An example of a psychological fallacy is the availability heuristic, whereby the perception of the likelihood of an event is based on how readily information is available to one. For instance, if one has just read a sensational story regarding a data outsourcing fraud or security breach, the story will have an undue influence on his/her perception of data entry outsourcing services in India despite the fact that such events are relatively rare in comparison with non-sensational stories.
Why Vivid Stories Stick More Than Ordinary Ones
A dramatic story by nature is one that people will remember. News about a company whose confidential information was lost through their outsourcing partner is definitely a dramatic story. The news will be passed from one person to another because it is a story that will attract many people. An example of a success story is when a company has been doing business with a data entry service in India for a very long time without experiencing any problems. It is a very normal situation; therefore, it does not attract any attention at all.
How This Distorts Risk Perception
If your brain depends upon the ease with which examples come to mind, instead of the facts, you will be consistently prone to overestimate the incidence of highly negative events. This is the reason why some people feel more scared about flying than driving, even though the latter is much more dangerous in statistics. It’s not about probabilities but about the risk whose stories are more striking and unforgettable.
The same bias is true for outsourcing as well. A single example of an unpleasant experience with the external party carries more weight for some people compared to many successful relationships that did not provide any material for storytelling.
Why Understanding the Basics Helps Correct This
Having an understanding of the real-world realities of the role can help offset this misperception. If you know what a data entry job description entails and how good systems really work in the process, you will find it simpler to differentiate between the unusual and the usual occurrence.
Partnerships with a dependable vendor are, in fact, boring in the best way possible. Tasks are done, errors are caught and corrected, and the process moves on with no drama worth noting. The everyday reality is simply not as memorable as a bad story once in a while.
Why Checking Actual Track Records Matters More Than Anecdotes
Instead of considering whatever outsourcing tale stands out and comes to mind, it would be far better to consider the actual performance of the actual provider. For how long have they been around? What does their direct reference or any real case study reveal? It will give you a far more reliable picture than depending on whatever dramatic tale stands out because of availability in your memory.
It is pertinent here to determine whether one should outsource data entry to India from a particular company, and not form an opinion on outsourcing in general because of some negative experience with a totally different provider, and for a totally different industry.
The Role of Direct Experience in Correcting This Bias
The best means of overcoming the availability heuristic effect is the creation of your own personal experience instead of depending on other people’s stories – either good or bad. The experiment conducted with an outsourced data entry service provider provides a personal experience, which is much more relevant for your case than any other story found online.
Here you have managed to avoid the whole issue. You are not going by whatever story is available to you at the moment. Your story is your own experience in a particular situation.
A Simple Way to Check Yourself
Honesty here requires asking oneself whether one's reluctance stems from a concrete story or from an actual analysis of the provider's performance and process. In the case of the former, it may be best to put that story aside and focus on concrete, factual information rather than give too much weight to a story that carries more statistical relevance than it deserves.
Final Thought
The availability heuristic ensures that stories that are rare and dramatic carry much more weight than they deserve since these are the ones that are more likely to stand out in one's memory. Judging a data entry outsourcing service in India based on the actual track record of a specific provider will provide a much more realistic perspective on the matter.
Sign in to leave a comment.