Thanks to McKinsey & Company and its Quarterly, those of us who admire Dan Ariley and his work have access to an especially enlightening interview (February 2011).

To see it, please click here.

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The behavioral economist explains why executives need to recognize—and embrace—the irrational forces that affect themselves and their employees.

Although Dan Ariely is an academic by trade, he is a pragmatist at heart. The Duke professor and best-selling author brings his theories to light through practical applications and behavioral experiments, where irrationality is almost always certain. Ariely has written two books on the subject — Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality — and recently sat down with Olivier Sibony, a director in McKinsey’s Paris office, to share his insights into human behavior that can help companies make better decisions.

Watch the conversation in our video interactive, or download a PDF of the transcript.