Ben Baran

Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

Ben Baran — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:33:38 +0000

Derek Sivers is an interesting guy–entrepreneur, speaker, musician, performer, writer, programmer, and more. I first heard him speak at a music business conference in 2004, when he was running CDBaby, the wildly successful online music store that catered to independent musicians.

Sivers made a video a few years ago called “Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy.” I think it’s great. As a management professor, I’ve used it in class numerous times as a great way to spark discussion about leadership, followership, risk taking, creativity, and other related topics.

Check it out below and see what you think.

Filed under: all updates, organizational behavior, organizational change

Response Surface Analysis Spreadsheet

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:34:10 +0000

In 2010, my co-authors and I published this paper in the Journal of Business and Psychology:

Shanock, L. R., Baran, B. E., Gentry, W. A., Pattison, S. C., & Heggestad, E. D. 2010. Polynomial regression and response surface analysis: A powerful approach for examining moderation and overcoming limitations of difference scores. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25: 543-554.

The article mentions a helpful spreadsheet for conducting response surface analysis. Download the spreadsheet here.

Filed under: all updates, analytics, human resources, organizational behavior, research summaries

Organizational Change: Short-Term Wins

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:55:54 +0000

Here’s a short overview of the concept of creating short-term wins as any part of an organizational change effort. This idea comes from John Kotter’s work on organizational change, in which he outlines eight steps toward managing organizational change. Creating short-term wins is step six. For more information about Kotter’s approach toward organizational change, check out any of his many books, articles, and videos–he’s a pro!

Filed under: all updates, human resources, organizational behavior, organizational change

Employee Motivation: Social Exchange and Organizational Support Theory

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:52:18 +0000

In this clip, I describe the basics of social exchange and organizational support theory. These theories help us understand a number of aspects regarding employee behavior and motivation at work.

Filed under: all updates, human resources, organizational behavior

Employee Motivation: Goal-Setting Theory

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:51:05 +0000

Setting difficult, specific goals is one of the most well-documented ways of increasing motivation. In this clip, I describe some of the basics of goal-setting theory as it pertains to employee motivation and some of the implications it has for managers.

Filed under: all updates, human resources, organizational behavior

Employee Motivation: Expectancy Theory

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:47:40 +0000

Expectancy theory is one of the most well-known theories of work motivation. It takes a rational approach toward human behavior, assuming that people make conscious decisions among alternatives. In this clip, I explain the basics of expectancy theory and some of the potential implications it has for managers.

Filed under: all updates, human resources, organizational behavior

Employee Motivation: Equity Theory

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:46:44 +0000

Equity theory helps us understand work motivation by looking at people’s values. In this clip, I discuss the five key parts of equity theory, an example of how it may operate at work, and some of the implications it has for managers.

Filed under: all updates, human resources, organizational behavior

Employee Motivation: Need Theory

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:42:02 +0000

One of the keys to unlocking the mystery of human behavior at work and employee motivation has to do with understanding employees’ needs. Need theory, which I briefly describe in this clip, tells us why needs are important drivers of behavior.

Filed under: all updates, human resources, organizational behavior

Employee Motivation: An Introduction

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:39:03 +0000

In this clip, I define employee (or work) motivation, why it matters with respect to employee ability, and general steps managers can take to motivate their employees. Regarding these general steps, I go into more detail about each of the theories listed in additional lessons that I’ve uploaded. Enjoy!

Filed under: all updates, human resources, organizational behavior

YouTube Channel

Ben Baran — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:34:38 +0000

I recently created a YouTube channel, and I’ve posted a few videos to it. I’ll periodically add to the collection. I plan to address various topics within the realm of management, organizational behavior, organizational change, human capital analytics, and others. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/drbenbaran

Filed under: all updates, analytics, crises, human resources, organizational behavior, research summaries, strategy