Bestselling books such as Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational and Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow have opened the world's eyes to the quirky and error-prone ways in which people make important decisions. Building on the work of those scholars and many others in the field of behavioral economics, this live online program prepares you to influence the behavior of customers and employees—and become a bigger contributor to your organization's success.

You may also be interested in the related in-person program: Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employee Behavior.

This program is eligible for the Certificate of Management Excellence. Learn More

Summary

You may also be interested in the related in-person program: Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employee Behavior.

This program is eligible for the Certificate of Management Excellence. Learn More

Key Benefits

Behavioral economics provides fundamental insights into how people think—and how altering the decision-making context can make an impact on their choices. In this virtual program, you will learn how to design and rigorously test a "choice architecture" that can help your managers make better decisions, create greater value for your customers, and improve business outcomes for your company.

DetailsExpand All Collapse All

Understand the actions of your customers and employees Understand the actions of your customers and employees

Discover the subtle forces driving choices and become your organization's go-to problem-solver
Develop a user-oriented, outcome-driven mindset
Improve employee motivation
Design products and services that create more value for your customers

Improve decision-making and performance across your organization Improve decision-making and performance across your organization

Enhance organizational performance by using "choice architecture" to alter the context in which employees make decisions
Facilitate rapid cycles of idea generation
Test the potential impact of proposed actions

Expand your personal and professional network Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Key Benefits

Details

Understand the actions of your customers and employees

Discover the subtle forces driving choices and become your organization's go-to problem-solver
Develop a user-oriented, outcome-driven mindset
Improve employee motivation
Design products and services that create more value for your customers

Improve decision-making and performance across your organization

Enhance organizational performance by using "choice architecture" to alter the context in which employees make decisions
Facilitate rapid cycles of idea generation
Test the potential impact of proposed actions

Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Who Should Attend

Executives with at least 10 years of experience who lead functional areas such as product development, human resources, talent management, marketing, advertising, business development, or sales
Individuals responsible for product design, product management, or risk management

This program may be of particular interest to past participants of Changing the Game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision-Making, as the programs are highly complementary.

Attendance by multiple company representatives will foster teamwork and amplify the program's impact on your organization.

Program for Leadership Development participants earn 3 PLDA Points on completion of this program.

Who Should Attend

Executives with at least 10 years of experience who lead functional areas such as product development, human resources, talent management, marketing, advertising, business development, or sales
Individuals responsible for product design, product management, or risk management

This program may be of particular interest to past participants of Changing the Game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision-Making, as the programs are highly complementary.

Attendance by multiple company representatives will foster teamwork and amplify the program's impact on your organization.

Program for Leadership Development participants earn 3 PLDA Points on completion of this program.

Leaders in Virtual Learning

When you participate in a virtual HBS Executive Education program, you benefit from a powerful learning experience carefully designed with a virtual setting in mind. Through live, synchronous program sessions you'll engage directly with our renowned faculty to learn from their latest research, gain actionable takeaways, and facilitate your growth. In addition, virtual discussion groups will connect you to a global group of peers and build your network.

Dive Deeper into the Experience

We Celebrate New Ways of Thinking. Are You Ready?

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Examining the Impact of Human Behavior

Make smarter, better choices by understanding yourself and others.

See His Story

Discover more about business. And yourself.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Leaders in Virtual Learning: When you participate in a virtual HBS Executive Education program, you benefit from a powerful learning experience carefully designed with a virtual setting in mind. Through live, synchronous program sessions you'll engage directly with our renowned faculty to learn from their latest research, gain actionable takeaways, and facilitate your growth. In addition, virtual discussion groups will connect you to a global group of peers and build your network.

Dive Deeper into the Experience

We Celebrate New Ways of Thinking. Are You Ready?

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Watch the Video Watch the Video

Examining the Impact of Human Behavior

Make smarter, better choices by understanding yourself and others.

See His Story

Discover more about business. And yourself.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Watch the Video Watch the Video

Admissions Criteria and Process

We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

Answering Your Questions

Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1-800-427-5577 (outside the U.S., call +1-617-495-6555).

Application Submission

We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1-617-495-6226.

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The program fee covers tuition, e-books, and online case materials. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 14 days before the program start date to receive a full refund. Cancellations received 7 to 14 days before the program start date are subject to a payment of 50 percent of the program fee. Requests received within 7 days of the program start date are subject to full payment of the program fee.

Admissions Criteria and Process

Answering Your Questions

Application Submission

Application Review

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

What You Will Learn

This program is structured to improve your analytical and decision-making skills and help you bring the principles of behavioral economics to your organization's most pressing challenges. Through dynamic faculty presentations, case studies, role-playing, simulation exercises, and insights from guest speakers, you will discover how subtle yet powerful changes to the decision-making environment can influence outcomes.

What You Will Learn: This program is structured to improve your analytical and decision-making skills and help you bring the principles of behavioral economics to your organization's most pressing challenges. Through dynamic faculty presentations, case studies, role-playing, simulation exercises, and insights from guest speakers, you will discover how subtle yet powerful changes to the decision-making environment can influence outcomes.

Program Format

The program takes place over two weeks, with live, synchronous classes from 9:00 to 11:15 AM ET Monday through Friday. Class sessions will take place via the Zoom platform. In addition, participants can expect to spend up to five hours in virtual discussion groups. There is also ample opportunity for interaction with faculty and peers inside and outside the class sessions.

Collaborative learning is an integral part of the experience. To maximize the benefit for everyone, you are expected to attend every session, complete all assignments, and contribute effectively in the class and in small groups.

Program Format

Key TopicsExpand All Collapse All

Understanding decision science Understanding decision science

Examining the psychological biases and motivation problems that get in the way of making wise decisions
Analyzing the power of group dynamics in mitigating or exacerbating the counterproductive effects of psychological biases
Studying the behavioral limitations that make it difficult for people to pay attention to the right information at the right time

Shaping the behavior of customers and employees Shaping the behavior of customers and employees

Understanding why choice contexts can sometimes act as barriers to successful decision-making
Examining effective strategies for aligning customer and employee actions with your organizational goals

Applying behavioral economics in your organization Applying behavioral economics in your organization

Identifying your organization's specific behavioral challenges—and exploring potential solutions
Defining the essential skills that enable a "choice architect" to influence the behavior of other organizational stakeholders
Exploring roadmaps that incorporate behavioral economics into everyday work

Key Topics

Understanding decision science

Examining the psychological biases and motivation problems that get in the way of making wise decisions
Analyzing the power of group dynamics in mitigating or exacerbating the counterproductive effects of psychological biases
Studying the behavioral limitations that make it difficult for people to pay attention to the right information at the right time

Shaping the behavior of customers and employees

Understanding why choice contexts can sometimes act as barriers to successful decision-making
Examining effective strategies for aligning customer and employee actions with your organizational goals

Applying behavioral economics in your organization

Identifying your organization's specific behavioral challenges—and exploring potential solutions
Defining the essential skills that enable a "choice architect" to influence the behavior of other organizational stakeholders
Exploring roadmaps that incorporate behavioral economics into everyday work

Special Program FeaturesExpand All Collapse All

Behavioral Task Force Sessions Behavioral Task Force Sessions

In addition to program faculty drawing examples from their diverse areas of expertise, participants will discuss and generate solutions to their own organizational challenges. To prepare for these sessions, participants are asked to spend time in advance of the program reflecting on some of the problems that their organization faces. Upon admittance, the faculty will provide guidance on which types of challenges are well-suited to behavioral economics solutions. While in the program, participants work in groups to design a solution or set of solutions to a problem using behavioral economics techniques, devise a strategy for implementing and evaluating the success of their solution, and present their proposal to the cohort on the final day of the program.

Special Program Features

Behavioral Task Force Sessions

The HBS Advantage

Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe

Faculty Cochairs

John Beshears

Terrie F. and Bradley M. Bloom Associate Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets

Read Full Bio

Francesca Gino

Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets

Read Full Bio

Faculty

David Laibson

Harvard University:

Robert I. Goldman Professor of Economics

Read Full Bio

The HBS Advantage: Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe

Faculty Cochairs

John Beshears

Terrie F. and Bradley M. Bloom Associate Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets

Read Full Bio

Francesca Gino

Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets

Read Full Bio

Faculty

David Laibson

Harvard University:

Robert I. Goldman Professor of Economics

Read Full Bio