who are somewhat insulated, who have the privilege to social distance, is there something we can do?
 
There is a lot of rhetoric about what is going on in relation to COVID-19, and hopefully we begin to ask what are potential ‘silver linings’? We’ve already seen this happening with reduction pollution in China, but what are some other social aspects that we can address in this time of crisis so that when things get ‘back to normal’ we do a better job at protecting those of us who need protection? I don’t suggest that any true good can come from a global pandemic; it is just putting a lot of social institutions under the microscope. Some for better and some for worse. Regardless, we won’t be able to justify our global imbalance when it is so blatantly in our faces via red numbers on a ‘death toll’ screen.
 
In summary, is this just a “Them’s the breaks, kid” situation for certain people beneath an arbitrary socioeconomic divide or do we have a responsibility to shift the paradigm? If the latter, how? John Rawls Theory of Justice is a good starting point.
22 Comments

Handshakes are out, smiling & waving are in?

3/22/2020

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Because I teach courses in business and professional development, every semester, we spend a few minutes discussing the keys to a professional handshake. Not too firm, not too soft, the correct number of ‘ups-and-downs’, dry your hand if it is clammy, etc. No lobster-claw, dead-fish, leave-ya-hangin, pass-the-teacup, bone-crusher, southpaw, Queen’s fingertips, fist bumps, chest bumps, high-fives, high-fives-into-low-fives, high-fives-into-foot-grabs, bro-hugs, halfsies, limpsies, etc. I put importance on this task because it is often the only physical contact we have in a professional relationship. It seems crazy to even type this right now, but I usually have students shake the hands of ten other students. (My classes can attest this semester—about 6 weeks ago now—I refrained from this exercise. Not due to Coronavirus but simply to not spread any germs around a class of 150 students). Suffice it to say, I think this is an important skill that requires practice and attention. While the do’s and don’ts of handshaking seem obvious, I’m always surprised by the learning that takes place in this lesson.
 
Now that we cannot (or should not) be within 6 feet of each other, let alone shake hands, what other ways can we connect? Waving, smiling, and eye contact.
 
The gesture of a wave is built into our culture from a young age. You wave goodbye to your parents when they leave for work. Santa Claus waves from a faux chimney during the holiday parade on Main Street. You wave as your kid goes off to college. And if you are like some wonderful folks I know, you wave when someone drives away from your house until they are literally past the horizon or around the corner and you can’t see them anymore.
 
Smiles are even more a part of our culture (in the US, at least, this is not the case in other countries—but that is for another blog post). We get excited the first time a baby smiles and we decide whether or not it is worth asking someone out on a date based on a reciprocation of a smile across the proverbial crowded room. Universities and trainings even teach subtle smiling nuances in our professional development classes to help people ace the interview.
 
Eye contact is crucial to non-verbal communication. It demonstrates that you are engaged in a conversation, that you are actively listening to a person speak, and allows you to convey empathy. Too little can show disinterest or lack of trustworthiness. Too much can be threatening or downright creepy. But we each calibrate to the other person to effectively achieve the correct recipe for the situation. It puts us at ease and makes the conversation comfortable.
 
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, handshakes are out. Smiling, waving, and eye contact are in. Or are they? My assumption was that given the social distancing taking place all across the world, human nature would lead us to do more of these three things. Online meetings and conference calls do not allow for physical touch, so we are making do with our other tools. We even have a name for the smile/nod combination we all do at the beginning of a Zoom or Teams meeting: the ‘virtual handshake’.
 
However, anecdotally, this has not translated to my in-person interactions. Living in a small college town, (now emptied of half of its population when students were sent home), I take to the bike path almost every day for a long walk or run, and I’ve been doing an observational analysis. I try to make eye contact, smile and/or wave at every person I see. You know, the little half up wave, maybe a slight nod or ‘hey’ as you pass someone. My prediction was that more people would reciprocate than, say, last fall when I was on the same bike path doing the same walks or runs. Being bottled up in our homes, practicing social distancing, self-isolating, etc., led me to believe we would crave more interaction (as fleeting as a wave or smile) when we were out in the world.
 
Unfortunately, I did not start this study last fall to provide a control, making this completely unscientific study even less credible, but I have been surprised in the 1:4 ratio of people who reciprocate with a smile, wave, or eye contact versus people who a) look away, b) look at their phone, c) meet my eyes but quickly look away, d) or ignore me all together.
 
Now granted, there are a lot of biases and other extraneous variables at play here. And yes I am aware that I might be known as the weirdo on the bike path who waves at everyone, but I was surprised by this result. Perhaps fear has trumped (hate to use that word) the longing for social connection? We associate friendliness with engagement, which we associate with human interaction, which is what we know spreads this virus. Perhaps in that split second as I run (super fast) by the other person, fear bubbles to the surface just ahead of the need to socially interact. Maybe that gut instinct is “human interaction=bad” followed closely by “human interaction=good/great/essential.” Who knows, maybe if I turned around, they’d all be waving and smiling back. I like to think so.
27 Comments

Consumer behavior amidst the Covid-19 Crisis

3/18/2020

11 Comments

 
Western cultures and consumers are generally used to having everything at our disposal. We are not used to having to compete for essentials. In a way, the COVID-19 crisis is like a global scaling of the pre-hurricane stockpile phenomenon--the only difference is there is no true end in sight.
 
When items are scarce, we have to compete for them. And it appears that right now we are resorting to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to motivate our behavior and consumption. Before people isolate themselves (either mandated or by choice), the situation places us all back at the bottom of the pyramid. As we satisfy each level of the pyramid, only then do we look to satisfy the next level of need.
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  1. First, we have the physiological needs, the essentials and obvious things. We need to eat, we need to drink, we need to sleep. So you have your food, your non-perishable items, canned goods, etc. We get comfort from knowing we have these items 'in stock' because they are the basics of survival. But we're not used to competing for them, which is why we are taking more than we need. We get to be in control of a very small piece of an uncontrollable situation. The toilet paper craze falls under this umbrella. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Our basic, physiological needs are to eat/drink/sleep/and--as parents everywhere say to their toddler's in training--"go potty." Guys, we all do it. So why are there more people stockpiling TP than, say, canned corn? Because there are substitutes for canned corn but not toilet paper. Most products we buy have alternatives. If the canned corn is gone, you get canned beans, or dried beans, or anything else in the canned food section. For toilet paper, that's our only option. The other reason for the stockpiling is that messaging is vague. At one point we need to be prepared for 2 weeks, but that has since changed to 2 months, and that could extend even further. So as people shopped before bottling up inside their houses, they went from thinking ‘what do I need for 2 weeks?’ to ‘what do I need…indefinitely?’ A huge question mark replaced the normal set amount of time we plan for. This is why and where the hurricane analogy ends. So why don't we get the same comfort from stocking up on, say deodorant, toothpaste, etc.? It is not the same level need. It is important, sure, but not in that same, primal way. 
  2. The next level of the pyramid is still in the pre-isolation phase: safety and security. This one is obvious: medicines, prescriptions, hand sanitizer, cleaners, vitamins, anti-bacterial wipes, Pedialyte, etc. Things to keep us safe, healthy, and secure. Really in both the first two levels, we are seeing the tragedy of the commons play out. Instead of everyone sharing our common resources so we all have enough, the human instinct is to look out for yourself. Take hand sanitizers and respiratory masks. When people bought more than they needed—particularly the masks, others had none—including hospitals where they were actually needed. Essentially, the collective good suffers at the expense of the individual. Like the toilet paper, the idea should be for everyone to be safe and comfortable, but it is human nature to look out for yourself and your family. Another product that has seen huge sales in this crisis is guns and ammunition. People want to protect their stuff, their family, and we’ve all seen enough post-apocalyptic movies to know what happens when chaos ensues. My best guess is that creature comforts will be next at your local grocery store (bubble bath, candles, art supplies, etc.). Knowing you have your stockpile, you can pivot to making the situation somewhat comfortable.
  3. So now you are self-selecting to stay in your house for anywhere from 2 weeks until the big question mark. You have met your basic needs and you feel as secure as you can. Now you realize that you are missing…people. Connection, social engagement, a sense of belonging—the third level of the pyramid. People still want to interact and they will—just virtually. As movie theaters, bars, restaurants, clubs, and gyms close down, people cannot go out for entertainment or social gatherings. The entertainment fix is simple. It’s 2020 and we have more in-home entertainment options than ever before. Some companies have strategically adapted. For example, Disney + pushed up their release dates for The Rise of Skywalker and Frozen 2 in an attempt to drive traffic to their platform over competitors. But what about the human interaction part? Enter social media. These platforms have seen increased volume over the last several days and that is likely to continue—particular with regard to video uploads and interactive media. Further, savvy brands are recognizing—and filling—this need. For instance, Netflix has a new function - Netflix Party – which offers an interactive forum to talk about the show with your group of friends as you watch.
  4. Right now, on March 18, it seems we are achieving that level 3 need. As the need to belong and have social interactions is fulfilled, I believe we will move to level 4 and seek esteem and accomplishment—most likely through social media as well. You can see this starting to happen already. People post on social media their 'goals for the day'. They want to be held accountable for achieving something, be it finishing the laundry, reading a new book, or fixing the kitchen sink. We want our friends to know what we are doing so we can gather likes, comments, GIFS, and video replies to help validate our feelings that we are using this time for something constructive.
  5. Finally, we are realizing that, if this is truly for a long period of time, we should make the most of it. People have already begun (and this will happen more) to look at this as an opportunity to self-actualize, to be creative, to achieve their full potential at the top of the pyramid. We already see people doing online yoga courses and sending the instructor money through PayPal, downloading a language app to finally learn Spanish. Personally, I posted that I want to learn one new song on the guitar every day. We want to be our best selves. This will manifest in other ways too. Even though your hair appointment is cancelled, you still Venmo your stylist to either pay up front for a later date or just to help them ‘get by’. This will probably happen across many service industries which are going to be hit incredibly hard by this. There is a lot of positive buzz about purchasing gift cards for local businesses, which can keep them generating revenue throughout the crisis. These are the consumption behaviors that we will do as a society when we want to be our best selves, to reach our full potential. I also like this because it is an optimistic viewpoint for a situation that veers toward pessimism. If we can get to the point of doing good for the sake of others, we will have left the tragedy of the commons behind and be actively working collectively for the greater good.
11 Comments

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    Colin Gabler is a writer at heart.

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  • ABOUT
    • Social Justice
  • RESEARCH
    • Supply Chain Strategy
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