Application of Neural Technology to Neuro-Management and Neuro-Marketing

Management and Marketing are fundamental economic activities rooted in the cognitive abilities of the human brain. In this regard, decision-making is a cognitive process of selecting the best option between two or more options. While decision-making is a basic skill for leadership, it is also considered an important “form of management”. Each management activity is based on the ability to analyze, evaluate and select the alternatives for an optimal choice. Choice of technological approaches or what strategies to follow on the market, are few examples of management organization and marketing. This research topic proposes to examine the human decision-making behavior during various management and marketing strategies. The main research areas include (but are not limited to) neuro-marketing, neuro-management, neuro-information systems, decision neuroscience, neuro-economics and neuro-industrial engineering.

Neuro-management and Neuro-marketing are emerging as the “backbone” of Neuro-economics. Neuro-management was first proposed in 2006 by Professor Qingguo Ma from Zhejiang University in China. It uses cognitive neuroscience and technology to analyze economic and managerial issues. It focuses on exploring human brain activities and mental processes when people are faced with typical problems of economics and management.

Neuro-marketing emerged from neuro-economic research on “neural features” of consumer behavior. Interpretations of consumer behavior based on neural activity provide insight into the brain mechanism of decision-making underlying consumer behavior. Thus, marketing experts can determine what aspect/feature of the product will encourage different consumers in order to make a purchase. Then, the experts elaborate the appropriate marketing strategy, including the branding and how these relate to customer interest. Neuro-marketing research integrates the neuro-consumer behavior, neuro-marketing strategy and neuro-advertising.

Neuro-Industrial Engineering is an interdisciplinary field at the interface between cognitive neuroscience and industrial engineering. It uses advanced neuroscience and biofeedback technology to measure physiological responses in order to provide insight into people’s mental states without subjective consciousness control. Then this data, people’s neuro-activities with physiological and psychological states in the production process, are applied to operations management to improve processes for workers.

Neuro-entrepreneurship is based on the management ability that involves rational analysis (‘cold’ cognition) and emotional thinking (‘hot’ cognition). Both, ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ cognition seem to occur in dorsolateral (‘cold’) and orbitofrontal (‘hot’) areas of the brain’s frontal lobes.

Specifically, the topic will be centered on the following issues to expand current knowledge:

- Non-invasive neural technology approaches for neuro-marketing;
- Management of noninvasive neural techniques for brain augmentation in healthy aging;
- Human decision making in neuro-marketing and neuro-management;
- Optimization of neural technology for neuro-management and neuro-marketing;
- Neuro-management and neuro-marketing: implementation in clinics and hospitals;
- Monitoring and comparison of the efficiency of invasive and non-invasive neural technology implementation;
- Nano-technological avenues to improve the neuro-marketing and neuro-management;
- Memory, decision making and planning: theoretical approaches in management that meet technology;
- Societal challenges surrounding new emerging technologies.

The aim of this topic is to highlight novel applications of neural technology to neuro-management and neuro-marketing. This Frontiers Research Topic will be important in integrating the management and neuro-marketing with newly developed neural technology.