Recently Completed Studies:

To Be Presented at SIOP Chicago, April 2018

It’s Not His Fault! Failure Attributions of Women and Minority Leaders– Courtney Bryant, Ann Marie Ryan

Many studies have shown that failure is attributed to different causes for leaders by gender (men are unlucky, women are incompetent) and race (i.e. White leaders are unlucky, Black leaders are incompetent). However, most of these studies were conducted between 20 and 40 years ago. Considering how societal attitudes toward women and minority leaders have changed, we re-examine how gender and race may cause differential attributions in the present day. Additionally, we considered a job context associated with race to parallel past research on sex-linked occupations. Results showed that gender, race, and the intersection of the two had main effects on the evaluation of job candidates and attributions of failure, though not in the hypothesized directions.

Media Coverage of Policing and Stigma Communication: An Exploratory Study– Dia Chatterjee, Ann Marie Ryan, Kate DenHouter, Abby Hishon, Amal Mohammed

Our study explored if media coverage has impacted how policing is viewed as a profession. Findings indicate that now more than in years past, media coverage tends to use more negative tone in discussing police-citizen interactions, and these findings varied by conservative versus liberal media. In contrast, across media sources, policing was described as a tainted profession. Specifically, physical, social, and moral taints were ascribed to the profession. However, in contrast to years past, media commentary tended to ascribe more moral taints than physical or social taints thereby signifying a shift in how policing is discussed.

Effects of Race and Impression Management Tactics for Ex-Offender Job Applicants– Danni Gardner, Abdifatah Ali, Ann Marie Ryan

Considering recent legislation suggesting criminal record disclosure be delayed within the hiring process, the current paper sought to understand the effects of different disclosure tactics for ex-offender applicants in a post-offer context. Further, as literature suggests that applicant race plays a role in perceptions of ex-offender candidates, we tested a model incorporating race as a moderator. Through an online experiment in which applicant race and impression management tactics were manipulated, we found support for our hypotheses linking tactics to employment outcomes through perceived remorse. Race was found to moderate this relationship for Latino applicants justifying their record, as they were perceived as less remorseful than White applicants. Implications are discussed.

Women and Minorities Falling Off the Glass Cliff? A Closer Examination–Taniyia Harvey, Danni Gardner, Ann Marie Ryan

The glass cliff phenomenon occurs when women and minorities are more often placed in leadership positions in situations of company decline. Whether this occurs due to sex/race or expectations of communality is unclear. In this study, applicant sex, race, trait, and company performance were manipulated. 311 participants evaluated an applicant for a job in either an improving or declining company. Applicants described as agentic were rated as more qualified and recommended for higher salaries than communal applicants. Further, when company performance was improving, reactions to the candidate were less favorable than when performance was declining. Generally, our findings were counter to the glass cliff phenomenon; reasons for differences are discussed.

Gender Representation in I/O Practice: Current Issues and Gaps of Knowledge–Panel Chaired by Danni Gardner and Ann Marie Ryan

Recently, Gardner, Ryan and Snoeyink (in press) reflected upon a number of areas where female representation within I/O may be improved. One major conclusion was a lack of available data surrounding gender issues in the applied rather than academic I/O sector. Accordingly, this panel will bring together applied leaders across various industries to reflect on gender issues related to I/O practice. Specifically, panelists will present viewpoints identifying the most pressing issues for female practitioners, as well as highlighting our gaps of knowledge as a field as to how to address these issues. The session will be informative to women seeking guidance towards advancing their own careers within our field, as well as to those interested in gender equity and representation issues.

Presented at AOM Atlanta, August 2017

Calling in Black: Dynamic Model of Racially Traumatic Events on Organizational Resourcing — Courtney Bryant, Danielle D. King, Abdifatah Ali 

Racially traumatic events- such as police violence and brutality towards Blacks- affect individuals in and outside of work. Organizations may find themselves at the interface of social justice movements (i.e. Black Lives Matter) that seem to eradicate inequality, and their Black employees whose exposure to trauma negatively impacts their workplace experiences. In this paper, we conceptualize police violence through Event Systems Theory as an external event that affects individual and organizational ‘resourcing’ or the creation of resources based on one’s identity. We consider how the interplay of individual and organizational resources foster identity and psychologically safe work environments, and its influence on Black employees’ impression management tactics.

IM as a Goal-Oriented Response to Stigma Communication at Work: A Self-regulation Perspective — Deepshikha (Dia) Chatterjee, Ann Marie Ryan

In responding to stigma communication at work, people are often under the influence of environmental constraints that may significantly curtail the availability of different identity management strategies. This paper highlights that identity management in workplace settings should be seen as a goal-driven, motivated, and norm-guided response. We present a conceptual model that opens up the black box of why people choose to accept or challenge stigma communication and contextual features, individual difference variables such as identity centrality and self-efficacy, and multiple goals such as self-enhancement, self-verification, and belonging, together drive an individual’s choices of identity management strategies. We also discuss how individuals engage in multiple goal pursuit under stigma threat and how that may impact their self-regulatory reserves. We raise novel research questions to spur further research and present practical recommendations to help practitioners harness the value of diversity in organizations.

For past presentations, check out our “Photos” tab!