The effects of Involuntary Thinking within the Workplace
Dr Noon
Occupational Health Psychologist and Workplace Detective
Private Consultancy Report
05 - Sept - 2011
Abstract
The Results of the study undertaken between March and September 2011, through focus groups and in-depth analysis with 10 severely affected employees, indicates that the underlying trauma of the incident that took place on January 7th 2011 has produced a unique form of estrangement with utilitarian objects. The workplace environment within which this estrangement persists, has cultivated an obscure desire in its workers to fixate on the trace plastic residues in all things. When prompted, the respondents in the study articulate their relationship to obsolete objects in unusual and unpredictable ways. This has affected their work performance and ability to carry out simple tasks considerably. The results of the study show that a condition called 'involuntary thinking' has taken over work production. A detailed summary of the underlying issues of this condition will be accounted for in this report with suggested strategies for coping with involuntary thinking behaviour. Although these strategies are by no means a solution to the problem, they may provide management with short term safeguards to limit further involuntary conflicts within the workplace.
3.1 Focus Group Analysis
All participants were asked to examine the documented objects as a group. The visual analysis served to prompt further exploration of their involuntary thinking activity. The results show that the divergent thinking activity of employees was heightened with the use of photographic aids:
'I don't just see the pen lid I see all the different uses of pen lids out there in the world'
'Yes. We agree' [Group chorus]
When prompted as to such uses, the group became animated, and a flow of responses issued immediately, as to such uses:
'Makeshift smoking pipes!'
'A way to push cuticles back!'
'Endotracheal tubes!'
'A head scratcher!'
The list was so ongoing that the discussion had to be drawn to a close. Feverish anxiety as to the endless use function possibilities of the objects in question was clearly manifesting itself within the group. One employee said:
'I can't stop! The uses keep on coming I've no way of halting them!'
