Adam Grant

As I prepare for SERVSIG 2024 in Bordeaux, including Journal of Services Marketing Associate Editor Meetings and a Special Session with Thomas Hollmann, Back to the Future? Services Science Myopia, there are some thoughts that educators must address. The United States is experiencing a cultural shift whereby programs, including credentials, are evaluated exclusively based on a learner's capacity to secure employment (see https://lnkd.in/g6xFxfFH We will increasingly be judged not by article generation, but rather, by our ability to maximize learners'' "Return on Investment," see https://lnkd.in/gX8pm23i To maintain employment, educators will have to consider linkages to skills and practitioners. If I'm accused of being extreme, colleges are now closing in the U.S. at a rate of one per week, https://lnkd.in/gESnhG-u I am promising an insightful session for SERVIG 2024 attendees as we discuss our responsibilities as marketing educators in a field where our success is correlated with the return on investment for our students. See you at the KEDGE Business School next week!

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Sometimes things happen that feel like they should clue more people in to the Matrix-like nature of Capitalism. There are moments that say the quiet part loud and clear, and yet fail to get heard. The legal case claiming insurers used a loyalty program to hike premium prices rather than offer discounts, feels like one of those: https://lnkd.in/gX7Xsfqn. This accusation, even if unproven, points out that what appears to be a business 'rewarding' you for sticking with them, is an indicator to them that you are sticking with them, so they can now squeeze you without the risk of you going elsewhere. (A customer is someone making a custom of dealing with you.) I felt the same when it was suggested that Uber tracked mobile phone battery levels & surged priced individuals when their batteries were low: https://lnkd.in/gbacTqS9. I was intrigued by that one because it suggested algorithms could easily be used to offer dynamics prices to people based on all sorts of information, including how wealthy they were. It was exciting to think there might be some algorithmic privatized wealth taxing going on, instead of rich people getting more stuff for free out of some sycophantic tribute system. I am fond of trying to create one of these moments for students with this crude diagram from an old presentation on EVR - Eco-costs Value Ratio: https://lnkd.in/g6taqfJf. The image suggests that a business on the left is hoping to dupe a customer into paying more for something than it cost to make. Meanwhile the customer on the right is hoping to dupe a business by paying less for a product/service than the value they will get out of it. Market exchanges are less agreements about true values than a game in which both parties think they've managed to swindle the other. The game depends on the firewall between them: if a customer can find out how much a product cost to make, they can see the markup and so will bargain down; and vice versa if the business can see what the customer would really be prepared to pay for a product - hence the examples of insurance loyalty schemes & rideshare data metrics. (A less cynical more hopeful reading of the diagram is that if I can see how much effort a business went to, to create something I value, & especially if I can see that I do not have the skills to make or even source that product/service through other means, I will agree to give them a fair price, even with a justifiable profit. The dream of the early internet was that it would allow people to see through that wall to how things were being made, & why.) When I teach the diagram, I am hoping students are getting an 'anthropology of economics' insight. I hope they are seeing that capitalist ways of arranging society are just one amongst many ways, one that incentives gaming & duping rather than authentic collaboration.

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What editors for academics do, in part: "Keep the scholar on the vernacular track. That doesn’t mean they have to dumb down what they are writing. Quite the contrary, actually. Working with their editor, they have to make sure that the complexity of what they are talking about is intelligently and clearly conveyed." See more below from Wayne Jones.

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As artificial intelligence plays an ever-larger role in automated systems and decision-making processes, the question of how it affects humans' sense of their own agency is becoming less theoretical — and more urgent!

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Signs your essay analysis needs some serious help: —The professor's main comment on your midterm or practice essay was “conclusory” or “why?” —You combine multiple rules/issues in one long analysis sentence. —You understand why a fact raises an issue in your head but struggle to articulate the reason on paper or screen. —You feel like you’re being too redundant or that your analysis is unnecessarily baby-stepping your professor through the issue. —You think the analysis is too obvious, so you skip it. —You conclude an element is satisfied/negated without explaining why the facts satisfy/negate the element. —Your analysis is a string of sentences restating the facts, followed by a conclusion. —You don’t know why your analysis needs help, but know you need to try something different to do well. This is all normal, law students. Promise. I will share the simple formula for writing excellent analysis sentences in my newsletter tomorrow. So, if you struggle with exam analysis, I’ll help you solve it. Join the other law students reading the full issue tomorrow: https://lnkd.in/gKrYK-jR.

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https://lnkd.in/eNeVzWkW Watch Episode 4 of the hDim (Hidden Dimensions) podcast, in which Matt Berseth and Ted Willich from NLP Logix discuss starting and growing an AI and ML solutions company.

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Do you want to take your presentations to the next level? Incorporating cognitive science techniques might just be the key! Join me at the IIBA Palmetto, DC Metro, and Cleveland Chapter meeting this Wednesday to learn more. The event will cover how to captivate your audience and keep them engaged throughout your presentation. Register now at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gngKwjgj IIBA, IIBA Palmetto Chapter

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Thought-provoking reflections by Craig J.R. Sewall, PhD in his latest blog post digging into American data on physical and mental health. Worth reading by anyone and everyone working on #DigitalWellbeing. We cannot study technology and health in a vacuum. 📚 Popular speculation attributing a rise in mental health issues among youth primarily to social media and smartphones miss the complex nature of mental health challenges. Severe impacts of parental loss, including direct psychological distress and broader socio-economic challenges, are a more significant factor. 📉 Over the past two decades, approximately 1.2 million U.S. youths have experienced the death of a parent due to drugs or firearms, with a significant increase in these deaths occurring in the last decade. This is highlighted in studies published in JAMA, emphasizing the rising trend in parental mortality impacting children. 📈 There has been a substantial rise in suicides among adults aged 25-34 and 35-44, crucial parenting years, with increases of 38% and 25% respectively from 1999 to 2017, potentially contributing to the psychological and familial crises among youth. #childandadolscentmentalhealth #monocausaldeterminism #digitalwellbeing #psychosocialstress https://lnkd.in/e5kBsniw

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I asked META to provide what it cost to publish a book and this is what I got. I think it's pretty accurate: "The cost of book publishing can vary widely depending on several factors, including the type of book, production quality, marketing efforts, and distribution channels. Here are some estimated costs associated with book publishing: 1. Editing: - Developmental editing: $500-$2,000 - Line editing: $1,000-$3,000 - Copy editing: $500-$1,500 - Proofreading: $200-$500 2. Design and formatting: - Cover design: $200-$1,500 - Interior design and formatting: $500-$2,000 3. Printing and distribution: - Print-on-demand (POD): $5-$10 per unit - Offset printing: $2,000-$5,000 (depending on quantity) - E-book distribution: $100-$500 4. Marketing and promotion: - Social media marketing: $500-$2,000 - Email marketing: $500-$2,000 - Book signings and events: $500-$2,000 - Publicity and PR: $1,000-$5,000 5. Other costs: - ISBN registration: $125-$250 - Copyright registration: $35-$55 - Book formatting and conversion: $100-$500 Overall, the total cost of book publishing can range from $2,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on the scope and quality of the project. Keep in mind that these estimates are rough and can vary depending on your specific needs and goals. Some authors may choose to invest more in certain areas, while others may prioritize cost-effectiveness." Would love to know your thoughts... If you've published a book, do these numbers align with what you invested? If you're considering publishing a book, while self publishing can be done at zero cost, it pays to hire a professional if you want your book to be professional. Post below your experience with publishing.

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This WSJ article relates the charming story of journalist Katherine Bindley who gave up her smartphone for Lent. She describes how it was great while it lasted, but like doing a crash diet, the old habits all came back once she checked in with her phone again. I spoke with the reporter and we discussed how we need to create a change in practices that is lasting. She presents some tips. #management #productivity #tech #distractions #wellbeing https://lnkd.in/gqifwkBY

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Here's a Sadler's Lectures podcast episode on Kant's discussion of the third of the transcendental ideas (the Theological Idea) in part 3 of his Prolegomena To Any Future Metaphysics. https://lnkd.in/gZJZQ8P4 #Podcast #Kant #Prolegomena #Metaphysics #Theological #Philosophy

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"Show, don’t tell" is said a lot—but it isn’t meaningless white noise. In this first part of a brand new four-part series, we’ll discuss what "show, don’t tell" actually means and how exactly it relates to the strength of your story. https://lnkd.in/e9gix-9 #amwriting #writetip #writingtips

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Amazon has now made available the first three chapters of Exit Velocity under the "Look Inside" button. These give you an idea of the book's characters, subject matter, tone, and writing style. https://lnkd.in/gnwPaezG #books #newbooks #workingclassliterature

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