Working Together: Practicing the Science

The racial and gender reckonings exemplified by the #BLM and #MeToo Movements shine light on biases that affect every part of life, including the workplace. An unspoken truth underlying the terrible events that fuel these movements-the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, acts of xenophobia against Asian people during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sexual violence perpetrated by Harvey Weinstein- is that people are being harassed, stereotyped, demeaned, and victimized in the context of work. Police officers and movie producers are perpetrators of terrible actions while they are working. What is happening in the American workplace to allow these events to unfold? And, of critical importance, what can leaders do to make lasting change?
In this critical moment in our nation's history, organizational leaders have the opportunity and obligation to build strategy and practice in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This book will help all leaders rise to the challenge by describing state-of-the art science and practice. Expert scholars and professionals blend descriptions of case studies with large-scale robust evidence to help leaders recognize the imperative of diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations, identify their own personal barriers and those of their organizations, and specify strategies for achieving positive and persistent change by working together.

Mikki Hebl is a full professor of psychology and management at Rice University. She is a proud native of Pardeeville, Wisconsin, who graduated with her B.A. from Smith College and her Ph.D. at Dartmouth College. She joined the faculty at Rice University in 1998 and was given the endowed title of the Radoslav Tsanoff Assistant Professorship in 2000. Mikki is an applied psychologist who is interested in the ways in which social psychological phenomena can be applied to industries and organizations. Her research specifically focuses on workplace discrimination and the barriers stigmatized individuals (such as women and ethnic minorities) face in social interactions, the hiring process, business settings, and the medical community. In addition, she addresses ways in which both individuals and organizations might remediate such discrimination. She has more than 200 publications that include journal articles, book chapters, and edited books. In addition to conducting basic research, she is very interested in presenting her and others' related research findings to educate others and ameliorate disparate social inequities. Mikki is also passionate about teaching--she has been the recipient of 15 major teaching awards and was appointed "National Professor of the Year" in 2015.

Dr. Eden King is a professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Rice University. She is pursuing a program of research that aims to make work better for everyone. This research- which has yielded over 100 scholarly products and has been featured in outlets such as the New York Times, Good Morning America, and Harvard Business Review- addresses three primary themes: 1) current manifestations of discrimination and barriers to work-life balance in organizations, 2) consequences of such challenges for its targets and their workplaces, and 3) individual and organizational strategies for reducing discrimination and increasing support for families. In addition to her scholarship, Dr. King has partnered with organizations to improve diversity climate, increase fairness in selection systems, and to design and implement diversity training programs. She is currently co-editor of the Journal of Business and Psychology and has served as President of the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology.