Research in the Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) lab focuses broadly on barriers to a greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and seek solutions for a better promotion of traditionally disadvantaged groups in the workplace. Recent projects and work conducted in our lab can be grouped into three themes:
Women in the Workplace and Gender Equity
Diversity Policies and Initiatives
Language-Based Diversity and Equity
A large number of our projects focus on gender equality and issues surrounding the underrepresentation of women in leadership and other high-level positions. In this work, we study, for example, the role of one prevalent and socially accepted yet not very well understood form of sexism – benevolent sexism. Another big topic that we study is the impact of parental leaves on career outcomes for both women and men. We have recently started examining and expanding the study of gender equality to men and their experiences in order to fully address the issues of persistent gender inequality in the workplace.
Sample publications:
Hideg, I., Krstic, A.,Trau, R. N. C., Zhan, Y., & Zarina, T. (2024). Agency penalties from taking parental leave for women in men-dominated occupations: Archival and experimental evidence. Sex Roles. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-024-01517-7
Nguyen, N., Hideg, I., Engel, Y., & Godart, F. (2024). Benevolent sexism and the gender gap in startup evaluation. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 48(2), 506-546. https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587231178865
Shen, W., Hentschel, T., & Hideg, I. (2023) Leading through the uncertainty of COVID-19: The joint influence of leader emotions and gender on abusive and family-supportive supervisory behaviors. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12439
Hideg, I., & Krstic, A. (2021). The quest for workplace gender equality in the 21st century: Where do we stand and how can we continue to make strides? Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 53(2), 106-113. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000222 [invited]
Hideg, I., & Shen, W. (2019). Why still so few? A theoretical model of the role of benevolent sexism and career support in the continued underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 26 (3), 287-303. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051819849006
Hideg, I., Krstic, A., Trau, R. N. C., & Zarina, T. (2018). The unintended consequences of maternity leaves: How agency interventions mitigate the negative effects of longer legislated maternity leaves. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103 10), 1155-1164. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000327
Hideg, I., & Ferris, D. L. (2016). The compassionate sexist? How benevolent sexism promotes and undermines gender equality in the workplace. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(5), 706-727. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000072
In our second stream of research studies, we examine issues surrounding the promotion and enhancement of gender and racial diversity in the workplace by studying reactions to various diversity policies and initiatives in the workplace.
Sample publications:
Shen, W., Lam, J. Y., Varty, C. T., Krstic, A.& Hideg, I. (2024). Diversity climate affords unequal protection against incivility among Asian workers: The COVID-19 pandemic as a racial mega-threat. Applied Psychology: An International Review. 73(1), 34-56. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12462
Hideg, I., & Wilson, A. E. (2020). History backfires: Reminders of past injustices against women undermine support for workplace policies promoting women. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 156, 176-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.10.001
Hideg, I., & Ferris, D. L. (2017). Dialectical thinking and fairness-based perspectives of affirmative action. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102 (5), 782-801. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000207
Hideg, I., & Ferris, D. L. (2014). Support for employment equity policies: A self-enhancement approach. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 123 (1), 49-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2013.11.002
Hideg, I., Michela, J. L., & Ferris, D. L. (2011). Overcoming negative reactions of nonbeneficiaries to employment equity: The effect of participation in policy formulation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(2), 363-376. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020969
In addition to our work on gender and racial diversity, in our emerging work and projects, we examine promotion of diversity in the workplace by examining less traditional diversity dimensions such as “accent” (i.e., non-native English accent). In today’s globalized world there are many employees who speak the language of their new or host country with a non-standard or foreign accent, which can be stigmatizing. Yet, while these employees represent an audible minority, research on diversity has mostly overlooked this group. We have also started examining intersection of different demographics markers such as gender and accent.
Sample publications:
Hideg, I., Shen, W., & Koval, C. Z. (2024). Hear, hear! A review of accent discrimination at work. Current Opinion in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2024.101906
Hideg, I., Hancock, S. , & Shen, W. (2023). Women with Mandarin accent in the Canadian English-speaking hiring context: Can evaluations of warmth undermine gender equity? Psychology of Women Quarterly, 47(3), 402-426. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843231165475
Hideg, I., Shen, W., & Hancock, S. (2022). What is that I hear? An interdisciplinary review and research agenda for non-native accents in the workplace. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43, 214-235. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2591
In addition to publishing in peer-reviewed academic journals, we actively seek to make our work accessible to wider audiences and a broader community by publishing our work in popular media outlets such as the Harvard Business Review.
Sample publications:
Hideg, I., Hentschel, T., & Shen, W. (September 16, 2024). Research: How anxiety shapes men’s and women’s leadership differently. Harvard Business Review, digital article. https://hbr.org/2024/09/research-how-anxiety-shapes-mens-and-womens-leadership-differently
Nguyen, N., Hideg, I., Engel, Y., & Godart, F. (February 19, 2024). ‘Benevolent sexism’ in startups widens the gender gap by advantaging men over women. The Conversation Canada. https://theconversation.com/benevolent-sexism-in-startups-widens-the-gender-gap-by-advantaging-men-over-women-222486
Hideg, I., Hancock, S., & Shen, W. (December 13, 2023). How benevolent sexism undermines Asian women with foreign accents in the workplace. The Conversation Canada. https://theconversation.com/how-benevolent-sexism-undermines-asian-women-with-foreign-accents-in-the-workplace-218424
Shen, W., Hideg, I., Lam, J., Y. Varty, C.T., † & Krstic, A.(April 27, 2021). Research: Why some D&I efforts failed employees of Chinese descent. Harvard Business Review, digital article. https://hbr.org/2021/04/research-why-some-di-efforts-failed-employees-of-chinese-descent
Hideg, I. (March 7, 2021). For too long, talk of gender equality has excluded men – let’s change that. Opinion article in The Globe and Mail. [both print and online version; this article generated 192 comments] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-for-too-long-talk-of-gender-equality-has-excluded-men-lets-change-that/
Hideg, I., & Priesemuth, M. (February 19, 2021). 3 ways companies could offer more father-friendly policies that will help women. The Conversation US. https://theconversation.com/3-ways-companies-could-offer-more-father-friendly-policies-that-will-help-women-154155
Hideg, I., & Wilson, A. E. (February 5, 2020). Bringing up past injustices make majority groups defensive. Harvard Business Review, digital article. https://hbr.org/2020/02/research-bringing-up-past-injustices-make-majority-groups-defensive
Hideg, I., Krstic, A.,† Trau, R. N. C., & Zarina, T. (September 14, 2018). Do longer maternity leaves hurt women’s careers. Harvard Business Review, digital article. https://hbr.org/2018/09/do-longer-maternity-leaves-hurt-womens-careers