Why the name Columbi?
A Columbus egg (In Swedish Columbi Ägg) alludes to a brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple or easy in retrospect. The expression stems from a story about Cristofer Columbus in which it is said that Columbus was required to solve an impossible problem to gain funds for his exploratory travels; that being to make an egg stand up. Hence, the name Columbi suits us well; quickly and efficiently we find honest and subjective answers to complex questions.
It started in the 1980s
The Columbi concept has its roots in the 1980s. It was then that the social partners in the labour market became increasingly interested in work environment issues and the well-being of the employees at their workplaces. In the past, the physical work environment had been the main focus, but from the 1980s onwards, an increasing emphasis was placed on psychosocial aspects.
It was recognised that a good psychosocial work environment, among other things, leads to greater well-being, increased commitment and less absence through illness, and that this in turn affects the entire workforce’s performance – and this still applies today. The interest in measuring the complex relationship between work environment and soft values such as well-being and health was thus aroused at this time. The idea was then, as now, to work together with those concerned, both to map the current situation and to see what needs to be improved.
The methodology as well as the method of mapping has evolved over the years, from manual individual surveys to digital and cost-effective IT solutions.
The basis is understanding of human behaviour
The starting point for a Columbi is that our subjective interpretation of the outside world determines our actions. This in turn is based on research into how we process information and handle or adapt to different situations. The scientific support for this reasoning is, for example, found in The Wheel, Ben Shalit’s method and Richard Lazarus’ Coping Theory.
The Columbi concept is well-proven and is also based on extensive empirical evidence from surveys conducted both in Sweden and abroad. Columbi can easily be adapted to different languages, cultures and situations and there is no limit on the number of participants.