Videos
Watch insightful presentations and discussions from Wharton’s annual People Analytics Conference, featuring researchers, industry leaders, and data innovators. These videos capture a wide range of perspectives on the evolving role of people analytics in business and beyond.
Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace
2024
Speakers:
Eric Garcia – Journalist, Author of “We’re not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation”
Nat Lyckowski – Global Neurodiversity Advancement Leader, IBM
As organizations seek to create more supportive work environments for neurodivergent employees, moving past awareness of neurodiversity to welcoming it within the organization is critical to maximizing the potential of this pool of talent. In this fireside chat, Nat Lyckowski joins journalist Eric Garcia to explore how organizations can learn to treat neurodiversity as a dimension of identity, rather than a medical condition, and create a culture where neurodivergent employees are positioned for maximum personal and organizational success.
The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work
2024
Speakers:
Lise Vesterlund – Co-author of The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Economics, Director of the Behavioral Economics Design Initiative (BEDI), and of the Pittsburgh Experimental Economics Laboratory (PEEL)
Lise Vesterlund illuminates the danger of non-promotable work disproportionately assigned to women, which affects their short and long term career advancement. Through a combination of research and personal experiences, Lisa reveals the impact on equality within organizations, of non-promotable tasks, and advocates for structural changes and awareness to redistribute work more equitably, ensuring all employees have equal opportunities to contribute to core organizational goals.
Building Fair and Transparent Workplaces
2021
Speakers:
David Anderson – Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, Villanova University
Marrgrét V. Bjarnadóttir – Associate Professor of Management Science and Statistics, University of Maryland
David Ross – R. Perry Franklin Associate Professor, University of Florida
This winning paper from the White Paper Competition at the 2021 Wharton People Analytics Conference highlighted the urgent need for bias-aware people analytics tools in HR. Presenters discussed overcoming biases in machine learning and analytics, emphasizing the development of fair and transparent HR practices. They advocated for the careful examination of data biases, model performance across groups, and the implementation of bias dashboards to ensure fairness in hiring, promotions, and employee evaluations.
Can Algorithms Be Fair?
2021
Speakers:
Elizabeth Adams – Chief AI Ethics Advisor for Paravision, Key Constituent of UN Roundtable on AI 2020/21, Stanford Race & Technology Fellow, Founding member of POSTME
Andy McAfee – Co-Founder and Co-Director MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy
Moderator: Kara Swisher – Producer and Host, Recode Decode and Pivot Podcasts, and New York Times Contributor
Elizabeth Adams and Andy McAfee discuss the fairness of algorithms at the 2021 Wharton People Analytics Conference, questioning if AI can overcome human biases. They explore algorithmic transparency and societal impacts. The conversation highlights the challenge of achieving fairness in AI, emphasizing the role of community engagement and policy in guiding ethical AI use and addressing biases, particularly in facial recognition and judicial systems.
Building an Inclusion Instinct
2021
Speakers:
Oris Stuart – Chief People and Inclusion Officer, The NBA
Cade Massey – Practice Professor, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Faculty Director, Wharton People Lab
Stuart and Massey discuss fostering an inclusion instinct within organizations at the 2021 Wharton People Analytics Conference. Highlighting the NBA’s efforts in access and opportunity, they explore strategies to embed these values deeply into corporate culture. The conversation underscores the importance of listening, engaging communities, and implementing practices across all levels of an organization to enhance belonging and innovation.
Closing the Gender Pay Gap - PayAnalytics
2019
Speakers:
Marrgrét V. Bjarnadóttir – Founder of PayAnalytics, Associate Professor of Management Science and Statistics, University of Maryland
PayAnalytics founders share their data-driven tool to measure and close the gender pay gap. They detail their methodology and optimization approach to provide fair, efficient suggestions on raises that fix gaps faster and cheaper than naive solutions. The software quantifies gaps, plans fixes, and enables vigilance to eliminate biases reappearing.
Representation and Pay Equity
2019
Speakers:
Shuba Gopal – Senior Scientist, The Broad Institute
Andy Porter – Chief People Officer, The Broad Institute
Shuba Gopal and Andy Porter shared groundbreaking strategies for addressing gender pay gaps and enhancing representation at the 2019 Wharton People Analytics Conference. They emphasized the need for a nuanced approach to analyzing pay equity, distinguishing between unadjusted and adjusted pay gaps. By incorporating computational biology techniques like permutation testing, they offered innovative methods for tackling representation issues in data analysis. Their work underscores the importance of transparency, data-driven insights, and community engagement in promoting equity in the workplace.
An Analytical Perspective on Diversity
2017
Speakers:
Laura Liswood – Secretary General and Co-Founder of the Council of Women World Leaders, Former Managing Director and Senior Advisor, Goldman Sachs
Joelle Emerson – Founder and CEO, Paradigm
Derek Avery – Sr Assoc. Dean for Diversity & Global Initiatives, Sisel Professor of Management, Wake Forest University School of Business
Moderator: Corinne Low – Assistant Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, The Wharton School
An Analytical Perspective On Diversity explores the intersection of analytics and diversity efforts, discussed at the 2017 Wharton People Analytics Conference. The conversation examines the potential and challenges of using data analytics to mitigate bias in recruitment and management practices. It highlights the complexities of ensuring algorithms do not perpetuate existing biases, emphasizing the importance of continuous evaluation of outcomes to foster a more inclusive workplace.
Articles
Explore a curated collection of articles featuring groundbreaking research and expert insights from Wharton’s faculty. Discover innovative approaches to people analytics, uncovering insights into human behavior and business practices that are shaping the future.
The Mixed Effects of Online Diversity Training
Massey, C., Duckworth, A., Grant, A., Rebele, R., Chang, E., Milkman, K. L., & Gromet, D. (2019)
Chang, Milkman, Gromet, Rebele, Massey, Duckworth, and Grant’s study on a brief diversity training for 3,016 participants reveals it improved attitudes towards gender and racial bias but had limited impact on behaviors. Notably, positive changes were mostly among women with previously supportive attitudes. This highlights that while short diversity trainings can enhance awareness, they fall short in driving broad behavioral change. The findings suggest more comprehensive and sustained approaches are necessary to achieve significant workplace behavior modification for equality.
Out of the Box? How Managing a Subordinate’s Multiple Identities Affects the Quality of a Manager-Subordinate Relationship
Creary, S. J., Caza, B. B., & Roberts, L. M. (2015)
This study by Creary, Caza, and Roberts examines the dynamics of manager-subordinate relationships through the lens of identity management. It explores how subordinates’ multiple identities can enhance or detract from these relationships, potentially providing access to diverse knowledge and social capital that influence resource utilization at work. The authors integrate theories from leader-member exchange, relational-cultural theory, and positive organizational scholarship to propose a new model that underscores the role of aligned identity management strategies in cultivating high-quality professional relationships.
In our Own Backyard: When a Less Inclusive Community Challenges Organizational Inclusion
Humberd, B., Clair, J., & Creary, S. (2015)
The study introduces “inclusion disconnects,” highlighting the tension between an organization’s inclusive culture and a less inclusive local community, particularly in racial/ethnic contexts. Analyzing teaching hospitals in a racially segregated city, the study reveals that historical biases, interactions with patients, and concerns about cultural fit can deter minority staff from long-term commitments, despite internal inclusion efforts. It proposes solutions like coalition-building with local groups, promoting open dialogue on community issues, and establishing an internal support system to mitigate these challenges.
Is Age Really Just a Number? Investigating Approaches to Employee Engagement
Creary, S. (2010)
This Research Report and Key Findings provide a comparative case study analysis to investigate leading companies’ employee engagement strategies and determine whether these approaches included a multigenerational lens. The companies studied were selected not only for their differing industries, but because they continue to remain committed to improving the employee experience in the wake of the economic crisis.
Navigating the Self in Diverse Work Contexts
Roberts, L., & Creary, S. (2013)
Navigating the self is critical for working in a diverse world, in which different identities interact in social space. This chapter presents five theoretical perspectives on how individuals navigate the self in diverse organizational contexts—social identity, critical identity, (role) identity, narrative-as-identity, and identity work. The writers review these five prominent theoretical perspectives on identity processes in diverse contexts to explicate various ways in which individuals actively participate in the co-construction of their identities in diverse contexts.
Do Women Choose Different Jobs From Men? Mechanisms of Application Segregation in the Market for Managerial Workers
Bidwell, M., & Barbulescu, R. (2012)
Roxana Barbulescu and Matthew Bidwell explore why MBA graduates’ job applications show gender segregation, particularly why women less frequently apply to finance and consulting positions. They link this trend to gender role socialization, influencing preferences for job rewards, identification with jobs, and expectations of job offer success. The study suggests women’s choices are shaped by a desire for work-life balance, lower identification with jobs perceived as masculine, and doubts about receiving job offers in these fields. This research sheds light on how societal norms and personal expectations contribute to gender segregation in managerial job markets.
Podcasts
Selected episodes of Women@Work, hosted by Laura Zarrow. In these conversations, Laura speaks with extraordinary role models, authors, and industry leaders to explore tactics and strategies that support women and men at all stages of their careers.
Perennials
August 16, 2023
Guest: Mauro Guillan – William H. Wurster Professor of Multinational Management, Vice Dean, MBA Program for Executives
Mauro Guillen discusses the evolving landscape of work and retirement, emphasizing the need for a shift from traditional sequential life models towards lifelong learning and flexibility. Highlighting the impact of AI and remote work, Guillen advocates for a hybrid approach to education and work, underscoring the importance of recognizing and leveraging the skills and experiences of older generations in the workforce.
What Works: Equality by Design
September 7, 2017
Guest: Iris Bohnet – Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government and the Co-Director of the Women and Public Policy Program, Harvard Kennedy School
Bohnet delves into the science of bias, offering innovative strategies for organizations to foster equality. Her approach blends behavioral economics and psychology, proposing actionable, evidence-based interventions to de-bias our environments and decision-making processes.
The NO Club
September 22, 2022
Guest: Lise Vesterlund – Professor of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, and Founding Director of the Behavioral Economic Design Initiative, Author of The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work
In this episode, Lise Vesterlund talks about her book, “The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead End Work.” Vesterlund, a behavioral economist, dives into the gender dynamics of workplace tasks, emphasizing how women disproportionately take on non-promotable tasks. Their discussion highlights strategies to redistribute these tasks more equitably, ensuring women can focus on career-advancing work. Vesterlund’s insights are pivotal for redefining.
Redefining Power in Corporate America
March 3, 2022
Guest: Deepa Purushothaman – Author of The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America
Deepa Purushothaman discusses her book The First, The Few, The Only, sharing insights on navigating corporate America as a woman of color. She emphasizes the importance of community and challenging systemic biases.
Disrupting Bias
May 13, 2021
Guest: Kim Scott – Author of Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair
Kim Scott discusses Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair, emphasizing actionable strategies to address workplace injustice. Scott, known for her work on “Radical Candor,” delves into bias, discrimination, and bullying, offering insights on becoming effective allies and creating inclusive environments. Her conversation with Laura Zarrow covers personal experiences, systemic challenges, and the importance of recognizing one’s role in both perpetuating and combating workplace inequities.
Interruption of Bias, and Strategic Approaches to Building a More Equitable Workplace
December 5, 2019
Guest: Joan C. Williams – Distinguished Professor of Law, Hastings Foundation Chair, and Founding Director of the Center for WorkLife Law, University of California
Joan C. Williams, a trailblazer in work-life law, unpacks the complexities of gender and class in the workplace, sharing groundbreaking insights from her books and research. From the biases holding women back to the subtle dynamics of class that shape our professional lives, Joan offers actionable strategies for creating a more equitable work environment.
What Racism Has Cost Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
March 4, 2021
Guest: Heather McGhee – Author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
Heather McGhee discusses the economic and societal impacts of racism on Women@Work, focusing on insights from her book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.” McGhee, known for her work in promoting equality, explores how zero-sum thinking and systemic racism harm all members of society, not just those directly discriminated against. She advocates for solidarity and collective action to address and overcome these deeply entrenched issues, highlighting the potential for a more inclusive and prosperous society for everyone.
Moving from Me-Centered to We-Centered: Understanding Relationships between Black and White Women in the Workforce
October 28, 2021
Guest: Dr. Ella Bell Smith – Professor of Business Administration, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
Dr. Ella Bell Smith discusses her co-authored book Our Separate Ways on Women@Work, emphasizing the distinct career paths and work experiences of black and white women in professional settings. The discussion explores systemic racism, gender dynamics, and the importance of understanding cultural differences in the workplace. Smith’s insights from her extensive research and personal experiences offer valuable perspectives on corporate America.
Inspiring and Mentoring Women of Color in Tech
June 25, 2020
Guest: Suzanne Tedrick – Microsoft Technical Trainer, Infrastructure Specialist, Azure – Enterprise, Author of Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators
Suzanne Tedrick discusses her journey from financial services to tech, aiming to bridge the gap for women of color in STEM fields. She emphasizes the need for role models and mentoring to support underrepresented women. Tedrick’s work with organizations like Black Girls Code and IBM’s P-TECH initiative showcases her commitment to diversity and inclusion in tech, offering insights on overcoming barriers and fostering supportive environments for career growth.
Barriers to Belonging
November 12, 2020
Guest: Laura Morgan Roberts – Frank M. Sands Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts, Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and author of the HBR article, “Working At Home While Black,” joins Laura to explore the myriad workplace challenges women of color experience every day. Listen in as they talk about code switching, the glass cliff, and the power of empathy and relationships to create a genuine sense of belonging at work.