Book Review The Tipping Point by Malcolm GladwellBy Arka ChatterjeePratik BanerjeaRitwik RayRiddhi KunduDivya Gorantla

AgendaIntroductionObjectives of studyMethod of studySummary of the chaptersTheoretical FrameworkLearning and Conclusion

IntroductionTipping point - the one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once.The moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling pointCharacteristics: Contagiousness, the fact that little causes can have big effects and change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment.Examples: Rise in the sales of Hush Puppies and fall in the rate of crime in New York

Objectives of StudyTo understand the phenomenon of a tipping point as theoryRelate the different aspects of the theory to the concepts being studied in the course Individual Dynamics and LeadershipTo understand the practical applications of the theory and what we can do as business managers to spread positive epidemics

Method of StudyRead and critically analyzed the different theories of the bookRelated the concepts of the book with concepts studied in IDLRelated the theories to practical aspects of human behavior

Chapter 1: The Three Rules of EpidemicsThree rulesThe law of the fewThe stickiness factorThe Power of the contextExplained with the analysis of the research on spreading of syphilis in Baltimore in Mid 1990s

Chapter 2: The Law Of The FewA very select group of people is responsible for the tipping of almost all social epidemicsEconomists call this the 80/20 Principle

Three unique groups of people are special -Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen

Chapter 2 Cont : Connector, Maven, Salesman

Chapter 3 The Stickiness FactorStickiness factor: The minds of the public and influence on their future behaviorExample Evolution of how children watch television: Popularity of the show Sesame Street

Chapter 4: The Power of ContextThe way a person behaves depends on the circumstances

The small details of the surroundings can be the tipping point for the epidemic to happen The Broken Window TheoryExample - Bernie Goetz and the rise and fall of New York city crime

Chapter 5: Power of Context continued: The Magic Number of One Hundred and FiftyGroup influence, the effectiveness of groups with 150 people in them and the concept of transactive memory.Concept of Social Channel CapacityExample - Case of how a book which had a relatively moderate response at the outset became a cult all of a sudden

Chapter 6: Case Study - Rumors, Sneakers, And The Power Of TranslationAstudyon Airwalk shoes to show how innovators creates sales tipping points for productsLambesis, an ad agency hired by Airwalk, played a crucial role in increasing revenue from 16 million(1993) to 250 million(1995)Reference to the diffusion model which studied the spread of hybrid corn seeds introduced in 1928The innovation itself should be maintained so that the innovator and early adopter market always has something to diffuse to the mainstream market.

Chapter 7:case Study- Suicide, Smoking, And The Search For Unsticky CigaretteA study on the high rate of suicides in the islands of Micronesia in 1980s

Study on the teenage smocking pattern in US.

Relating the law of the few and the stickiness factor to the analysis of these epidemics.

Theories FrameworkHofstedes Framework to describe the society In the context of the case of rising rate of syphilis. The society was not restrained and had low uncertainty avoidance

The Three component model of creativity Expertise, Creative Thinking, Intrinsic task motivation in the context of the popularity of the TV shows.

Theories Framework cont.Personality traits and behavior patterns of the Connectors, Mavens and salesmanConnectorsHigh emotional intelligenceHigh on extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience in the big five modelPositive self evaluationSelf monitoring and proactiveOn Hollands Typology of Personality and Congruent Occupations, Connectors would be more suited to occupations involving enterprising skills followed by social skills

Theories Framework cont.Mavens - High on extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stabilityProactive personalityMavens are more suited to occupations that require investigative skills followed by social skills

Theories Framework cont.Salesmen Ability to persuadeHigh emotional intelligenceSelf monitoring and proactivePositive core self evaluationA Salesman would be most suited to occupations which would require high enterprising skills followed by social skills

Theories Framework cont.Attribution TheoryThe law of power of context can explain fundamental attribution error while judging othersMore emphasis on internal factors than external factors while judging others behaviors

Theories Framework cont.The Social Identity Theory Perspective that considers when and why individuals consider themselves members of groupsThe book YaYa Sisterhood turned into an epidemic in San Fransisco. This can be explained by the social identity theoryEvidence indicates that smaller groups are faster at completing tasks than larger onesThis leads to the rule of 150 and theory of transactive memory

Theories Framework cont.The relevance of shortcut to perceptions and judgment errors in the advertising of Airwalk shoes and the case of teen suicides and smokingHalo EffectStereotypingSelective PerceptionOverconfidence biasConfirmation bias

Learning from the BookSmall things make a big difference:The world does not always follow or take the path according to our own intuitions.Epidemics happen because people have faith in their beliefs. Though we are influenced by our surroundings, people, context and personalities around us, but in the end just a slight push in the right place at the right time, the world can be tipped.

Questions??