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A Premium on Perceived “Naturalness”: Contradictions to Our Ideals of Fairness and Meritocracy

Date
Date
Wednesday 26 October 2022, 14:00 - 15:00
Location
Online (book below)
Speaker
Chia-Jung Tsay, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University College London

BOOK HERE

Abstract

Across domains, organizations and institutions invest heavily in the judgment of performance. After all, we consider fair systems, processes, and access to equitable opportunities to be celebrated aspects of modern society. Yet beliefs about the origins of individual performance outcomes can shape important decisions in all spheres of accomplishment and any context that involves social evaluations. Challenging our broad, explicit admiration of hard work, my research shows that people are subject to a hidden "naturalness bias," a phenomenon which I define as the premium people place on apparent natural ability and talent, as opposed to the same achievements obtained through striving and deliberate motivation. The initial findings were extended through additional sets of studies elaborating on the generalizability and persistence of these effects, such as in entrepreneurship, leadership, negotiations, networking, and employee development. Works in progress discuss the implications for gender, race, ethics and healthcare, and learning outcomes.

 

The Speaker

Dr. Chia-Jung Tsay is the Bruce and Janice Ellig Professor in Management and an Associate Professor at UW-Madison, and an Associate Professor at UCL. Her work examines the psychological processes that influence decision making and interpersonal perception about performance. Chia's research has been published in journals including PNAS, Management Science, OBHDP, ROB, and PSPB, and featured in media outlets including the BBC, Economist, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Nature, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal. Chia received a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior jointly from Harvard Business School and the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. In other professional experience, as a classical pianist, Chia has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the U.S. Embassy and holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, where she later served as faculty.