
UBC Decision Insights for Business and Society (UBC DIBS), in partnership with the BC Behavioural Insights Group (BC BIG) and WorkSafeBC, recently hosted the fourth edition of ‘BIG Difference BC’, an annual conference that brings together Behavioural Insights (BI) experts to present innovative ways to combine human psychology and cognitive science to solve complex policy issues. This year’s conference, themed ‘Mobilizing Momentum in the Science and Practice of Behavioural Insights’ saw record-breaking registration numbers with over 1,300 registrants from 52 countries around the world.
According to Kirstin Appelt, Research Director at UBC-DIBS, BI has transcended its position as a stand-alone tool and is becoming increasingly popular as part of the solution to some of society’s most pressing issues.
Adam King, UBC Sauder PhD student and Founder and Chief Behavioral Strategist for BeThink, a behavioral economics agency based in B.C., believes BI should be considered a crucial asset within an organization’s leadership and believes it is a skill every senior manager should possess. King believes UBC Sauder students are well positioned to continue the BI momentum. “The rigour around critical thinking that is honed at UBC Sauder is desperately valued in the workplace. I have no doubt that if the students have an understanding of behavioural science, they’ll surpass their predecessors in eliminating the frictions that exist in organizations,” says King.
To read the full story, please visit the UBC Sauder website.
Through Strategy 16: Public Relevance, UBC is always working to align its actions with pressing concerns in British Columbia and beyond.