Season 3, Episode 3 - Can crowds solve wicked problems?

On The Heels of Innovation with Ted Zoller

With Arvind Malhotra, H. Allen Andrew Professor of Entrepreneurial Education and Professor and Strategy of Entrepreneurship, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

With the world focused on the global coronavirus pandemic, decision makers wrestle with how to solve such “wicked problems” – massive challenges that are complex, have many interdependencies and are virtually impossible for anyone to solve by themselves. During this episode, business professor Arvind Malhotra discusses a timely approach to problem solving described in his new book “Unleashing the Crowd: Collaborative Solutions to Wicked Business and Societal Problems.” Why should we avoid the temptation to break these kinds of problems into smaller pieces? What’s gained by allowing larger groups of people to define problems while they solve them? And how can we let people openly contribute multiple ideas and perspectives at their own pace? Malhotra will introduce you to a method of thinking that can influence how we address many pressing issues: from climate change and hunger to educational inequity and the current COVID-19 pandemic.