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Niro Sivanathan
Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour
BA MSc (Queen's) PhD (Northwestern)
Dr Niro Sivanathan’s research and teaching have received international recognition. His research explores how the psychology of the self – specifically our motivation to maintain the integrity of the self – influences decision-making. In addition, he explores how social hierarchy, through the psychological experience of power and status, regulates our judgment and behaviours.
His work has been presented at leading international conferences and published in the top international journals in the field of Management and Psychology, such as: Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, Administrative Science Quarterly, the Journal of Applied Psychology, Psychological Science, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. His research has also garnered international press coverage at CNN, Financial Times, Time Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sunday Times and Forbes.
Before joining the London Business School in 2008, Niro was a visiting Assistant Professor at the Johnson School of Management, at Cornell University, and recently has been a visiting Scholar at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr Sivanathan earned his PhD in Management & Organisations from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He also holds an MSc in Management and a BA in Psychology (Honours) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
- Personal website
- nsivanathan@london.edu
- +44 (0)20 7000 8942
- Niro Sivanathan CV
Research Awards
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Best Teacher Award for MBA, London Business School 2014
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Best Teacher Award for MiM (Runner-up), London Business School 2010
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Excellence in Teaching “4.5 Club”, Johnson School of Management 2008
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Doctoral Fellowship, Social Science Humanities Research 2004-2007
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Excellence in Ethics Dissertation Proposal Competition Award, University of Notre Dame Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide
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Doctoral Teaching Award, Kellogg School of Management 2007
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Best Paper Proceedings, Academy of Management Meetings 2007
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Best Paper Finalist & Proceedings, Academy of Management Meetings 2006
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Graduate Travel Scholarship, Australian Research Council & Economic Decision Network 2006
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Best Paper Proceedings, Academy of Management Meetings 2005
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Visiting Graduate Scholar Grant, International Foundation for Experimental Economics 2004
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International Positive Psychology Fellow Travel Grant, Gallup Organization 2003
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Queen’s School of Business Scholarship, Queen’s University 2002
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R. Samuel McLaughlin Fellowship, Queen’s University 2001-2002
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Geoffrey Wood Award, Queen’s University 2001-2002
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Queen’s Graduate Award, Queen’s University 2001-2002
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Dean’s Honor List for Graduating Class, Queen’s University 2001
- Psychology of self in judgment and decision making
- Power and status
- Ethics
- Trust
- Negotiations
2020
Culture and Patterns of Reciprocity: The Role of Exchange Type, Regulatory Focus, and Emotions
Deng Y; Wang C S; Aime F; Wang L; Sivanathan N; Yun Chung K
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2020
Fall from grace: The role of dominance and prestige in the punishment of high-status actors
Kakkar H; Sivanathan N; Gobel M
Academy of Management Journal 2020 Vol 63:2
The impact of dynamic status changes within competitive rank-ordered hierarchies
Kakkar H; Sivanathan N; Pettit N C
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2019 Vol 116:46 p 23011-23020
2017
Explaining the global rise of "dominance" leadership
Sivanathan N; Kakkar H
Scientific American 2017 Online
Stop doubling down on your failing strategy: how to spot (and escape) one before it's too late
Vermeulen F; Sivanathan N
Harvard Business Review 2017 Vol 95:6 p 110-117
The role of social status and testosterone in human conspicuous consumption
Wu Y; Eisenegger C; Sivanathan N; Crockett M J; Clark L
Scientific reports 2017 Vol 7 11803
The unintended consequences of argument dilution in direct-to-consumer drug advertisements
Sivanathan N; Kakkar H
Nature: human behaviour 2017 9th October 2017
When the appeal of a dominant leader is greater than a prestige leader
Kakkar H; Sivanathan N
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2017 Vol 114:26 p 6734-6739
Why we prefer dominant leaders in uncertain times
Kakkar H; Sivanathan N
Harvard Business Review Digital Articles 2017
2014
Low-status aversion: The effect of self-threat on willingness to buy and sell
Pan C; Pettit NC; Sivanathan N; Blader SL
Journal of Social Applied Psychology 2014 November Vol 44:11 p 708-716
2013
From glue to gasoline: How competition turns perspective takers unethical
Pierce J R; Kilduff G J; Galinsky A D; Sivanathan N
Psychological Science 2013 Vol 24:10 p 1986-1994
Rising stars and sinking ships: Consequences of status momentum
Pettit N C; Sivanathan N; Gladstone E; Carson Marr J
Psychological Science 2013 Vol 24:8 p 1579-1584
The remarkable robustness of the first-offer effect: Across culture, power, and issues
Gunia B C; Swaab R I; Sivanathan N; Galinsky A D
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2013 Vol 39:12 p 1547-1558
2012
Power and overconfident decision-making
Fast N J; Sivanathan N; Mayer N D; Galinsky A D
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 2012 March Vol 117:2 p 249-260
The eyes and ears of status: How status colors perceptual judgement
Pettit N C; Sivanathan N
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2012 Vol 38:5 p 570-582
2011
Retribution and emotional regulation: The effects of time delay in angry
Wang C; Sivanathan N; Narayanan J; Bauer M; Bodenhausen G; Murnighan J
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 2011 Vol 116:1 p 46-54
Something to lose and nothing to gain: The role of stress in the interactive effect of power and stability risk taking
Jordan J; Sivanathan N; Galinsky A D
Administrative Science Quarterly 2011 Vol 56:4 p 530-558
The plastic trap: Self-threat drives credit usage and status consumption
Pettit N C; Sivanathan N
Social Psychological and Personality Science 2011 Vol 2:2 p 146-153
2010
A clean self can render harsh moral judgment
Zhong C B; Strejcek B; Sivanathan N
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 2010 Vol 46:5 p 859-862
Protecting the self through consumption: Status goods as affirmational commodities
Sivanathan N; Pettit N C
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 2010 Vol 46:3 p 564-570
2009
Illusory control: A generative force behind power’s far-reaching effects
Fast N J; Gruenfeld D H; Sivanathan N; Galinsky A D
Psychological Science 2009 Vol 20:4 p 502-508
Vicarious entrapment: Your sunk costs, my escalation of commitment
Gunia B C; Sivanathan N; Galinsky A D
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 2009 Vol 45:6 p 1238-1244
2008
Getting off on the wrong foot: the timing of breach and the restoration of trust
Lount R B; Zhong C; Sivanathan N; Murnighan J K
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2008 Vol 34:12 p 1601-1612
Harnessing power to capture leadership
Galinsky A D; Jordan J; Sivanathan N
In Hoyt C L; Goethals G R; Forsyth D R (eds), Leadership at the crossraods: Psychology and leadership (Vol 1), 2008
Power gained, power lost
Sivanathan N; Pillutla M M; Murnighan J K
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 2008 Vol 105:2 p 135-146
The promise and peril of self-affirmation in de-escalating commitment
Sivanathan N; Molden D; Galinsky A; Ku G
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 2008 Vol 107:1 p 1-14
2007
Predicting workplace aggression: A meta-analytic approach
Hershcovis S; Turner N; Barling J; Arnold K A; Dupre K; Inness M; Leblanc M; Sivanathan N
Journal of Applied Psychology 2007:92 p 228-238
Review of Trust under pressure; Emprical investigations of trust and trust and trust building in uncertain circumstances
Sytch M; Sivanathan N
Personnel Review 2007:36 p 6-6
2005
Transformational leadership, employee safety behaviors and workplace injuries
Sivanathan N; Turne N; Barling J; Stride C B; Axtell C M; Davies S
Academy of Management Best Papers Proceedings 2005
2004
Poor leadership
Kelloway E K; Sivanathan N; Francis L; Barling J
In Barling J, Kelloway E K & Frone M R, eds.,Handbook of Work Stress, Sage Publications, 2004, pp. 89-112.
Transformational leadership and well-being
Sivanathan N; Arnold K; Turner N; Barling J
In Linley A; Joseph S, eds, Positive Psychology in Practice, Wiley, 2004, pp. 241-255
2002
Emotional intelligence, moral reasoning and transformational leadership
Sivanathan N; Fekken G C
Leadership and Organization Development Journal 2002:23 p 198-204
Teaching portfolio
Our teaching offering is updated annually. Faculty and programme material are subject to change.
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Masters Degrees electives
Optional courses providing a deep dive into specialist areas.
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Negotiation & Bargaining
In order to be a successful manager, you must regularly reach agreements with others. When interests and values are aligned, such agreements are easy to reach. But as we have all experienced, conflicts arise all too often, making agreements seem difficult if not impossible. One key reason for this difficulty is that although people often face conflict, most know very little about the strategy and psychology behind effectively resolving it and coming to an agreement.
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Negotiation & Bargaining
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Executive Education
Short programmes offering academic excellence, global focus and exceptional diversity of perspective.
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