Authenticity in Police Departments
Authenticity reduces threat from employees with power
Three years of ride-alongs, interviews, and field observations, a field experiment with 232 police-community interactions, and seven online experiments helped develop a tactic that uses authenticity to reduce threat in police interactions to increase trust; advancing theory on developing trust swiftly under uncertainty.
Developing authentic connections through empathy
Using real experiences of community members to understand how to accurately connect police officers to the emotions and thoughts of the people they serve. Research has struggled to connect emotionally distant individuals, but mine will provide theoretically-novel solutions.
Papers in Data Collection & Writing Stages
Authenticity in Other Organizations
Increasing diversity and inclusion by changing mindsets about authenticity
Authenticity is often viewed as something that can lead to conflict in organizations, rather than effectiveness. Similarly, some people think authentic self-expression from a diverse group can lead to conflict. My work shows how to change the mindsets of leaders to understand how authenticity is more helpful, than harmful.
In Data Collection Stage
Sacrificing authenticity at work makes you feel less human
Employees often create distance from their identities, values, thoughts, and feelings at work to be productive. I show this not only makes employees burned out, uncommitted and disengaged–inauthenticity at work makes you feel less human. My published work shows feeling less than human creates a cycle of unethical behavior.
Under Review