Diversity, discrimination, and respect at work (Prof. S. Giessner)

Date: Jul 7, 2015
Time: 02:30 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Speaker: Professor Dr. Steffen R. Giessner, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Room: Herbert Walther Lecture Hall
Host: MPQ

This talk will give a short overview of the latest insights into the promises and pitfalls of a diverse workforce on employee outcomes like respectful interactions at work, cooperation, creativity and conflict at work.

First, I will define what diversity actually means and what types of diversity exists. Next, I will present two perspectives on diversity at work: the information/decision perspective and the categorization perspective. While the former argues that diversity offers lots of promises, the later one elaborates on the risks. Consequently, the talk will address these risks in more detail – mainly explaining how human information processing is based on stereotyping and under which conditions this can result in disrespectful treatment of other employees. The presentation will raise awareness of specific problems at work (e.g., unfair treatment of women at work) and offer ideas for potential solutions.

Selected publications:
Giessner, S.R., van Knippenberg, D., van Ginkel, W.P. & Sleebos, E (2013). Team-oriented leadership: The Interactive Effects of Leader Group Prototypicality, Accountability, and Team Identification. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98 (4), 658-667.Giessner, S.R., Ullrich, J. & van Dick, R. (2012). A Social Identity Analysis of Mergers & Acquisitions. In D. Faulkner, S. Teerikangas & R. Joseph (Eds.), Handbook of Mergers & Acquisitions (pp. 474-495). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Giessner, S.R. & van Knippenberg, D. (2008). "License to fail": Goal definition, leader group prototypicality, and perceptions of leadership effectiveness after leader failure. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 105 (1), 14-35

Who is Steffen Giessner?
2004 Doctoral Degree at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
2004 Fellowship – ERIM postdoc programme, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, NL
2007 Assistant Professor, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, NL
2009 Associate Professor (tenured), Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, NL
2015 Endowed Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Change, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, NL.