Behaviour is their business
Why do consumers buy a particular brand? What’s the best way to motivate employees? What’s the most efficient structure for an organization? Why do people resist new technology at the workplace? To a large extent, business is about behaviour. Learning more about why people behave the way they do is the goal of faculty and students at the Centre for Multidisciplinary Behavioural Business Research (CMBBR), launched in the fall of 2010 at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business (JMSB).
“The CMBBR was founded by a group of Concordia faculty members to promote multidisciplinary behavioural research,” says H. Onur Bodur, founding member and director of the centre. “Our goal is to develop synergy among researchers in different disciplines, initiate new projects, and attract graduate students who are interested in behavioural research.”
At the moment, eight JMSB faculty members and more than a dozen Concordia graduate students are associated with the CMBBR. The centre includes a behaviour lab equipped with state-of-the-art computer equipment and a facility for small group research. This is used for a range of activities including focus groups and experiments in small-group interaction. The lab can be configured to simulate a retail space so investigators can study consumer behaviour in a realistic setting.
Behavioural research helps shed light on a wide range of business and organizational issues. “We study consumption patterns, workplace performance and many other issues where behaviour is a key factor,” says Bodur. “For instance, I’m interested in why people choose healthy food options or greener products, and how we can persuade them to do so. One of our team members is studying ways to promote recycling behaviour. Our research has implications for consumers, managers and employees in organizations and even the general public.”
CMBBR team members have already published an impressive array of research papers, and are beginning to make their mark nationally and internationally. The centre’s next goals are to raise its profile and extend its network within JMSB and beyond.
Related links:
• About the CMBBR
• About H. Onur Bodur