CM Dec'09 64+4pp 14/12/09 16:19 Page 6
News
Smells like clean spirit
The odour in a room is enough negative experiences,” says were given $12 and were asked participants in the clean-
to elicit a stronger impulse Galinsky.“Now, our research can to decide how much of it to smelling room said they'd like to
towards fairness, researchers offer more insight into the links keep and how much to return to donate money, compared to
from the Kellogg School of between people's charitable their partners who had trusted only 6% of those in a normal
Management at Northwestern actions and their surroundings.” them to divide it fairly. room. Follow-up questions
University have claimed. They The study, titled ‘The Smell of Subjects in clean-scented revealed that participants did
believe their research proves Virtue’, made subjects carry out rooms were less likely to exploit not notice the aroma in the
there is a correlation between several tasks, with some asked to the trust of their partners, room and that their mood at the
hygiene and decency and that work in unscented rooms, while returning a significantly higher time of the experiment did not
by improving our environment share of the cash. The average affect the outcomes.
we can improve our behaviour.
“research found an
amount of cash given back by “We all know that cleanliness
The research found an the people in the ‘normal’ room is key to encouraging a sense of
increase in ethical behaviour
increase in ethical
was $2.81. But the people in the pride in local areas, but this is
when the scent of a fruit-scented
behaviour when the
clean-scented room gave back the first time a link has been
cleaner fills a room. an average of $5.33. proved between people’s
Professor Adam Galinsky, the
scent of a fruit-scented
The second experiment behaviour and their
psychologist who conducted the
cleaner fills a room”
evaluated whether clean scents surroundings,” says Steve Wright
study, said it shows “morality and would encourage charitable chairman of the British Cleaning
cleanliness” are inextricably others worked in rooms freshly behaviour. Participants surveyed Council, which flagged up the
linked.“Researchers have known sprayed with lemon-scented in the clean-smelling room were research.“I hope this encourages
for years that scents play an cleaner. The first experiment significantly more interested in more people to make their area
active role in reviving positive or evaluated fairness. Participants volunteering. Meanwhile, 22% of cleaner and greener.”
BCA deadline
‘Postcode lottery’ for
News in brief
extended
council suppliers says FPB
The overall winners of the
Tidy Wales Award were the
The entry deadline for the A major study by the Forum of target. Some admitted that none Flintshire Neighbourhood
2009/2010 Building Cleanability Private Business (FPB) has of their suppliers received Watch Association’s Eco Watch
Awards has been extended until revealed vast differences in the payment within 10 days, while Rangers. 300 young volunteer
31st January 2010 to allow more amount of time British councils more than a dozen paid less than rangers and local residents,
time for building contractors and take to pay their suppliers. Using a tenth of their bills within the have removed 500 bags of
designers to prepare their the Freedom of Information (FoI) timeframe. rubbish and 150 bags of glass,
applications. Act, the FPB asked local Additionally, many councils cans and plastic from towns
authorities across the UK how appear to have trouble paying and villages in the county.
quickly they pay firms providing invoices within even 30 days,
them with goods and services. only managing to settle around Deborah Morris from Hayle
The research comes a year half of their bills within a month. Cornwall became the World’s
after the government urged Commenting on the findings, Fastest Lady Window
town halls to settle invoices the FPB’s National Chairman, Cleaner, in a competition held
within 10 days in order to help Noel Guilford, called for more by the Federation of Window
“We have already received a smaller businesses maintain their consistency in the processing of Cleaners in Blackpool. She
number of prestigious building cash flows during the recession. payments.“These figures reveal broke the current world record
entries,” says Richard Chisnell, However, the FPB found massive that businesses face a payment for cleaning three windows, as
awards director, “and we know variations in payment practices postcode lottery when carrying set out by Guinness book of
from the previous seven awards across local government. out local authority work,” says records, with a time of 22.42
schemes that reminders are Some trailblazing authorities Guilford.“Some businesses are seconds, slicing nearly a full
needed to encourage entries are settling more than 90% of paid for their goods and services second off the previous world
from all parts of the UK.” their bills in ten days or less. within a few hours but some record time of 23.38 seconds,
The 2009/2010 Building Others have proactively signed have to wait more than a month. set by Janine Guisley in 2005.
Cleanability Awards are open to up to the government’s Prompt “We’re part of a national
any building of any age with an Payment Code and made economy, we’re in a national
internal area in excess of 5,000m
2
. concerted efforts to speed up recession and you would expect
Further information is available at payments to aid local a national policy on payment by
www.cleanabilityawards.co.uk companies. public bodies. We would like to
or via email However, other councils see joined-up thinking, perhaps
information@cleanabilityawards.co.uk appear oblivious to the 10-day from central government.”
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