OB Research Seminar - Alonso de Orleans Borbón, HEC Lausanne

A prevailing issue in many academic institutions is the student dropout rate, which results in a loss of resources for both students and institutions. Some academic challenges students face can be attributed to the transition from high school to higher education, which may lead to a lack of motivation due to difficulties in adapting to the new academic environment. Motivational interviewing is a simple yet rigorous and structured tool that can help students set their own goals and motivate them to achieve them. Although motivational interviewing is frequently used in medical contexts to change addictive or harmful behaviors, there is limited evidence of its effectiveness in academic settings. To address this gap, I conducted an experiment in which students participated in a motivational interview session or one of two control sessions, and I measured variables related to academic performance. The results provided moderate support that motivational interviewing improved grades but did not significantly impact academic self-efficacy, class attendance, or average study time.