The Why Podcast

Professor Jean-Pierre Benoît joins Katie Pisa on The Why Podcast to explore a surprising question: why do so many high-performing employees end up burned out? Drawing on his latest research, Jean-Pierre explains that burnout is not simply the result of long hours or personal resilience. Instead, it can be a predictable consequence of the way organisations design incentives. Through an economist's...

Professor David Faro joins Katie Pisa on The Why Podcast to explore a deceptively simple question: why does the way we think about how long we have left to live change how we live today?  Drawing on his latest research, David explains how life expectancy can be framed in two ways, as an age we might reach or as the time we have left. While the numbers are identical, the impact is not. Seeing life...

Professor Nigel Nicholson joins Katie Pisa on The Why Podcast to explore why individuality matters more than ever in the age of AI, and why ignoring it carries serious consequences for leadership and relationships. Drawing on his latest book, ‘Unique You: How Individuality Works and Why It Matters’, Nigel explains why each person inhabits a distinct inner world shaped by biology and experience and...

Professor Francisco Gomes explains why today’s student loan systems place the greatest financial pressure on graduates exactly when they can least afford it and how a simple shift in repayment timing could transform economic wellbeing.  In this episode of The Why Podcast, Francisco outlines how early career repayment forces young adults to juggle debt with low incomes, rising living costs and majo...

Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour Elinor Flynn sits down with Katie Pisa, Senior Editor of Think, to explore why many employees support equality yet still resist gender diversity initiatives. Dive into how the everyday explanations people use to make sense of persistent gender gaps shape whether they see organisational action as fair, necessary or effective. Drawing on new research a...

Why are so many companies still struggling to achieve meaningful workforce diversity, and what does newly released data reveal about the barriers hidden inside organisations? In this episode of The Why Podcast, Rachel Flam uncovers what firm‑level evidence shows about representation, transparency and the forces shaping workplace equity today. The conversation highlights why disclosure matters and...

Professor Isabel Fernandez-Mateo examines how generative AI is reshaping the hiring process and why organisations need to approach these changes thoughtfully. With automation increasing the number of applications employers receive, rejection rates are higher and influencing who continues to participate in the talent pipeline.  Three key themes emerge from the conversation:  Technology is reshaping...

Is AI just a tool for efficiency – or a partner in better decision-making? Sir Andrew Likierman argues it’s time for a rethink. In this sharp and timely conversation, he explains why judgement – the ability to combine knowledge, experience and human qualities – is more critical than ever in an AI-driven world.  Rather than seeing humans and machines as rivals, Likierman calls for nuance: recognisi...

Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School, explores a seismic shift in the world of work with host Katie Pisa in this episode of The Why. Together, they discuss the rise of the freelance professional and why they might want your work but not your job. It is time to reframe the gig economy clichés. Today’s freelancers are highly skilled, deeply experienced, and choos...

In this episode of The Why, host Katie Pisa welcomes Bukky Akinsanmi Oyedeji, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, to unpack why physical work environments still hold power in a hybrid world. Drawing on her research ‘Physical Work Environments: An Integrative Review and Agenda for Future Research’, Bukky explores how office design affects not only employe...

In this special wrap-up episode of The Why Podcast, we revisit the most powerful insights from a season that explored identity, equity, power and culture through the lens of cutting-edge research. From Gillian Ku’s exploration of ‘social uncertainty’ and the courage it takes to be authentic at work, to Olenka Kacperczyk’s deep dive into the gender gap in entrepreneurship, the season revealed how i...

In this episode of The Why Podcast, host Katie Pisa speaks with Professor Randall S Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, about one of the most costly, time-consuming, and universal workplace issues: team conflict. Based on his research about conflict 4 Common Types of Team Conflict—and How to Resolve Them, Randall outlines a practical framework for diagnosing...

In this episode of The Why Podcast, host Katie Pisa sits down with Henri Servaes, Professor of Finance at London Business School and Richard Brealey Professor of Corporate Governance, to explore how corporate culture—particularly around gender equality and inclusion—is reshaping investment decisions and boardroom dynamics. Drawing on his recent research, Sexism, Culture, and Firm Value: Evidence f...

In the latest episode of The Why podcast, host Katie Pisa met with Professor Olenka Kacperczyk, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, to discuss her research on the gender gap in entrepreneurship. The two discuss this important question: Where are all the missing female entrepreneurs? Olenka sheds light on her research findings, the reasons are behind this gap and w...

In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Gillian Ku, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, and Chair of the Organisational Behaviour Faculty at London Business School to discuss her recently published paper on how Black employees can feel more comfortable expressing their racial identity at work and how social uncertainty is a key factor that discourages Black employees from...

In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Paolo Surico, Professor of Economics at London Business School, and Joseba Martinez, Assistant Professor of Economics at London Business School to discuss their research titled “Corporate taxes, innovation and productivity”. Their findings offer valuable insights into how tax policies can be leveraged to promote innovation and drive eco...

Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It’s one of five giant gyres in our oceans, where massive circular currents trap floating plastic. It’s three times the size of France, two times the size of Texas and it contains roughly 80,000 tonnes of waste that is polluting our oceans. The oldest bits in this gyre date back to the 1960s.  In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, London Busin...

The saying “nice guys finish last” is not always true, according to research. In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Jonathan Berman, Associate Professor of Marketing at London Business School, to talk about his research findings on prosocial behaviour and when doing good leads to looking good.  “When do you hear about good deeds from someone and think better of them, and wh...

How does buying luxury items make you feel? Do you love them or do they hang in your wardrobe for that special occasion, collecting dust? In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Dafna Goor, Assistant Professor of Marketing at London Business School, to talk about her research findings on imposter syndrome from luxury consumption. Buying luxury items can be a double-edged swor...

How do you manage tension at work and better manage your time? In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Dan Cable, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, to talk about his research findings on this.  How do you not get caught up in the urgent daily tasks and lose sight of the big picture? Dan shares tips and findings from his research on how to help r...

How do you think of your future financial self? In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Simona Botti, Professor of Marketing, and David Faro, Associate Professor of Marketing at London Business School, to discuss what makes someone decide how they spend money now based on a future income. Some people borrow money from their richer future selves in order to live a more comfort...

In the latest episode of the Why podcast, Bryan Stroube discusses his findings on his latest research about how viewers evaluate films based on lead actors’ gender. His research experimented with AI-Generated movie plots and analysed nearly 400 million filmgoer ratings screened between 1992 and 2018. Bryan’s research sheds light on gender disparities -- with women only holding 28% of the leading r...

In this episode of the Why podcast, London Business School’s Marcel Olbert discusses the role of taxation in companies and governments with Alenka Turnsek of EY.  While there isn’t one global system of holding companies accountable for their sustainability efforts, there are several different country-wide efforts ongoing.  Tax incentives seem to be working, for example, in the US where the Inflati...

In this episode of the Why podcast, London Business School’s Anja Lambrecht and Xu Zhang discuss their recent research into how TV ads influence online sales for a major travel website, exploring how their findings challenge conventional views about their value. The research suggests that spikes in sales following an advert are not necessarily incremental sales, but instead an acceleration of sale...

How can public and private work together to increase innovation in oncology drug development? In this episode of the Why podcast, Sukhun Kang, an award-winning PhD student at London Business School, discusses his research into oncology drug development, a research project sponsored by the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development. He explains how innovation in this field could be transformed...