Sibylla Merian's research sits at the intersection of behavioural science and strategic management. Rather than treating behavioural change as a purely psychological matter, she frames it as a management challenge: organisations that can systematically understand, measure and influence behaviour – whether of consumers, employees or other stakeholders – are better placed to build lasting competitive advantage.

Measuring what matters

A recurring theme in her work is the difficulty of measuring behaviour reliably. In a study with around 360 Swiss households, Merian and her colleagues examined different methods for quantifying food waste and found that each approach carries its own systematic bias: questionnaires are prone to recall errors and social desirability effects, whilst diaries and waste analyses can alter the very behaviour they seek to record. The implication, she argues, gives a new twist to Peter Drucker's well-known dictum, “You can't manage what you can't measure.” It is not only the absence of measurement that undermines evidence-based decisions, but measurement itself when poorly designed.

Closing gaps in sustainability data

Some behaviours remain difficult to quantify at all. Biodiversity is one such area: despite widespread public debate, the social sciences still lack robust tools for recording individual behavioural contributions to biodiversity loss. Merian is part of an interdisciplinary project developing a publicly accessible database of biodiversity footprints for food products – a resource intended to support both research and the design of targeted interventions.

From insight to strategy

Merian’s work also draws on digital data sources, including GPS and telematics data from a usage-based car insurance scheme, to understand what drives engagement with behavioural feedback. Across all these projects, the strategic implication is consistent: whether the goal is reducing product returns, increasing sales of imperfect produce, or shifting consumer habits, organisations that approach behavioural change in an evidence-based and systematic way stand to gain throughout the value chain.

This article is based on Sibylla Merian's profile published in the 2025 Annual Report