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Management & Organizations

Professor of Management & Organizations

Portrait of Loran Nordgren, Faculty at the Kellogg School of Management

Loran Nordgren is a professor at the Kellogg School of Management and bestselling author. His mission is to use behavioral science to make leaders and organizations better. As a behavioral scientist, Loran's research explores the psychological forces that propel and prevent the adoption of new ideas. A former Fulbright scholar, his research has been published in leading journals such as Science, and, in recognition of his work, Professor Nordgren has received the Theoretical Innovation Award in experimental psychology. As a lecturer, Loran teaches Leadership in Organizations. He has twice received Kellogg’s Management Teacher of the Year award and is the former academic director of Kellogg’s executive MBA programs. As a practitioner, Loran is the founder of Aerocept, a behavioral design agency that helps companies overcome the friction that awaits their breakthrough ideas. Loran’s first book The Human Element: overcoming the resistance that awaits new ideas, spent multiple weeks on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list.

About Loran
Research interests
  • Choice Architecture
  • Behavior Change
  • Motivation
Teaching interests
  • Leadership
  • Influence
  • Organizational Change
  • Collaboration
  • Decision-Making
  • PhD, 2007, Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, With Distinction
    BA, 2001, Psychology, St. Olaf College, Magna Cum Laude
  • Professor, Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2020-present
    Associate Professor, Management & Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2012-2020
    Assistant Professor, Management & Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2008-2012
    Assistant Professor, Social Psychology, Free University, Amsterdam, 2007-2008
  • Einhorn-Hogarth New Investigator Award. Unnecessarily divided: Civil conversations 2024 reduce attitude polarization more than people expect. Authors: Michael Kardas, Loran Nordgren,, Society for Judgment and Decision Making
    Book award - 10 Best Management Books for 2022 for The Human Element, Thinkers50
    Thinkers50 Radar
    Wall Street Journal Best Seller
    Chair Core Teaching Award
    40 under 40 Most Outstanding MBA Professors, Poets & Quants
    Best Paper Award, Academy of Management
    40 under 40 Most Outstanding MBA Professors, Poets & Quants
    Academy of Management Division Best paper Award, Academy of Management
    Kellogg Impact, Award, a student initiated award that recognizes excellence in the classroom, Kellogg School of Management
    Kellogg's Management and Organizations Core Teaching Award, Kellogg School of Management, 2011-2012
    Kellogg's Impact Award (for teaching excellence), Kellogg School of Management, 2008, 2009, & 2013
    Theoretical Innovation Award, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 2007
    De Finnetti Prize, European Association for Decision Making
    Fulbright Scholarship, University of Amsterdam

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