Behavioral Science in Business: How to Successfully Apply Behavioral Science in A Corporate Setting

Over the past several years, behavioral science has slowly begun to creep its way out of the shadows and into the spotlight of the private sector. This transition has been facilitated in no small part by the efforts of academia and the proliferation of literature that offers a window into the countless ways in which behavioral science can help organizations guide people towards better outcomes. While companies are beginning to recognize the value of behavioral science, the application of this research is still in its infancy. Based on interviews with a number of practitioners, in addition to my own experience, this paper presents a basic road map that aspiring practitioners can follow as they set out to apply behavioral science in their own organizations. To simplify what is often an ambiguous topic, I have defined “behavioral problems” to mean any business challenge that involves people, while “behavioral solutions” can be distilled down to any solution that fixes these problems. The liberal interpretation of these terms highlights the broad reach that behavioral science can have in the corporate world.