I study how the beliefs and attitudes people hold about diversity affect multicultural workspaces, including how multicultural workgroups can build trust and encourage deeper inclusion of minorities and their identities. I am particularly interested in exploring the challenges and benefits of intercultural communication and teamwork, and how culture shapes our views and understanding of work environments.
My research investigates how stereotypes about gender and sexual orientation contribute to the underrepresentation of gender and sexual minorities in leadership roles. To understand this better, I leverage AI technologies to examine how these stereotypes unconsciously manifest in organizational cultures and decision-making processes. Ultimately, my goal is to promote leadership practices that embrace diversity and create equitable opportunities for all.
My research will investigate intercultural partner dynamics at the workplace, with an emphasis on expectancy violation theory. Specifically, I am structuring my Master’s thesis model around the relationship of cultural communication norm violations with future collaborative desire and how this may be mediated by outgroup salience. At McMaster University, where I pursued my undergraduate degree, I analyzed employees with physical disabilities and how managers perceived them based on Cuddy’s concepts of warmth and competence.
My current research focuses on microaggressions and the potential impact they have on promotion opportunities at work. I am also interested in researching allyship and how to better provide support to minority groups at work as we continue to remove barriers in the workplace. Previously I have conducted research on perfectionism and its effects on group projects at the University of Guelph, where I earned my honours bachelor’s degree in psychology.