HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 9, 2015 – Dr. Tjai Nielsen, associate professor of management at High Point University, participated in a forum hosted by the World Bank on Sept. 29-30 in Washington, D.C. He was one of several experts invited to discuss investment and trade for Sierra Leone.
Nielsen joined with World Bank officials and business leaders to talk about research he has conducted with Dr. Liesl Riddle of George Washington University exploring foreign investment in the African nation. The audience included senior executives from financial institutions such as J.P. Morgan, Citibank and Western Union, members of the Sierra Leone diaspora, and individuals from organizations such as USAID.
“We have done extensive research on what motivates investment beyond financial gain. For example, when people invest in their homelands, they are often motivated by factors related to emotion and social status,” Nielsen says. “Being invited by the World Bank to participate in a forum focused on new investment research that was based on our past work was quite humbling.”
Nielsen published a related paper in the Journal of Business Ethics titled “Investing In Peace: The Motivational Dynamics of Diaspora Investment in Post-Conflict Economies.” He also shared his research with finance professionals in London during a series of invited presentations in the spring.
“I continue to be involved in research projects in behavioral finance related to the emotional and social aspects of investment decisions and how they impact the development of emerging economies around the world,” he says. “Much of what I have learned and continue to learn about these global issues is brought directly into the classroom at HPU. My students are very interested in the confluence of leadership, psychology, finance and globalization.”