What Can Businesses Learn from Protestors? (Part 1 of 2)

In light of the conversation started by the Black Lives Matter movement, we’re starting a series of special edition podcasts focusing on how pro-equity social changes are affecting industries. For the first episode, we’re going to look at the nature of protest itself. On the surface, it might seem that planning an effective protest and running a successful business might not have much in common. But according to Associate Professor Dan Wang, demonstration organizers often have the same skills seen in CEOs: planning, communication, consensus-building, resource mobilization, and ultimately, leadership. In this first half of a two-part episode, the newly tenured Wang, whose research was featured in a recent article in Ideas at Work (https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/articles/ideas-work/successful-protests-require-diversity-and-focus), explains the similarities between businesses and protest movements and what they can learn from each other. Is there anything you would like to tell us about your experience listening to Bizcast? Please fill out our audience survey at: bit.ly/BizcastSurvey You can also email us at [email protected]. Or find us on Instagram and Twitter, where we are @columbia_biz.