Social psychologist Don Forsyth thinks the hype about spring basketball hurting workplace productivity and relationships is, well, hype.
He tells CNBC’s sportswriter Darren Rovell that filling out brackets and talking about the games and players, can actually add to workplace productivity.
“Don Forsyth, a social psychologist who is a professor at University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies … recently had a workshop with executive leaders who he asked to fill out brackets and said employers could actually learn from how employees fill out their sheet.
"You could tell how each person made decisions, how they exhibited bias, whether their choices were rational or irrational, if they used mathematical analysis or if they picked based on emotion," Forsyth said.
Forsyth also said that those employers that tell their workers that they can't fill out brackets are doing a disservice to the office environment.
"It sends the message that they are in control," Forsyth said. "That actually helps define the culture of a workplace that people don't want to work in. Showing concern for people's happiness is important, especially when people aren't too motivated in March."
Forsyth also said that the energy and adrenaline a person gets from watching or talking about the tournament can also translate into more energy when focused on work.
