Viewpoint: Set potential free

Britain is about two years away from a general election; and beneath much of the debate between the parties there will be the belief that the solution to the nation's economic ills, including unemployment, is entirely a matter of implementing the right economic policy. Yet the omission of the human factor is strange in the extreme; because no economic plan, however well conceived, can possibly work without the co‐operation of people. But to get that co‐operation those in authority must understand people's expectations and motivations. Regrettably, politicians and administrators rarely display any understanding of human psychology or the sociocultural context in which behaviour occurs. For example, more economic activity generating increased employment could easily be effected by encouraging innovation and creativity.