Sympathy is often considered a weakness in business, but new research by Laura Kray, a professor in the Haas Management of Organizations Group at University of California, Berkeley, proves otherwise.
“Sympathy is an emotion that corresponds with good will,” Kray said. “In negotiations, it can translate into a willingness to problem solve in ways that might not otherwise occur.”
Along with co-authors Aiwa Shirako (Berkeley-Haas PhD 11 and people analyst at Google) and Gavin Kilduff (Berkeley-Haas PhD 10 and an assistant professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business), Kray’s study found that being transparent about one’s misfortune is more effective when a “low power” or someone in a weaker negotiation position initiates the sympathy.
“Relative to low power negotiators, we find that high power negotiators’ sympathy appeals are seen as more inappropriate and manipulative, and may damage the negotiators’ relationship going forward,” the researchers wrote in the study’s abstract.
Across five studies, though, Kray’s results showed that genuine vulnerability can be advantageous.
“Our findings reveal an optimistic message,” Kray said. “Even when people are in powerful positions, situations in which cold-hearted, rational actors might be expected to behave opportunistically, we are finding instead that their feelings of sympathy motivate them to help the disadvantaged.”
(photo credit: The Open University (OU) via photopin cc)
You want people to walk the right way toward an exit. New research, though, shows that anxious people will steer toward the left.
“Behavioural approach and inhibition are two fundamental motivational systems manifested in affective, cognitive, and behavioural traits,” the researchers wrote in the study. “The aim of the present research was to examine the individual and joint associations of these systems with lateral spatial bias. Blindfolded participants traversed a room aiming for a straight line. Locomotion data obtained from motion tracking revealed systematic lateral biases in participants’ walking trajectories.”
Previous studies showed that threatening conditions trigger high activity in the brain’s right hemisphere, which causes people to head left.
“This anxiety/arousal function is consistent with a right-sided orienting network for attention, which responds to novel and unexpected events and acts as a ‘circuit breaker’ for focal processing,” the researchers wrote.
This current research showed for the first time that there are two different motivation systems across the brain’s two hemispheres—the approach motivation system resides in the left hemisphere, and the anxious and inhibition systems reside in the right.
The research should be considered when it comes to crowd management and egress strategies. How do your plans change knowing anxious guests subconsciously move toward the left when threatened? Please let us know in the comments.
(Image: Kate Crabtree/Creative Commons)
Have you ever wondered why stadium designs frequently change? Tim Newcomb with Sports Illustrated recently dove right into that question with an emphasis on the constant change in designs of new soccer-specific stadiums.
Key factors include building excitement and engagement, architects bidding on the job, feedback from teams and ownership groups, budgets, developing a vision, in-venue programming, site or zoning constraints, and even a project’s age.
“Technology can change. Design or aesthetic trends can change,” said Jon Knight, a senior principal and architect at Populous, design firm developing soccer stadiums in Washington, D.C.; Minnesota; and Orlando, Florida. “Over the lifespan of a project, the rendering or the conceptual design that a firm used to do a study in 2005 is barely relevant in 2016, even though the project in technically the same project.”
As previously mentioned, characteristics for the new wave of soccer specific stadiums has changed quite a bit since the first was built in 1999 in Columbus, Ohio.
Don’t be surprised to see quite a few different renderings from cities looking to build a soccer-specific stadium in pursuit of an MLS expansion franchise such as Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Sacramento, San Antonio, and St. Louis. Keep an eye out; one might just be your next workplace.
These are selected news articles that showed up in our inboxes on Monday morning that we want to pass along to you.
Disney Plans New Venue at ESPN Wide World of Sports (Orlando Sentinel)
“Plans say the gross square footage would be 286,000 and the building footprint would be 180,000 square feet. (In comparison, the Jostens Center gymnasium is 70,000 square feet.)”
Luke Bryan Talks Stadiums and “Stacked Up” Touring Schedule (Rolling Stone)
“‘That’s just where my bread is buttered,’ says the superstar entertainer.”
McCormick Place Stepping Up Security in Wake of Terror Attacks (Chicago Tribune)
“The 108th Chicago Auto Show will feature something new next month: roaming police-dog patrols.”
Philadelphia Could Make Musicians Register With the Police (Reason)
“New bill calls for performers to hand over personal information; cops could revoke venues’ performance licenses.”
How the Palais Theatre Changing Hands Could Affect Melbourne Live Music (Tonedeaf.com.au)
“The [Port Phillip Council] has shortlisted Live Nation Australasia and Playbill Venue Management to take over running the 89-year-old venue, which has become a controversial flashpoint for the area.”
(Image: Facebook)
Our friends, the Green Sports Alliance, are having their annual summit this June in Houston, Texas. Early-bird registration ends this Friday, January 29.
The annual Green Sports Alliance Summit is the world’s largest and most influential gathering for the sports community to unite around sustainability. The event brings together more than 700 industry stakeholders to learn and share better practices and the latest innovations in greening operations, advancing the supply chain and engaging fans.
This year, the Summit program will emphasize the power of partnerships and how they are helping amplify the sports greening movement across the globe and positioning the sports industry to make a significant change in the communities where we live and play. The 2016 Summit program will cover the day’s most critical topics in professional and collegiate sports greening via a dynamic mix of leadership plenaries, keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking events.
Click here to register to attend.
(Image: Facebook)