Behavioral Science for Decision Makers and Managers
Behavioral and decision science is informed by contemporary theories and research methods of behavioral economics, decision sciences, network analysis, and public policy. With this knowledge, employees will understand how individuals and groups make decisions, and how to affect those decisions. This applied and interactive course includes real-life, practical examples and is enriched with video interviews by corporate managers describing their experiences with the type of problems we will address and how they implemented change.
Format
- Delivery method: Live online
- Times: 8 two-hour sessions, can be individually selected and customized
- Participation: Weekly discussion groups and applied learning with a final group project
Learning outcomes
Non-credit, certificate of completion
During this course of study, we will provide you with the theoretical and practical tools to address a variety of real-life problems, putting your business ahead of the curve in a growing field of study.
Course overview
Session 1: Foundation principles
- Principles of behavioral science
- Principles of behavioral economics
- Principles of business strategy
Session 2: Foundation principles
- Business implementation and development
- Business strategy evaluation and managing disruptions
- Strategic decision making
Session 3: Decision science excellence
- The cutting edge of behavioral economics
- Principles of decision making
- Context and choice in decision making
Session 4: Decision science excellence
- Decision science of consumers
- Decision science in organizations
- Leveraging problem-solver profiles
- Framing and breaking down complex problems
Session 5: Decision science excellence
- Decision support systems
- Data-driven decision making
- Consensus decision making
- Decision making under risk and uncertainty
Session 6: Behavioral science principles
- Behavioral science
- Coaching
- Negotiation strategies
- Researching and analyzing information to make your decisions
Session 7: Business intelligence
- Business intelligence
Session 8: Data management and presentation
- Analytics and AI
- Data management
- Data visualization (Tableau)
Faculty bio: Nazli Bhatia
Associate Professor of Practice in Behavioral and Decision Sciences; Lecturer, The Wharton School
Dr. Nazli Bhatia is an associate professor of practice in behavioral and decision sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a lecturer at the Wharton School where she teaches award-winning courses on negotiation in the MBA and executive programs.
In her research, Nazli seeks to better understand the powerful role words can play in a variety of interpersonal contexts. The main domain in which she explores this question is negotiation, where she studies rhetorical strategies—that is, the different ways in which proposals, offers, and concessions can be presented to influence the negotiation process and outcome. Though past research has mostly treated the bargaining process as an exchange of numbers. Nazli’s work finds that the way in which offers are communicated critically influences interpersonal and economic outcomes in negotiation. In addition to rhetorical strategies, Nazli studies the intersection of gender and influence within both negotiation and non-negotiation contexts. Her research has been featured in media outlets such as Fortune Magazine, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
In the Master of Behavioral and Decisions Sciences program, Nazli teaches two courses: Negotiation Behavior and Organizational Behavior. She has a PhD in organizational behavior and theory from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to coming to Penn, she worked as an assistant professor in Portugal and in Qatar and taught courses on cross-cultural management, teams, and influence.
