Zachariah Brown
Management, Investing, Primates, & Peacocks
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About Me
About Me
I am an experienced manager and researcher with a PhD from Columbia Business School. My research is in the fields of behavioural economics and impression management, focusing on the myriad of ways that we show off and peacock for others. My research has been published, featured, highlighted, or tweeted about across popular outlets including The Financial Times, The Times (UK), The New York Times, Inc Magazine, NPR, and the Harvard Business Review.
In addition to rigorous training in experimental social psychology research methods, I have 15 years of work experience in management, finance, and private equity across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. I hold BA/MA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and MBA, MA, & PhD degrees from Columbia Business School.
Research Expertise:
My research focuses on all the beautiful ways we display status and affiliation to others, i.e., human peacocking. I'm interested in how we display, why do we display, to whom we target these displays, how do various audiences interpret those displays, and how does this all differ between groups? I explore how people (particularly "experts') use visible markers or performances to convey their affiliation, status, and exceptionalism to others. I also look at how displays of expertise and affiliation can be copied or mimicked by others.
Some specific projects related to status signaling and peacocking displays include:
Use of jargon or other virtuoso speech acts in signalling competence, expertise, or group membership to others. Why do people use it and when it's effective? How does Alan Greenspan's language differ from Donald Trump/Joe Biden, and to whom are they appealing?
Archetypical narratives/stories of childhood exceptionalism by CEOs, entrepreneurs, and politicians that are used to obtain financing, votes, confidence, etc...
How giving a name to something makes it seem more real, controlled, known, and distinct from existing phenomena ("alpha", "el chupacabra", "jexodus", "podding", "behavorial economics", "delta variant").
Conversations and hierarchical signaling: How people search for and signal status and affiliation to others in their daily conversations.
Social Media Links:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachariah-brown-a6190611/
Twitter: @humanpeacocking
Academic CV
Academic CV
Here I brag about my accomplishments, overemphasise and embellish achievements, conspicuously flout prestigious brands and affiliations, while at the same time obfuscating or flagrantly hiding negative and inconsistent information.
Human Peacocking Examples & Inspiration
Human Peacocking Examples & Inspiration
See some of the work that inspires what I research. From Dr. Seuss and more recent scholarship, to shows, individuals, or books... these are some of the many sources of inspiration that underlie my studies.
Research Interests
Research Interests
See more on specific topics that I research, projects I'm working on, and other areas of interest.
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