石榴直播

KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 26, 2022

Why is Elon Musk so popular?

That鈥檚 a question 石榴直播 assistant professor of marketing Prachi Gala hopes to have answered next summer by the conclusion of her visiting research fellowship with the Gordon Institute of Business Science at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.  

Gala, who teaches in the Michael J. Coles College of Business, was selected for the fellowship following a highly competitive process. She will present at least one seminar, develop one joint research project with a member of Gordon Institute faculty, and spend two weeks in residence in Johannesburg, where the institute is located.

Her research will examine why people are drawn to 鈥渄ark triad personalities,鈥� which contain a blend of narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy. 

鈥淲e see a lot of dark triad leaders out there, but unfortunately or fortunately, they are very well liked in spite of their personality,鈥� Gala said. 鈥淥ne big example can potentially be Elon Musk. He鈥檚 on a rampage; he tweets what he wants; he wants attention. But despite that, he has a big fan following and is beloved.鈥�

Musk is often described in news reports as the world鈥檚 richest person, famous for leading the electric automaker Tesla, private satellite and space transport company SpaceX and his current bid to buy the social media platform Twitter.

Gala鈥檚 research proposal suggests that dark triad leaders are liked because of the language they use, which is often disparaging.

鈥淭here are some leaders who are very blunt and don鈥檛 mind using derogatory words, and that鈥檚 what actually gives them the favor and puts them in a positive light,鈥� Gala said.

Gala鈥檚 research team will collect survey data showing different CEO dialogues 鈥� blunt and polite 鈥� then ask which dialogue people prefer. 

They will also collect secondary information through Twitter and Instagram to see how many followers those leaders have.

Gala also examined CEO behavior earlier this year in an article published in the European Journal of Marketing, which found that CEOs who have high degrees of integrity tend to negatively influence each of the three core dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation: innovation, being proactive and risk-taking.

Gala鈥檚 interest in Africa was spawned earlier this year when she participated in the Jewish National Fund USA鈥檚 2022 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel, which afforded her the opportunity to network with Israeli professors from across the country.

One of her most meaningful interactions, however, involved a group of Ethiopian students who traveled to Israel to learn how to develop agriculture in the desert.

鈥淭hat inspired me to study more about Africa,鈥� Gala said. 鈥淭hat really inspired me to learn about how these students think. There isn鈥檛 enough help, so they want to help themselves by learning from external cultures and help their communities from that.鈥�

That led Gala to sift through fellowship opportunities in Africa, which ultimately led her to the University of Pretoria, where she will conduct research with GIBS professor Gavin Price.

These global interactions are important to Gala, who teaches an international marketing course in the Coles College of Business.

鈥淩elationship building is always a precious resource,鈥� Gala said. 鈥淭hat is my responsibility, and I want to develop relationships that help 石榴直播 as well as their university, so that we can have student exchanges or something along those lines where we can expand our relationship.鈥�

- David Roberts