Research
How do people’s status and power impact their behavior? I study power- and status-related phenomena by looking at how people’s identities impact their social policy attitudes, leadership styles, non verbal behavior, behavior in teams, and linguistic choices.
Professional Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a vital tool for promoting equality within organizations. Unlike mentorship, which often focuses on providing advice and support, sponsorship involves actively advocating for the advancement of the protégé. Sponsors use their influence to make strategic introductions, identify promising opportunities, and advocate for promotions.
Given these differences, people are often focused on understanding who receives sponsorship, In contrast, I am more interested in who provides sponsorship, and how. I also study the implications of engaging in sponsorship for sponsors.
Understanding Hierarchies and Inequality
Hierarchies and inequalities are ubiquitous in organizational and social settings, influencing resource distribution and individual treatment. My research explores the individual motivations and behaviors that enable these hierarchies to persist, with an eye toward designing interventions to address these inequalities.
Framing Inequality
The framing of inequality significantly impacts how people perceive and respond to it. Describing disparities as disadvantages focuses on subordinate groups' shortcomings, while framing them as advantages for dominant groups highlights the latter's privileges. These have important implications for people’s willingness to remedy inequalities.
Implications for Diversity and Inclusion
Understanding power and status dynamics is crucial for organizations committed to the equitable advancement of talent. Effective interventions must address the underlying motivations and behaviors sustaining inequality.
My ongoing work aims to identify effective organizational interventions, such as mentorship and sponsorship programs. By understanding these interventions' mechanisms, we can better support all employees meaningfully.