Since the turn of the millennium, a seismic shift has taken place in the corporate world As I type these words, the five most valuable companies in the world— Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet (Google) and Amazon— are all tech companies. Following breakthroughs made in the realm of artificial intelligence, corporations building digital minds have also …
Continue reading The Geek Way: How Silicon Valley is Reshaping The Corporate World
In 2015, the revelation that Volkswagen had been gaming emissions tests shook the corporate world. The deception involved 11 million diesel cars being fitted with a ‘defeat device’, which masked the emissions released by these vehicles when they detected they were undergoing testing, but otherwise polluted at levels flagrantly beyond legal limits. Since being busted, …
Rocked by a steady stream of failed replications and allegations of outrageous fraud, behavioural science stands at a crossroads. Ironically, the field of psychology finds itself slumped in a period of piercing introspection, being forced to answer tough questions. Diagnoses abound, with blame being placed on perverse incentives in academia, statistical methods in dire need …
Whether weddings, national parades or religious festivals, rituals present a puzzle. We stress their importance, reflecting on these services as some of life’s most cherished moments. And yet, when prompted, most of us can’t explain why we perform them. What explains their persistence, and this apparent contradiction? In his new book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts …
As workers across the corporate world have begun scuttering back into their offices, many of us are sneaking away with our comrades for a drink. Given the substantial hazards alcohol presents, what should our stance on drinking with our colleagues be? In his new book Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to …
Here's an episode I recorded with Stephen Colarelli for This View of Life podcast. Stephen Colarelli is professor of psychology at Central Michigan University. His research explores how evolutionary theory can influence how we think about, conduct research on, and manage behaviour in organisations. Steve and I discuss the application of evolutionary psychology to Human …
Here's an ethical dilemma for you to mull over: You are riding in a car driven by a close friend. He hits a pedestrian. You know he was going at least 35 miles per hour in an area of the city where the maximum allowed speed is 20 miles per hour. There are no witnesses. …
Continue reading The Weirdest People in the World, by Joseph Henrich
Here’s a podcast episode I recorded with Nigel Nicholson, for the Evolution Institute. Nigel Nicholson and I discuss the application of evolutionary psychology to business and management. We cover Nigel Nicholson’s academic career, and his books Managing the Human Animal, Family Wars and The “I” of Leadership. We also explore the impacts of the pandemic on the world of work. We …
Continue reading Managing the Human Animal, with Nigel Nicholson
The sneakiness of the novel coronavirus virus has wreaked havoc worldwide. Although the coronavirus is a global pandemic, what's striking is how the pathogen’s destruction has varied across regions. Whilst East Asia has largely got a grip on the virus, Europe is still reeling. The United Kingdom recently pipped Italy to claim Europe's highest death …
Continue reading How culture explains our weak response to the coronavirus
Here’s a podcast episode I recorded with Ricardo Lopes, for The Dissenter. Ricardo and I explore the application of evolutionary psychology to the business world. We start by tackling the concept of evolutionary mismatch, and then go through some examples of how it applies to the modern workplace— such as Dunbar’s number, hierarchy and leadership, …
Continue reading Evolutionary Organisational Psychology, with The Dissenter
Darwinian Business 