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.

Choice Architecture, Behavior Change, Motivation 

• PhD, 2007, Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, With Distinction
• BA, 2001, Psychology, St. Olaf College, Magna Cum Laude

• Associate Professor, Management & Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 8/31/2020
• Assistant Professor, Management & Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1/1/2012
• Professor, Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
• Assistant Professor, Social Psychology, Free University, Amsterdam, 1/1/2008

• 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

Leadership, Influence, Organizational Change, Collaboration, Decision-Making

Constructive Collaboration

The experts show you the conditions and competencies that foster highly productive collaboration in the workplace, and how to ignite a culture of collaboration at all levels in your company and its people.

Driving Organic Growth through Innovation

This outcomes-oriented program teaches a proven process for achieving market-driven business growth through a well-designed innovation strategy. Take home practical solutions you can deploy immediately to ignite sustainable, profitable growth in your company.

Driving Organizational Change

Use your own real-life challenges as a platform for putting the latest theories and tools for organizational change management into practice. Learn how to build business agility and organizational resilience — the cornerstones of driving ongoing change.

Governing Family Enterprises

Join peers from leading family-run organizations to learn how family governance can help sustain business continuity, family unity and commitment. Come away equipped and energized to realize your vision for the future of your family enterprise with confidence.

Leading High-Impact Teams

From the thought leaders that set the standard for building and leading effective teams, this intensive program delivers deep insight into Kellogg’s proven approaches and practical tools and techniques you can use immediately to solve complex team challenges.

Strategic Marketing Communications

Discover how to create effective, strategy-driven marketing campaigns that move customers and consumers in today’s ever evolving digital landscape. Utilizing tools such as insight, positioning and creative brief work, along with new tactical approaches across the communication spectrum, you’ll learn to ask the right questions, and explore frameworks and examples applicable to developing both B2C and B2B marketing communications plans.

The Strategy of Leadership

Your success as a leader ultimately depends on persuading others to adopt and run with your winning ideas. This program combines cutting-edge behavioral research with compelling interactive learning to improve your ability to work with and through others to drive business success.

Leadership (MORSX-431-0)
This course provides students with the social science tools needed to solve organizational problems and influence the actions of individuals, groups and organizations. It prepares managers to understand how to best organize and motivate the human capital of the firm, manage social networks and alliances, and execute strategic change. This is accomplished through knowledge of competitive decision making, reward system design, team building, strategic negotiation, political dynamics, corporate culture and strategic organizational design.

Field Study (MORS-498-5)
Field Studies include those opportunities outside of the regular curriculum in which a student is working with an outside company or non-profit organization to address a real-world business challenge for course credit under the oversight of a faculty member.

Field Study (MORS-498-0)
Field Studies include those opportunities outside of the regular curriculum in which a student is working with an outside company or non-profit organization to address a real-world business challenge for course credit under the oversight of a faculty member.

Leadership in Organizations (MORS-430-0)
This course provides students with the social science tools needed to solve organizational problems and influence the actions of individuals, groups and organizations. It prepares managers to understand how to best organize and motivate the human capital of the firm, manage social networks and alliances, and execute strategic change. This is accomplished through knowledge of competitive decision making, reward system design, team building, strategic negotiation, political dynamics, corporate culture and strategic organizational design.