Center for Social Innovation

The power of social norms has been used to promote energy conservation and other prosocial outcomes.  From studies involving the reuse of hotel towels, energy consumption in towns, and the reduction of theft at national forests, UCLA Anderson School of Management Professor Noah Goldstein demonstrates that individuals are greatly influenced when they know how peers behave in the same situation. This presents an opportunity for marketers, managers and policymakers to craft messages that encourage positive activity. Goldstein spoke at Small Steps, Great Leaps, a special research briefing convened by Professor Francis Flynn and Jennifer Aaker and their colleagues in the field of prosocial behavior.  They presented practical, and cost-effective solutions for encouraging donations, volunteerism, social activism, and other responsible, caring, and prosocial behaviors.

Noah J. Goldstein is Assistant Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Goldstein joined the UCLA faculty after serving on the faculty of The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Goldstein’s primary line of research involves the study of the factors that lead people to change not only their attitudes and opinions, but also their behaviors. His scholarly research and writing on the topics of persuasion, conformity, and compliance have been published in academic outlets such as Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Sloan Management Review, and in a recent book entitled Yes. He is also interested in several other research lines, such as examining the antecedents and consequences of feeling psychologically close to other individuals.

Goldstein has consulted for a number of private and public institutions, including Accenture, the United States Forest Service, and the United States Census Bureau. He has taught Managing & Leadership Organizations and Leadership Foundations I to MBA students at UCLA Anderson.

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