Should You “Be Yourself” At Work—Including Your Ethnic Identity?
Achieving real workplace diversity and inclusion is challenging. But Wharton management professor Rachel Arnett may have found a key: Have employees meaningfully share their cultural backgrounds, not try to fit in.
Why Is It Still So Difficult to Cultivate Diverse Leaders?
Business executives from under-represented racial groups have a tougher climb when it comes to establishing themselves as authentic, credible leaders. Wharton management professor Stephanie Creary presents specific guidance for how mentors can make a big difference.
Being of Two Minds (or More): How Multiple Workplace Identities Affect Our Success
As work and workplaces become more complex, the same employee can find herself wearing multiple hats. Wharton professor Nancy Rothbard and colleagues found that how people feel about navigating these identities actually affects their job performance—for good or ill.
No Employee Is an Island: How Loneliness Affects Job Performance
It’s been well established that loneliness is a pernicious feeling that can cause emotional and even physical harm. But researchers haven’t really looked at loneliness in a work setting. Does it also affect people’s job performance? Wharton management professor Sigal Barsade investigated.
Overcoming Prior Discrimination: How the Stories We Tell Ourselves Can Help
How can people develop resilience in the face of past discrimination? Is it best to push aside memories of adversity, or can revisiting them become a source of strength? Wharton management professor Samir Nurmohamed explored how people seeking employment might benefit from this knowledge.
Can Minorities Trust Co-Workers Who Want to Help?
If you’re a minority struggling to be treated fairly at work, having support from someone in the dominant racial or gender group can really help. So says the accepted wisdom. But Wharton researcher Karren Knowlton is investigating how these alliances may not always have the intended outcome.
When a Doctor Really Becomes a Doctor: Creating a Professional Identity
What social and psychological forces shape the identities of aspiring doctors, lawyers, and other professionals? The question captivated Wharton researcher Njoke Thomas, who is studying medical students to better understand how they navigate toward becoming physicians.
The Unexpected Benefits of Doubting Your Own Competence
We’ve all heard about the “imposter syndrome” — the feeling that others are overestimating our abilities — and we know it’s a bad thing. Or is it? Wharton researcher Basima Tewfik scrutinizes the accepted wisdom, with surprising results.
When Your Boss is an Algorithm: Insights from the Ride-Hailing Industry
No boss, no co-workers, just an algorithm continually telling you what to do. This is life in the ride-hailing industry, and increasingly in other businesses as well. But according to Wharton researcher Lindsey Cameron, employees have found ways to turn it to their advantage.
Trying to Be More “Authentic” At Work? How It Could Backfire
Being seen as “authentic” is almost a requirement these days. Wharton researcher Julianna Pillemer finds that while companies who encourage authenticity may yield benefits, there are also caveats to bringing your “whole self” to a professional situation.