Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

How hardwired is human behavior?

N Nicholson1

  • 1London Business School.

Harvard Business Review
|June 6, 1998
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolutionary psychology explains persistent organizational issues like rivalry and gossip as innate human behaviors hardwired by Stone Age ancestors. Understanding these instincts, such as group dynamics and communication, can help managers improve workplace effectiveness.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Habitability: A Review.

Astrobiology·2016
Same author

Mechanical impact induces cartilage degradation via mitogen activated protein kinases.

Osteoarthritis and cartilage·2010
Same author

Xemilofiban/orbofiban: insight into drug development.

Cardiovascular drug reviews·2001
Same author

The structure of ribonuclease P protein from Staphylococcus aureus reveals a unique binding site for single-stranded RNA.

Journal of molecular biology·2000
Same author

A new model of dual interacting ligand binding sites on integrin alphaIIbbeta3.

The Journal of biological chemistry·1999
Same author

Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in the management of infertility due to obstructive azoospermia.

Fertility and sterility·1995
Same journal

The Case for Capitation.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

How to Pay for Health Care.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

How to Preempt Team Conflict.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

The Secrets of Great Teamwork.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

Leading the Team You Inherit.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

Wicked Problem Solvers.

Harvard business review·2016
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary psychology
  • Organizational behavior
  • Human instinct

Background:

  • Managers frequently struggle to eliminate hierarchies, politics, and interorganizational rivalry.
  • These persistent issues may stem from innate human behaviors rooted in our evolutionary past.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide executives with an understanding of evolutionary psychology's core principles.
  • To explain how evolutionary insights can illuminate human behavior in organizational settings.

Main Methods:

  • Exploration of evolutionary psychology tenets.
  • Application of evolutionary psychology concepts to organizational dynamics like gossip and group size.

Main Results:

  • Organizational phenomena such as gossip and rivalry are linked to ancestral survival needs.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Human group structures, potentially limited to around 150 individuals, suggest optimal organizational unit sizes.

    • Conclusions:

    • Evolutionary psychology offers valuable insights into why people behave as they do in organizations.
    • Managers can benefit from understanding human nature, including innate instincts, for improved effectiveness.