It's likely you've either worked in a customer facing role or you've been the customer; we imagine for many of you it's both. So then, when service is given with a smile, who benefits most, the employee or the customer? Dan and Akin squeeze some interesting findings that question who's in need of training.  - Research Paper: 'Why Does Service with a Smile Make Employees Happy? A Social Interaction Model' by Eugene Kim and David Yoon

Ahead of their time, researchers in 2010 began looking into the costs and benefits of working from home - for organisations and employees. Dan and Akin recently got their hands on the research; join them as they give the findings a good squeeze.  - Research Paper: 'Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment' by Nicholas Bloom, James Liang, John Roberts and Zhichun Jenny Ying

It can be concerning when abusive leadership towards employees is accepted and supported by victims of toxicity. Dan and Akin squeeze research that looks into why this happens and the role played by the perceived quality of the relationship, self-blame and guilt.  - Research Paper: 'When Victims Help their Abusive Supervisors: The Role of LMX, Self-Blame and Guilt' by Christian Tröster and Niels Van Quaquebeke

A longer-lasting approach to creating psychological safety is emerging, and it requires leaders to display more vulnerability. Rather than continuously soliciting feedback, this new approach suggests leaders share previous feedback they've received. Listen in as Dan and Akin make sense of "feedback-sharing" and its discovered benefits.  - Research Paper: 'Taking Your Team Behind the Curtain: The Effects of Leader Feedback-Sharing and Feedback-Seeking on Team Psychological Safety' by...

Peculiar things happen when people doubt our capabilities; their doubts can have a strengthening or weakening effect on our performance. Dan and Akin squeeze exciting research about the conditions that turn underdogs into overachievers.  - Research Paper: 'The Underdog Effect: When Low Expectations Increase Performance' by Samir Nurmohamed

Dominant leaders work toward getting what they want, even if it's at the expense of others. This attitude has a ripple effect, creating negative environments in which more people adopt a zero-sum game mindset: in order to gain, someone else must lose. Join Dan and Akin as they squeeze the findings of the brand new research paper.  - Research Paper: 'The Impact of Leader Dominance on Employees' Zero-Sum Mindset and Helping Behaviour' By Niro Sivanathan and Hemant Kakkar

This time-tested leadership method doesn't always produce the desired results. Dan and Akin discuss why, and what to keep in my when adopting this approach.  - Research Paper: 'Leading by Example: The Case of Leader OCB' by Tal Yaffe and Ronit Kark

Diversity, if treated like an independent factor, falls short of effecting innovation when employee involvement is low. Dan and Akin discuss some of the challenges researchers face when attempting to apply science to this social issue.  - Research Paper: 'Diversity and organizational innovation: The role of employee involvement' by Yang Yang and Alison M. Konrad

Reciprocity is the dish of the day as Dan and Akin chew on research out of Stanford which questions why employee loyalty and effort is sometimes not reciprocated by employers - and, as it turns out, colleagues too.    - Research Paper: 'How “Organization” Can Weaken the Norm of Reciprocity: The Effects of Attributions for Favors and a Calculative Mindset' by Peter Belmi and Jeffrey Pfeffer

Does it seem risky to be yourself at a job interview or on a first date? Turns out the riskier approach is trying to be what we think others want us to be. Dan and Akin squeeze research that weighs the benefits of authenticity against catering to the needs of others.  - Research Paper: 'To be or not to be your authentic self? Catering to others’ preferences hinders performance' by Francesca Gino, Ovul Sezer and Laura Huang

Anxiety is a normal response to rising tensions, but there an abnormal responses far more helpful. Dan and Akin squeeze a research paper that investigates the 'paradox mindset' and its benefits. - Research Paper: 'Microfoundations of Organizational Paradox: The Problem is How We Think about the Problem' by Ella Miron-Spektor, Amy Ingram, Joshua Keller, Wendy K. Smith and Marianne W. Lewis

In life, some things help us along while others hold us back; which should we pay more attention to, and what good can come from changing our minds? Akin and Dan squeeze a research paper that looks into our asymmetric responses to headwinds and tailwinds. - Research Paper: 'The Headwinds/Tailwinds Asymmetry: An Availability Bias in Assessments of Barriers and Blessings' by Shai Davidai and Thomas Gilovich

Have you considered whether the skills you've picked up at your work place would be valuable anywhere else? Dan and Akin squeeze research into why being too valuable to one organisation might make you less valuable to others. - Research Paper: 'Micro-Foundations of Firm-Specific Human Capital: When do Employees Perceive Their Skills to Be Firm Specific?' by Joseph Raffiee and Russell Coff

There are reasons why armies, churches, organisations and communities engage in group activities seemingly unrelated to the purpose of the group. Dan and Akin squeeze research that looked into the benefits of getting several individual minds to think, feel and behave as one. - Research Paper: 'Synchrony and Cooperation' by Scott S. Wiltermuth and Chip Heath

Did you know that a strong predictor for narcissism in children is how much money their parents make? Dan and Akin squeeze research that asks what this means for work places, as narcissists are more likely to be selected as leaders. - Research Paper: 'Echoes of Our Upbringing: How Growing Up Wealthy or Poor Relates to Narcissism, Leader Behavior, and Leader Effectiveness' by Sean R. Martin, Stephane Cote and Todd Woodruff

What do you think would have longer lasting effects on your happiness, winning the lottery or having a paralysing accident? Researchers wanted to know, and in this episode, Dan and Akin squeeze their findings for some invaluable life lessons. - Research Paper: 'Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?' by Philip Brickman, Dan Coates and Ronnie Janoff-Bulman

When you're on top, it can feel like everyone wants something from you. Might you be right? Or is it all in your head? Dan and Akin look to social psychology for an answer, and pull at the roots of our budding cynical nature. - Research Paper: 'How Power Corrupts Relationships: Cynical Attributions for Others' Generous Acts' by Ena Inesi, Deborah Gruenfeld and Adam Galinsky

When it comes to making decisions about our health, we think differently depending on whether the action prevents or detects problems. Dan and Akin squeeze a study which responds to this by investigating differences in what happens when the emphasis is put on potential gains versus losses. - Research Paper: 'The Systematic Influence of Gain-and Loss-Framed Messages on Interest in and Use of Different Types of Health Behavior' by Alexander J. Rothman, Steven C. Martino, Brian T. Bedell,...

Whether of not we have found, or are in search of, a career that fulfils us professionally and personally might come down to just one thing: the story we tell ourselves. Dan and Akin squeeze research investigating how called professionals construct identities. - Research Paper: 'Stories of Calling: How Called Professionals Construct Narrative Identities' by Matt Bloom, Amy E. Colbert and Jordan D. Nielsen

Studied over 30 years ago, the hostile media phenomenon found the biases audiences consume news with creates a new reality in which everyone is out to get them and nothing is ever good enough. Dan and Akin squeeze the findings of this classic research paper. - Research Paper: 'The Hostile Media Phenomenon: Biased Perception and Perceptions of Media Bias in Coverage of the Beirut Massacre' by Robert P. Vallone, Lee Ross and Mark R. Lepper

Less what it takes to be the best and more what is takes to the produce the best. As a coach, leader, parent or person of persuasion, you'll be aware of the challenges involved with helping individuals reach their potential. Dan and Akin review research which seeks to help uncover reliable tips for drawing out greatness. - Research Paper: 'The Great British Medalists Project: A Review of Current Knowledge on the Development of the World's Best Sporting Talent' by Tim Rees, Lew Hardy, Arne...

When we're being, negative feedback provides us with the opportunity to close the gap between what's produced and what's possible. Dan and Akin squeeze a research paper which looks into how the effect is turned on its head depending on where the feedback comes from. - Research Paper: 'Does Negative Feedback Benefit (or Harm) Recipient Creativity? The Role of the Direction of Feedback Flow' by Yeun Joon Kim and Junha Kim

Are you familiar with the best version of yourself? Would you like to be that version of yourself more often? We talk about Dan's latest book, 'Exceptional' in this episode, squeezing research and ideas that underpin text. - Exceptional is available on Amazon and Audible. - Be sure to visit essentic.com for information on how they help individuals and organisations uncover and work with their "Exceptional" strengths.

When you think of your workplace meetings, is laughter a regular attendee? Akin and Dan squeeze a research paper from an exciting branch of social science in which the merit of emotions at work is being brought into question. - Research Paper: 'Emotions in Organizations: Joint Laughter in Workplace Meetings' by Helena Kangasharju and Tuija Nikko