Brain for Business

Letting our minds wander is more widespread than many people imagine: research has found that we can spend anywhere from 15% to 50% of our waking hours in a state of mind-wandering. Differences may depend on what we’re doing and difficulties with knowing when our minds are wandering: according to some reports, about half our mind-wandering episodes might slip past unnoticed!To find out more about mind-wandering, its impact and its benefits for creative thinking, we are joined by Professor Jonathan Schooler of UC Santa BarbaraAbout our guest...Jonathan Schooler is a Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California Santa Barbara. His research on human cognition explores topics that intersect philosophy and psychology, such as how fluctuations in people’s awareness of their experience mediate mind-wandering and how exposing individuals to philosophical positions alters their behavior. Professor Schooler is also interested in the science of science (meta-science) including understanding why effects sizes often decline over time, and how greater transparency in scientific reporting might address this issue. A former holder of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, he is a fellow of a variety of scientific organizations, on the editorial board of a number of psychology journals and the recipient of major grants from both the United States and Canadian governments as well as several private foundations. His research and comments are frequently featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Nature Magazine.The website for the Meta Lab at UC Santa Barbara is as follows: https://labs.psych.ucsb.edu/schooler/jonathan/The article referred to in the podcast can be accessed here: “When the Muses Strike: Creative Ideas of Physicists and Writers Routinely Occur During Mind Wandering” - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797618820626 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of our most popular episodes, this interview with Professor David Cropley was first released in January, 2021. Having finally succumbed to Covid and to mark the episode's second anniversary, we are issuing a special re-release. At its core, innovation is an innately human process involving individuals, teams and organisations striving to do things better and find better solutions. Consequently, while processes and technology are vital to innovation, just as crucial is an understanding of the psychology of innovation and the way that individuals, teams and leaders can become more creative and innovative. So what then is the psychology of innovation? In this episode we are joined by Professor David Cropley of the University of South Australia to explore the role that psychology plays in creativity and innovation. Professor David Cropley is Professor of Engineering Innovation at the University of South Australia in Adelaide and is an internationally recognised expert on creativity and innovation. His teaching interests focus on systems engineering and related concepts, and his research examines a range of aspects of creativity and innovation, both in the field of engineering, and more broadly. Professor Cropley is an author and editor of 8 books including The Ethics of Creativity, Creativity and Crime and, with his father, Emeritus Professor Arthur Cropley, The Psychology of Innovation in Organizations published by Cambridge University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An MBA is seen by many aspiring executives as a rite of passage and a necessary step in order to develop their network, hone their skills and fine-tune their hard won business acumen. While once upon a time the top business schools tended to serve an almost exclusively male audience, thankfully these days business schools around the world make a significant effort to enhance the diversity of their student bodies and to be as inclusive as possible. Yet as our guests today have highlighted in recent research, in an odd twist of history, those same universities catering for an essentially male student body also provided special classes for their wives.To explore this further I am delighted to be joined by Allison Elias and Rolv Petter Amdam.Allison Elias is an assistant professor at University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Her research investigates historical and contemporary issues of gender and diversity in organizations, with a focus on the influence of social movements on corporate practices. Allison’s forthcoming book charts the trajectory of modern feminism at work illuminating the failures of equality-based frameworks and merit-based human resource management practices. Rolv Petter Storvik Amdam is a Professor of Business History at BI Norwegian Business School and was previously dean of BI’s executive programmes. His research and publications focus on a range of areas including • Business education and career development• International development of executive education* Internationalization procesess* Globalization and industrial clusters, focusing on the maritime industryThe article referred to is available here: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amle.2020.0129You can find out more about Allison and Rolv on their respective homepages:https://www.darden.virginia.edu/faculty-research/directory/allison-eliashttps://www.bi.edu/about-bi/employees/department-of-strategy-and-entrepeneurship2/rolv-petter-storvik-amdam/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent decades behavioural economics has emerged as a significant field in its own right. With a history going back almost a century and incorporating insights from Nobel prize winners such as Herbert Simon, Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler, behavioural economics seems to promise a meaningful alternative to the assumptions of rational human behaviour which underpin classical economics. Yet what really is behavioural economics? And more importantly what are the challenges which now appear likely to undermine behavioural economics seemingly inexorable progress rise to the top of the academic standings?To discuss this I am delighted to be joined by Dr Jason Collins of University of Technology Sydney.Dr Jason Collins is a Senior Lecturer in the Economics Discipline Group at University of Technology Sydney and Program Director for the Graduate Certificate and Master of Behavioural Economics.Jason joined UTS in January 2022 following a career in industry and government. Jason co-founded and led PwC Australia’s behavioural economics practice, and built and led data science and consumer insights teams at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). He has also worked as a lawyer, environmental campaigner, and an economic policy adviser with the Australian TreasuryJason holds a Ph.D. from the University of Western Australia in which his research focussed on the intersection of economics and evolutionary biology.Jason blogs regularly at Jason https://www.jasoncollins.blog/ and you can find out more about his thoughts on biases and behavioural economics in this article: https://www.worksinprogress.co/issue/biases-the-wrong-model/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While in the Western world, gender has traditionally been viewed as binary and as following directly from biological sex, in recent years these views have started to change. Gender is now seen, at least by some, as less binary and more independent of sex. These changes are reflected in societal developments such as the growing support for transgender individuals and in new policies and practices, such as unisex bathrooms and, in some countries, the legal recognition of a third gender.To explore these questions further and to gain a better understanding of transgender issues we were joined on the Brain for Business podcast by Professor Thekla Morgenroth.Thekla Morgenroth is Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. Their research examines why and how people maintain social categories and hierarchies with a particular focus on the gender/sex binary and its consequences for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.Some of Thekla’s current projects include research on opposition to policies and practices that challenge the gender/sex binary, the psychology of different feminist ideologies, the link between gender nonconformity and identity denial, and support for and opposition to the decriminalization of sex work.Thekla can be followed on Twitter (@TheMorgenroth) and you can find out more about Thekla’s research projects here: https://tmorgenr.wixsite.com/unicornlab?ga=2.204537744.1297948127.1668455134-498954844.1666261862 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While we might all enjoy a magic trick or an intriguing sleight of hand by a magician, most of us prefer not to be actively deceived in our personal or professional lives. Yet despite repeated calls in recent years for greater authenticity in leadership, there are still leaders in who rely on the magician’s tools of deceit and manipulation to further their personal agendas. To better understand the way that magical processes are used and abused by leaders, we are joined by Professor David Hannah of Simon Fraser University.David R. Hannah is an award-winning researcher and teacher, and presently an Associate Professor of Management at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. His research and teaching focuses on how individuals at work can cope effectively with the challenges and dilemmas of organizational life, and how they can help others to do so. The article referred to is available here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0007681322000994You can find out more about Dave and his research here: https://beedie.sfu.ca/profiles/DavidHannah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all have the same number of seconds, minutes, hours and days in a week, yet some people seem to be able to use the time available to them so much better than others. Perhaps they are just naturally good at managing their time, perhaps they are more organised, or perhaps they have simply spent more time analysing and planning what they are going to achieve in their day. However, as Professor Abbie Shipp of Texas Christian University highlights in this episode of the Brain for Business podcast, even experts in time management can develop an unhealthy fixation on time management leading to significant negative consequences for health and well-being. Yet some simple steps to reframe our perspective on time can make a real difference and help us to be happier, healthier and more productive.Dr. Abbie J. Shipp is the M. J. Neeley Professor and Department Chair of the Management & Leadership department at Texas Christian University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina and studies how people think about and use time at work. She has published widely in premier journals in management and is currently an Associate Editor at Academy of Management Review, the top theory journal in her field. In addition to prior work at The Boeing Company and TV Guide, she has consulted with multiple Fortune 500 companies on topics such as time management, engagement and retention, and leading change.You can find out more about Abbie’s work at her TCU page: https://www.neeley.tcu.edu/DirectoryProfile/Our-Team/afb81ade-ae80-4b40-8aa2-d5dc1d1153a9?pageAlias=Shipp-Abbie The HBR article referenced in the podcast can be accessed online: https://hbr.org/2021/06/my-fixation-on-time-management-almost-broke-me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While bias and discrimination are far from new phenomena, in recent years we have all become much more aware of their meaning and impact. From me too to black lives matter and a whole range of other movements, there has in many ways been a global questioning of the role that bias, discrimination and the implicit associations that often underpin them can play in human interactions. To dig deep into these questions and find out more I am delighted to be joined by Jordan Axt, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University in Montreal.Jordan’s research explores how people form and express intergroup bias in attitudes and behavior. As part of this he investigates how such bias is presented both explicitly, when mental processes are more controlled, and implicitly, when mental processes are more automatic and uncontrolled. Jordan investigates these questions across many social domains, such as race, politics, religion, age, sexual orientation, and physical attractiveness. Through this work, he seeks to discover how intergroup bias can be best conceptualized, measured, and reduced.You can find out more about Jordan’s work at the following links:https://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/jordan-axthttps://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Magical beliefs such as belief in luck and precognition are universal, yet the nature and extent to which such beliefs are embraced varies significantly across cultures. While not often considered, the implications of for cross-cultural engagement, whether for work, holidays or other reasons, are potentially quite significant and can have a much bigger impact on how we understand other people and cultures than we might at first realise. In this episode of Brain for Business we were delighted to be joined by Dr Emily Harris of The University of Melbourne to discuss her recent research into this unique and fascinating area. Dr Emily Harris is an academic at the University of Melbourne in the field of social psychology. Dr Harris is broadly interested in how distal worldviews can shape our everyday experiences. She has conducted two large scale multinational studies assessing people’s beliefs about science and magic. In her other research life, Dr Harris studies how our worldviews about gender can shape our intimate relationships and body image. You can find out more about Emily's research at: https://www.dremilyaharris.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we look back on history, the industrial revolution in Britain seems likely an historical inevitability. Following on from the Scottish Enlightenment and the growth of Britannia as a global empire and trading power, surely the industrial revolution as we now know it was uniquely and distinctly British thing. But is this really the case? To discuss this and other questions we are joined by Dr Anton Howes. Key amongst Anton's arguments is the belief that a unique "improvement mentality" drove the Industrial Revolution and resulted in the unique innovations of that time. We also explore the implications of this improvement mentality for businesses and organisations today.Dr Anton Howes is an innovation historian focusing on the development of innovation over the centuries and author of the Age of Invention newsletter.He is head of innovation research at The Entrepreneurs Network, a UK-based think tank focused on encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. He is also honorary historian-in-residence at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, having written its latest history. Anton was previously a lecturer in Economic History at King's College London. Anton’s forthcoming book will examine why innovation accelerated in seventeenth and eighteenth century in Britain, which in turn led to the Industrial Revolution.You can find out more about Anton's work at: https://www.antonhowes.com/And sign up to his newsletter: https://antonhowes.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.