Stephan Meier

Stephan Meier is the James P. Gorman Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, where he has been a faculty member since 2008. He is affiliated with the Management Division and focuses on the intersection of behavioral economics, business strategy, and the future of work.

His educational background includes an MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Zurich. Prior to joining Columbia, he served as a senior economist at the Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and taught at Harvard University and the University of Zurich.

Professor Meier's research centers on behavioral strategy, examining how psychological factors influence economic and organizational decision-making. His work explores topics including:

• The impact of non-selfish behavior on organizations
• Employee motivation beyond monetary incentives
• AI's role in the future of work
• Financial decision-making processes
• Public policy implications of behavioral economics

His recent research has increasingly focused on the human side of AI implementation in organizations, advocating for a human-centric approach that emphasizes employee experience and motivation. This work culminated in his book "The Employee Advantage," which argues that viewing employees as strategic assets rather than costs provides a competitive edge.

Professor Meier's work has been published in top academic journals including the American Economic Review and Management Science, and has been featured in major media outlets such as The Economist, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and New York Times.

His scientific contributions include:

• Research demonstrating how monetary incentives can sometimes backfire
• Studies on the relationship between time preferences and financial outcomes
• Field experiments examining social norms and economic behavior
• Work on how macroeconomic conditions shape long-term work preferences

As an educator, Professor Meier teaches courses on strategy formulation and the future of work, and leads global immersion programs. His advising focuses on helping students understand the human elements of business strategy and organizational behavior. His research has been supported by various grants that enable field experiments and data collection in diverse settings around the world.

Professor Meier leads research initiatives examining the intersection of AI and human work, focusing particularly on how organizations can successfully implement AI while maintaining strong employee engagement and motivation.