From DIG to Leadership: Helge Thorbjørnsen's Path to NHH Rector
In August 2025, Helge Thorbjørnsen will assume the role of rector at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), bringing valuable insights gained from his work at DIG to his new position.
Rector, Professor Helge Thorbjørnsen
- Helge.Thorbjornsen@nhh.no
- Telephone
- +47 55 95 95 35 / +47 995 81 455
- Department
- Strategy and Management
- Centre
- Digital Transformation Hub
- Office
- C212
- Expertise
- Marketing and Brand Management Behavioural economics
Bio
Helge Thorbjørnsen is a professor at the Department of Strategy and Management, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). His work focuses on consumer psychology, behavioral economics, happiness, decision-making and technology adoption. Thorbjørnsen’s research has been featured in outlets such as Time Magazine and New York Post and his book “More Numbers Every Day”, co-authored with Professor Micael Dahlen, has reached a global audience.
Thorbjørnsen has been involved in several business- and tech start-ups, and has also served as chairman or member of the board of several corporations and organizations.
Helge Thorbjørnsen received his Dr.Oecon (PhD) from NHH in 2003 and has been Professor since 2008. He also holds a Master of Science degree from NHH (“Høyere avdeling”) and a cand.mag degree in social sciences from the University of Bergen. He was previously Vice Rector for Research at NHH (2013-2018) and Dean of the Doctoral Programme (2011-2018).
Helge Thorbjørnsen is currently rector at NHH (from 01.08.2025)
Selected publications
| Author(s) | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Sjåstad, Hallgeir; Skard, Siv E. Rosendahl; Thorbjørnsen, Helge; Norman, Elisabeth | Self-Serving Optimism in Well-Being Prediction: People Believe in a Bright Future for Themselves and Their Friends, but Not for Their Enemies | European Journal of Social Psychology (0 pages); 2025 |
| Døskeland, Trond Mathias; Martuza, Jareef Bin; Pedersen, Lars Jacob Tynes; Santos, Francisco; Sjåstad, Hallgeir; Thorbjørnsen, Helge | The role of social norms in retirement saving: Evidence from two natural field experiments | Journal of Business Research Volume 190; 2025 |
| Martuza, Jareef Bin; Dahlen, Micael; Thorbjørnsen, Helge | “Not too little and not too much?” The relationships between spare time, spare money, and subjective well-being | Journal of Positive Psychology (0 pages); 2025 |
| Dahlen, Micael; Colliander, Jonas; Gajic, Vladan; Kim, Olivia; Thorbjørnsen, Helge | How do advertised prices affect consumers' financial well-being and happiness? | Psychology & Marketing (0 pages); 2024 |
Dissemination
"Tallskalle" coming to the UK and US
‘It is not surprising that the US market in particular is interested in a book about the hidden power of numbers,’ says NHH professor Helge Thorbjørnsen.
DIG Profile: Helge Thorbjørnsen
Why are some services and technologies widely adopted, while others fail epically? DIG Professor Helge Thorbjørnsen is curious about how new digital services influence the cognition, affect and decisions of humans.
Will inspire future innovators
NHH wants to increase innovation among master students. A prestige course for up to 50 potential entrepreneurs is underway.
Service innovation included on the bottom line
The new research centre for service innovation uses companies as a laboratory, while the companies now have access to the researchers' expertise.
M&A's: How do customers react to 'forced marriages'?
Customers who have mergers pushed down their throats react with frustration, dissatisfaction and - finally - by changing suppliers. They see it as a 'forced marriage' where their freedom of choice is set aside.