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MAY | JUNE 2015 BizEd 13 PHOTO COURTESY OF BYU MORE THAN 37,000 PEOPLE are killed every year in the U.S. due to car accidents, and another 2.35 million are injured or dis- abled. But what if a significant number of these accidents could be avoided by a simple redesign of tra–c signs? That's a possibility explored in a new study by Luca Cian, a post-doctoral scholar at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor; Aradhna Krishna, a professor at Ross; and Ryan Elder, a professor at Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management in Provo, Utah. In five ex- periments, they found that drivers react significantly faster to warning signs that depict movement than to signs with images that appear more static. "From evolutionary psychology we know that humans have developed sys- tems to detect potential predators and other dangers," says Krishna. "Our atten- tion system has evolved to detect actual movement automatically and quickly." The researchers wanted to determine whether that inborn tendency was also true for depictions of motion. Cian, Krishna, and Elder used driving simulations, click-data heat maps, surveys, reaction time exercises, and eye-tracking to explore how static imag- ery that implies motion can impact be- havior. In one experiment, participants in a driving simulation reacted an aver- age of 50 milliseconds faster to warning signs with higher dynamism. For a car going 60 mph, that translates into an ex- tra 4.4 feet of stopping distance—enough to avoid an accident altogether. In another experiment, the research- ers used eye-tracking technology to measure how long it takes a person's eyes to notice a tra–c sign. They found that signs with higher perceived movement attracted people's attention earlier, and held it longer, than static signs. A sign that depicts movement "in- creases the observer's perception of risk, which in turn brings about earlier atten- tion and earlier stopping," says Elder. For example, in the picture above, Elder stands with several pedestrian crossing signs. The school crossing sign from the U.S., at bottom right, has low dynamism, which the brain can easily dismiss as unimportant, he explains. The one from Poland at bottom left, however, is highly dynamic—the figures appear to be sprint- ing. "You can imagine them being in front of your car in a hurry," he says. "That has important consequences." The researchers hope the study will inspire policy changes that will help reduce accident-related injuries and deaths. They also see their research lead- ing to signs that encourage other positive consumer behaviors, such as recycling more, eating healthier food, or paying closer attention to safety labels. "A Sign of Things to Come: Behavioral Change Through Dynamic Iconography" appeared in the April 2015 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. SAFER SIGNS GET MOVING The Role of the New CEO To navigate a complex and unpredictable world successfully, today's CEOs must be adaptable, authentic, and continually willing to grow. That's according to The CEO Report, the product of a yearlong global research partnership between Saïd Business School at the Universi- ty of Oxford in England and executive search firm Heidrick & Strug- gles. The report is based on interviews with more than 150 CEOs from around the world and across business sectors. According to the report, CEOs need "ripple intelligence," or the ability to see the interactions of business contexts as if they are rip- ples moving across a pond. This allows them to envision how trends and contexts may intersect and change direction, so they can antic- ipate disruptions, make time to plan, and avoid being blindsided by unexpected events. In addition, ripple intelligence makes CEOs aware of their own impact and how their actions may influence situations that might otherwise seem remote and unconnected. The report identifies other critical capabilities for top executives, such as the abilities to determine the speed, scope, and significance of change; transform doubt into a decision-making tool; balance adaptability with authenticity; navigate complex and paradoxical choices; and continually grow and renew themselves in their roles. The full report is available at www.heidrick.com/theceoreport. Ryan Elder of BYU