About the Journal

The Journal of Behavioural Economics and Social Systems (BESS®) aims to leverage insights from behavioural economics to help solve the most pressing challenges facing the world today. BESS® explores the theory underpinning the practice of the 'Second Track' with a view to broaden recognition of the methodology and encourage its wider adoption.

BESS coverAt the Journal of Behavioural Economics and Social Systems, we believe in problem solving. When business transcends complicated and becomes truly complex, a new approach is needed. Wicked problems involve social justice, social change and social economy issues characterised by stakeholder multiplicity and policy confusion. Addressing this difficulty requires the ability to negotiate politically, under conditions of uncertainty, and to work effectively in networks and at the boundaries between academia, industry, and policy.

So we try to arm our readers with ideas that help them work in complex social systems acting as agents of economic, social, and policy change, solving problems that are too difficult for the rational-scientific approach. To do that, we enlist leading experts in academia, business and government, collaborating to express their thoughts in the most influential way possible.

BESS® focuses on the behaviour and interaction of economic agents in solving wickedly complex problems. The Journal aims to transform economic thinking by challenging the prevailing concept of human rationality. We welcome submissions that deal with a transdisciplinary social sciences approach, especially psychology, or use experimental methods of inquiry. Thus, contributions in behavioural economics, experimental economics, economic psychology, social cognition, social networks, and judgment and decision making are especially welcome.

We publish manuscripts of many lengths, and just about any style that might help us share an idea effectively.

We invite contributions that consider the Journal’s themes mentioned above, or related topics about group problem solving, both from a theoretical and an empirical point of view. Qualitative and quantitative research contributions are welcome. Short essays, commentaries, and book reviews are also encouraged.

Full papers for the fifth issue of BESS® must be submitted by 29 February 2024. The Journal adheres to the Harvard Referencing Style Guide.

 

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Articles published in BESS® follow the license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License: Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivs (by-nc-nd). Further information about Creative Commons