One large international retailer faced exactly this problem. Despite having a well-established recruitment process, too many new hires underperformed, leading to inconsistent sales results and wasted resources.

Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) was a pioneering psychologist whose work laid the foundation for much of modern social, organisational, and applied psychology. Often referred to as the “father of social psychology,” Lewin’s ideas were revolutionary for their time and continue to influence psychological theory and practice today.

Jonathan Haidt is one of the most influential social psychologists of the 21st century, known for his groundbreaking work on morality, politics, and the psychological roots of human behaviour. His research has reshaped how we understand moral judgment, not as a product of cold reasoning, but as something deeply intuitive, emotional, and shaped by culture.

Susan Fiske didn’t enter psychology to count traits or label people. She entered to understand something far more intimate: how we see each other. Her work is rooted in a deceptively simple question: why do we stereotype? Her answers have reshaped how we think about prejudice, power, and the fragile dance of human relationships.

Daniel Kahneman didn’t set out to comfort us. He set out to challenge us, to show that the mind we trust to make decisions, navigate risk, and judge others is riddled with shortcuts, blind spots, and biases. Yet, his work is deeply human. It doesn’t mock our irrationality, it explains it, with empathy and precision.

To Steven Pinker, psychology isn’t just a science of the mind. It’s a lens through which we understand the human condition, from our evolutionary roots to our modern-day moral debates. His work is a blend of cognitive science, linguistics, and philosophical inquiry, stitched together by a belief that reason and evidence can illuminate even our darkest instincts.