Superstition in Business & Society

Topic:

In this seminar, we will discuss the role of superstition in business and society.

Readings:

1. Determinants of Superstition by Benno Torgler (Pgs. 713-733; read parts 1, 2, & 5)

2. Superstition and Decision-Making: Contradiction or Complement? by Eric Tsang (Pgs. 92-104)

3. Keep Your Fingers Crossed! How Superstition Improves Performance by Damisch, Stoberock, & Mussweiler (Pgs. 1014-1020)

4. The value of superstitions by Travis Ng, Terence Chong, & Xin Du (Pgs. 479-480)

5. The ‘Curse of the Bambino’ by Anthony Castrovince

6. OPTIONAL: What Do Broken-Hearted Knitters, Urinating Goalkeepers, and the C.I.A. Have in Common? podcast by Freakonomics

7. OPTIONAL: Ted Lasso, Season 1 Episode 6: Ghosts and Curses

8. OPTIONAL: Eastern Versus Western Culture Pricing Strategy: Superstition, Lucky Numbers, and Localization by Stanford A. Westjohn, Holger Roschk, & Peter Magnusson (Pgs. 72-90)

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you have any superstitions, conscious or otherwise? Do you utilize them for any particular reason?

2. Where do we tend to see superstitious behaviors or rituals in daily life across different cultures?

3. In trying to understand how people 'tick', should there be an increased emphasis on superstitions? What kind of role do superstitions have in our development? Why do they exist? Can they really improve our performance?

4. As a manager, how would you navigate superstitious concerns amongst your direct reports? Would you consider spending time and/or money on something you don’t believe in?