Alan Benson

About Me

Dr. Alan Benson serves as Associate Professor in the Work and Organizations Group at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. from MIT Sloan School of Management and a B.S. from Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Through his Coursera courses "Managing Employee Compensation" and "Human Resources Management Capstone: HR for People Managers," he helps students understand modern compensation strategies and HR management principles. His research focuses on people analytics and personnel economics, analyzing HR data to improve organizational decisions about hiring, promotions, and compensation. His work has been published in prestigious journals including the Quarterly Journal of Economics and Academy of Management Journal, and featured in major media outlets like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. As Academic Director of Minnesota's Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations program, he combines academic excellence with practical business applications. His expertise spans compensation strategy, negotiations, and HR analytics, making complex organizational concepts accessible to students while maintaining rigorous academic standards.