Research

How do people understand their position within power and status hierarchies? 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. This direct advocacy is particularly effective in helping women and minorities advance in their careers.

Understanding the dynamics of sponsorship can help organizations design more effective diversity and inclusion programs. For instance, women often receive less sponsorship than men, which can hinder their career advancement. By addressing this gap, organizations can better support diverse talent and create more equitable environments.

Understanding Hierarchies and Inequality

Hierarchies and inequalities are ubiquitous in organizational and social settings, influencing resource distribution and individual treatment. My research explores why these hierarchies persist and how dominant groups maintain their status. By using experimental methods, I uncover the motivations behind people's behaviors and design interventions to address these inequalities.

Strategies for Maintaining Dominance

Dominant groups often maintain their status by controlling beliefs and ideologies rather than through costly force. By shaping social discourse to legitimize existing hierarchies, they avoid overt coercion. One key strategy involves co-opting egalitarian ideologies to justify existing hierarchies. For instance, colorblind ideology in the U.S. can be interpreted to support racial dominance rather than equality. My studies show that pro-hierarchy individuals strategically reinterpret such ideologies to counter threats to their dominance.

Framing Inequality

The framing of inequality significantly impacts perceptions and responses. Describing disparities as minority disadvantages focuses on subordinate groups' shortcomings, while framing them as advantages for dominant groups highlights the latter's privileges. My research shows that dominant group members prefer the disadvantage frame to avoid implicating themselves in the inequality.

Implications for Diversity and Inclusion

Understanding these dynamics is crucial for organizations committed to diversity and inclusion. Superficial egalitarian efforts might only serve as window dressing, masking the true intent of maintaining existing hierarchies. Effective interventions must go beyond open dialogue and 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 diversity and inclusion meaningfully.

This research not only contributes to academic knowledge but also provides practical insights for organizations striving to create more equitable environments.