معرفی
Modupe Akinola is the Barbara and David Zalaznick Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and Faculty Director of the Bernstein Center for Leadership and Ethics. She joined Columbia Business School in 2009 after professional experience at Bain & Company and Merrill Lynch, bringing practical business insights to her academic work.
Her educational background includes:
- BA from Harvard University (1996)
- MBA from Harvard University (2001)
- MA from Harvard University (2006)
- PhD from Harvard University (2009)
Professor Akinola's research examines how organizational environments characterized by deadlines, multi-tasking, and low status engender stress, and how this stress affects performance. She employs a multi-method approach incorporating behavioral observation, implicit measures, reaction time assessments, and physiological responses (hormonal and cardiovascular) to study cognitive outcomes under stress. Her work on workforce diversity investigates organizational strategies for increasing talent pool diversity and explores biases affecting minority recruitment and retention.
Her publications reveal a strong focus on the intersection of physiology and organizational behavior, particularly how stress responses impact leadership, creativity, and decision-making. Recent work examines political debate perceptions, vaccination behavior, and gender dynamics in delegation. Her research consistently bridges biological mechanisms with practical organizational applications.
Professor Akinola has received significant recognition, most notably featuring in National Geographic's "Limitless" series with Chris Hemsworth, where she applied her stress expertise to help Hemsworth complete challenging physical feats. Her media presence includes coverage in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Financial Times, and Entrepreneur.
She advises global organizations on stress management, leadership development, and DEI initiatives, translating her research into practical workplace applications. Professor Akinola teaches courses including Executive Ethics, Success/Satisfaction/Sustainability, and Lead: People, Teams, Organizations, and has developed case studies on diversity and business transformation.
