Marketing lab renamed in honor of author and professor Robert Cialdini

The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University has announced a new gift honoring an ASU emeritus faculty member and one of the most prominent thought leaders in behavioral research.

The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University has announced a new gift honoring an ASU emeritus faculty member and one of the most prominent thought leaders in behavioral research.

The Robert B. Cialdini Behavioral Research Lab focuses on consumer behaviors: what moves consumers to buy certain products, brand loyalty, green attitudes, and other concerns that affect companies, products, and customers. Housed in the business school’s Department of Marketing, the lab serves a vital role in helping faculty and doctoral students conduct cutting-edge research for publications in top academic journals. Each year, the lab conducts nearly 7,000 research hours.

Cialdini a world-renowned researcher, academic, and author

Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career researching the science of influence, earning an international reputation as an expert in the fields of persuasion, compliance, and negotiation. Outside the classroom, Cialdini authored numerous books, including The New York Times bestsellers, Influence and his newest, Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. His cutting-edge research and ethical business and policy applications have led to him being regarded as the “Godfather of influence.”

Cialdini founded INFLUENCE AT WORK, which focuses on ethical influence training, corporate keynote programs, and the Cialdini Method Certified Trainer program. Notable clients include: Google, Microsoft, BAE Systems, Nationwide Insurance, Twitter, Pfizer, Mutual of Omaha, RE/MAX, AstraZeneca, World Economic Forum, Thomson Reuters, Kimberly-Clark Corp., Harvard Kennedy School, the United States Department of Justice, and NATO.

“The Robert B. Cialdini Behavioral Research Lab represents the legacy of one of our most prominent faculty members over the past several decades as well as the promise and impact of our research for decades to come,” said Amy Hillman, dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business. The lab conducts more than 200 separate behavioral experiments each year and is a vital resource for our faculty, students, and community."

Added Hillman, "We’re so proud that Bob and his wife Bobette Gorden, along with several other benefactors, have chosen to support the work the lab is doing, and it means a lot to the lab’s credibility to have Bob’s name attached to it.”

Research lab continues philanthropic momentum at W. P. Carey School

The naming of the research lab, and the generosity of the donors who helped make it a reality, follows a recent investment by the W. P. Carey Foundation — $15 million to assist with career services and $10 million to an endowment for the recruitment and retention of top-tier research-focused faculty. The gift by the W. P. Carey Foundation launched a $50 million fundraising initiative during the university’s broader ASU Campaign 2020 effort, which has a $1.5 billion private investment goal.

Overall, the W. P. Carey School is enjoying unprecedented growth and prestige. With nearly 16,000 total students, W. P.  Carey is consistently ranked among the best business schools in the country. Alumni represent more than 100,000 graduates in over 160 countries worldwide. W. P.  Carey stresses the importance of faculty research — elemental in the recognition of the Cialdini Lab — and ranks 23rd among business schools worldwide in the most recent analysis of research productivity.

To learn more about the lab and its work, visit wpcarey.asu.edu/cialdini-lab.