Videos
Watch insightful presentations and discussions from Wharton’s annual People Analytics Conference, featuring researchers, industry leaders, and data innovators. These videos capture a wide range of perspectives on the evolving role of people analytics in business and beyond.
Building High-Impact People Analytics Teams: Insights from Industry Research
2024
Speakers:
Neha Upadhyaya – MBA Candidate Class of 2025, The Wharton School
The Wharton People Analytics Applied Insights Team shares their findings on what enables people analytics teams to drive impact, based on interviews with 30 professionals and a survey of the industry. Their research highlights the key strategies and capabilities that high-impact teams develop, offering valuable insights into building effective, data-driven HR teams that can influence organizational success.
The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work
2023
Speakers:
Lise Vesterlund – Co-author of “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work”, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Economics, Director of the Behavioral Economics Design Initiative (BEDI), and of the Pittsburgh Experimental Economics Laboratory (PEEL)
Lise Vesterlund, professor of economics and co-author of “The No Club”, explains what non-promotable work is, how and why it affects women disproportionately, and what we can do to make smarter decisions about our work. She addresses how organizations and managers can benefit from reassessing how they assign and reward work.
Case for Transparency
2021
Speakers:
Ray Dalio – Founder. CEO & Co-Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates
Adam Grant – The Saul P. Steinberg Professor of Management Wharton School, Organizational psychologist, #1 NYT bestselling author of “Think Again”, Host of the TED podcast “WorkLife”, WPA Faculty Co-Director
Angela Duckworth – Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor, Author of “Grit”, CEO of Character Lab, WPA Faculty Co-Director
Ray Dalio looked inward and realized there would always be a ceiling on his potential if the only perspective he valued was his own. From that moment on, he adopted the ethos of radical transparency that he credits for playing a key part in his achievements at Bridgewater Associates, and has come to define his reputation ever since. In this session from the 2021 Wharton People Analytics Conference, Ray talks first with Angela Duckworth about the personality of success and what radical transparency actually looks like in practice. He then invites Adam Grant to take him at his word and give Ray feedback on his conversation with Angela. You’ll hear the three of them do a play-by-play analysis of Ray’s reactions and discover the one thing that Angela thinks could be the secret to everything.
Building an Inclusion Instinct
2021
Speakers:
Oris Stuart – Chief People and Inclusion Officer, The NBA
Cade Massey – Cade Massey: Practice professor, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Faculty Director, Wharton People Lab
Highlighting the NBA’s efforts in diversity and inclusion, Oris Stuart and Cade Massey explore strategies to embed these values deeply into corporate culture. The conversation underscores the importance of listening, engaging diverse communities, and implementing inclusive practices across all levels of an organization to enhance belonging and innovation.
Network Analytics
2019
Speakers:
Manish Goel – Co-Founder & CEO, Trustsphere
RJ Milnor – Vice President of Workforce Planning & Analytics, McKesson
Manish Goel and RJ Milnor discuss leveraging network analytics to enhance organizational dynamics and leadership in this talk from the 2019 Wharton People Analytics Conference. Their insights demonstrate network analytics’ potential in identifying influential connectors, promoting inclusiveness, and optimizing team dynamics, emphasizing the importance of trust, ethics, and transparency in deploying analytics for organizational transformation.
Keynote: Stewart Butterfield and Mae McDonnell
2018
Speakers:
Stewart Butterfield – CEO and Co-Founder, Slack
Mae McDonnell – Assistant Professor of Management, The Wharton School
Stewart Butterfield and Mae McDonnel discuss Slack’s role in transforming work through increased transparency and organizational alignment, and explore channels for improved communication, mitigating information overload with user controls, and leveraging AI and machine learning to empower, not replace, workers. Butterfield also addresses Slack’s impact on corporate culture, promoting inclusivity, and the potential of analytics to provide organizational and personal insights, stressing a balanced approach between technology and human judgment in decision-making.
What Do the Words We Use Say About Us
2015
Speaker:
Laura Huang – Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Wharton School of Business
Cindy Chung – Senior Research Scientist, Intel
Laura Huang and Cindy Chung explore the predictive power of words at the Wharton People Analytics Conference. Focusing on the subtle cues embedded in language use, their discussion covers how linguistic patterns, such as pronoun usage, reveal insights into individual behaviors, social dynamics, and psychological states. The conversation highlights the significance of understanding these patterns for enhancing communication, leadership, and organizational culture, demonstrating the profound impact of words on our personal and professional experiences.
Articles
Explore a curated collection of articles featuring groundbreaking research and expert insights from Wharton’s faculty. Discover innovative approaches to people analytics, uncovering insights into human behavior and business practices that are shaping the future.
Outside insiders: Understanding the Role of Contracting in the Careers of Managerial Workers
Anderson, T., & Bidwell, M. (2019)
This article examines the role of expatriates in global business strategies, highlighting how they act as ‘outside insiders’ who provide unique insights into both their home and host countries. It discusses the challenges and benefits of integrating expatriate talent in multinational corporations, including cultural adaptation, knowledge transfer, and strategic alignment. The article suggests effective practices for leveraging expatriate capabilities to enhance global competitiveness and innovation.
Collaborative Overload
Cross, R., Rebele, R., & Grant, A. (2017)
This article, authored by Rob Cross, Reb Rebele, and Adam Grant, discusses the phenomenon of ‘collaborative overload’ where excessive collaboration can lead to diminished productivity and burnout. It provides data showing that a significant portion of collaborative efforts are shouldered by a small fraction of employees. The article offers strategies to better manage collaboration demands, such as optimizing network resources, redistributing workload, and recognizing collaborative contributions effectively.
The Bright side of Being Prosocial at Work, and the Dark Side, too: A Review and Agenda for Research on Other-Oriented Motives, Behavior, and Impact in Organizations
Grant, A., & Bolino, M. (2016)
Bolino and Grant review research on the role of prosocial behavior in organizations, exploring the balance between altruism and self-interest. They highlight how acts like helping and voicing opinions boost performance but can lead to burnout. The authors urge a broader understanding of prosocial activities and a deeper look into their potential downsides, such as the exhaustion from over-giving. They call for research that explores complex models of prosocial behavior, its negative aspects, time dynamics, and the gender biases that often see women shouldering a disproportionate share of these tasks.
In our Own Backyard: When a Less Inclusive Community Challenges Organizational Inclusion
Humberd, B., Clair, J., & Creary, S. (2015)
The study introduces “inclusion disconnects,” highlighting the tension between an organization’s inclusive culture and a less inclusive local community, particularly in racial/ethnic contexts. Analyzing teaching hospitals in a racially segregated city, it reveals that historical biases, interactions with patients, and concerns about cultural fit can deter minority staff from long-term commitments, despite internal inclusion efforts. It proposes solutions like coalition-building with local groups, promoting open dialogue on community issues, and establishing an internal support system to mitigate these challenges.
Out of the Box? How Managing a Subordinate’s Multiple Identities Affects the Quality of a Manager-Subordinate Relationship
Creary, S. J., Caza, B. B., & Roberts, L. M. (2015)
This study by Stephanie J. Creary, Brianna Barker Caza, and Laura Morgan Roberts delves into the dynamics of manager-subordinate relationships through the lens of identity management. It explores how subordinates’ multiple identities can enhance or detract from these relationships, potentially providing access to diverse knowledge and social capital that influence resource utilization at work. The authors integrate theories from leader-member exchange, relational-cultural theory, and positive organizational scholarship to propose a new model that underscores the role of aligned identity management strategies in cultivating high-quality professional relationships.
In the Company of Givers and Takers
Grant, A. M. (2013)
Adam Grant explores the impact of ‘givers’ and ‘takers’ within organizations, illustrating how a culture of helping and generosity can significantly boost group and organizational effectiveness. His research demonstrates that environments where generosity is the norm not only improve productivity but also enhance employee satisfaction and loyalty. Grant discusses strategies to encourage giving behaviors while ensuring that givers do not become exploited, fostering a healthy, productive, and mutually supportive workplace atmosphere.
Challenging the Norm of Self-Interest: Minority Influence and Transitions to Helping Norms in Work Units
Grant, A. M., & Patil, S. V. (2012)
Adam M. Grant and Shefali V. Patil delve into how workplaces can evolve from self-centered norms to a culture of helping and cooperation. Their framework suggests that consistent modeling, advocacy, and inquiry about prosocial behaviors can influence broader normative shifts. The study points out that such transformations depend on factors like prosocial impact, status similarity among employees, overall agreeableness, and timely interventions. This research enriches organizational behavior studies by outlining ways to cultivate workplace environments where caring and collaborative norms thrive.
Politics and Firm Boundaries: How Organizational Structure, Group Interests and Resources Affect Outsourcing
Bidwell, M. (2012)
Matthew Bidwell’s paper delves into the role of internal politics and organizational structure in outsourcing decisions. Through a case study in a financial firm’s IT department, he shows that managerial interests, often rooted in internal politics, can outweigh traditional cost considerations. Bidwell reveals how goals, control mechanisms, and workflow interdependencies influence managers’ views on outsourcing. This study underscores the importance of understanding organizational dynamics and power distribution in shaping outsourcing strategies, challenging the purely transactional perspective on firm boundary management.
Prosocial Motivation at Work: When, Why, and How Making a Difference Makes a Difference
Grant, A. M., & Berg, J. M. (2011)
Adam M. Grant and Justin M. Berg’s work on prosocial motivation reveals its significant impact on the workplace. They show that fostering a culture of helping others not only enhances employee engagement and productivity but also encourages innovation and a stronger commitment to the organization. Through strategies like relational job design, promoting collective norms, transformational leadership, and acknowledging individual differences, organizations can cultivate a prosocially motivated workforce. This approach underscores the power of prosocial motivation in driving positive organizational outcomes, demonstrating its critical role in organizational psychology.
Good Soldiers and Good Actors: Prosocial and Impression Management Motives as Interactive Predictors of Affiliative Citizenship Behaviors
Grant, A., Mayer, D. (2009)
This research examines how prosocial and impression management motives interact to predict affiliative citizenship behaviors. Across two field studies, the authors find that impression management motives strengthen the positive association between prosocial motives and affiliative citizenship behaviors directed toward individuals (helping, courtesy) and the organization (initiative). However, prosocial motives alone predict the challenging citizenship behavior of voice. The studies suggest that employees who are both good soldiers and good actors are most likely to engage in affiliative citizenship.
Podcasts
Selected episodes of Women@Work, hosted by Laura Zarrow. In these conversations, Laura speaks with extraordinary role models, authors, and industry leaders to explore tactics and strategies that support women and men at all stages of their careers.
Stopping the Systemic Silencing of Women with Gretchen Carlson
May 19, 2021
Guest: Gretchen Carlson – Journalist, Author, Female Empowerment Advocate
Gretchen Carlson discusses her journey from being a prominent journalist to a leading voice against workplace harassment and arbitration clauses, sparking significant movements like #MeToo. She emphasizes the need for legal reforms to protect employees and shares her advocacy work through Lift Our Voices, aiming to eliminate silencing mechanisms in contracts. Carlson’s insights underline the importance of courage and collective action in driving societal change.
Joan C. Williams’ Interruption of Bias, and Strategic Approaches to Building a More Equitable Workplace
December 5, 2019
Guest: Joan C. Williams – Distinguished Professor of Law, Hastings Foundation Chair, & Founding Director at the Center for WorkLife Law, the University of CA. New York Times Best Selling Author
Joan C. Williams has played a central role in reshaping the conversation around work, gender, and class, through her work as a legal scholar, activist and innovator. In this episode, she talks with Laura about everything from her landmark book, “What Works for Women at Work” to the “White Working Class”, and what we can do in our own lives to create more equality in the workplace- for everyone.
Using Dignity to Resolve Conflicts with Dr. Donna Hicks
June 14, 2018
Guest: Donna Hicks – Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Author of “Dignity: It’s Essential Role in Resolving Conflict”
Dr. Donna Hicks, renowned for her work in international conflict resolution, discusses the essential role dignity plays in creating productive and respectful work environments. By sharing her insights on recognizing and honoring the inherent value in every individual, she offers a compelling framework for resolving conflicts and fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding. Her work serves leaders and employees alike, aiming to navigate the complexities of workplace dynamics with grace and integrity.
Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility
May 14, 2018
Guest: Patty McCord -Former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, author of “Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility”
In this episode Patty McCord shares her pioneering approach to HR and work culture, challenging traditional norms and advocating for honesty, transparency, and empowerment in the workplace. Her insights offer invaluable lessons on building a dynamic and effective work environment that fosters innovation and responsibility.