Doctoral students get involved in research by participating in workgroups led by social-organizational psychology faculty. Students are required to participate in at least one workgroup per semester for a minimum of eight semesters overall. Participation in at least two different workgroups is required over the course of the program.
In workgroups, doctoral students participate in all phases of the research process, including the design and conduct of research. Many times, this participation leads to presentations at professional conferences or publications in journals and books with faculty.
The number of students per workgroup varies but typically ranges from 3 to 6.
Topics of Interest:
Current Workgroup Members:
Workgroup Members Continuing Work on Projects and Papers:
Current Research:
Past Research:
Representative Publications:
Representative Conference Presentations:
Information for interested applicants:
Please contact Dr. Block at cjb17@tc.columbia.edu.
What determines whether conflict will move in a destructive or constructive direction?
This is the overarching question that has driven decades of research at the MD-ICCCR. While the answers to such questions are complex, we seek to identify the most fundamental factors that lead to qualitative differences in dynamics of conflict and peace. This research has spawned new insights and new research questions, including:
Books
Coleman, P. T. (2021). The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization. New York, Columbia University Press
Coleman, P. T. & Deutsch, M. (2015). Morton Deutsch: Major Texts on Peace Psychology. Springer Books.
Coleman, P. T. & Deutsch, M. (2015). Morton Deutsch: A Pioneer in Developing Peace Psychology. Springer Books.
Coleman P. T., Deutsch, M. & Marcus, E. (Eds.). (2014). The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. 3rd Edition, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Coleman, P.T. & Ferguson, R. (September, 2014). Making Conflict Work: Harnessing the power of disagreement.
New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Vallacher, R., Coleman, P. T., Nowak, A., Bui-Wrzosinska, L., Liebovitch, L., Kugler, K. & Bartoli, A. (2013). Attracted to Conflict: The Dynamic Foundations of Malignant Social Relations. New York, NY: Springer.
Coleman, P. T. (Ed.). (2012). Conflict, Justice, and Interdependence: The Legacy of Morton Deutsch. New York, NY: Springer.
Coleman, P. T. & Deutsch, M. (Eds.). (July, 2012). The Psychological Components of a Sustainable Peace. New
York: Springer.
Coleman, P. T. (2011). The five percent: Finding solutions to seemingly impossible conflicts. New York: Perseus Book Group.
Articles
Aumeerally, N., Chen-Carrel, A. & Coleman, P. T. (2022). Learning with Peaceful, Heterogenous Communities: Lessons on Sustaining Peace in Mauritius. Peace and Conflict Studies.
Fry, D. P., Souillac, G., Liebovitch, L. S., Coleman, P. T., Agan, K., Nicholson-Cox, E., Mason, D., Gomez, F. P., Strauss, S. (2021). Societies within peace systems avoid war and build positive intergroup relationships. Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Communications 8, 17. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00692-8.
Kim, R., Coleman, P. T., & Kugler, K. (2020). Is Conflict Adaptivity Better than Cooperation? The Effects of Adaptive Conflict Behaviors on Job-Related WellBeing in South Korea. Conflict Resolution Quarterly.
Coleman, P.T., Fisher, J., Fry, D.P., Liebovitch, L. Chen-Carrel, A., Souillac, G. (2020). How to Live in Peace? Mapping the Science of Sustaining Peace: A Progress Report. American Psychologist.
Kugler, K. and Coleman, P. T. (2020). Get Complicated: The Effects of Complexity on Conversations over Potentially Intractable Moral Conflicts. Negotiation and Conflict Management Research. 10.1111/ncmr.12192.
Liebovitch, L. Coleman, P. T., Bechhofer, A., Colon, C., Donahue, J., Eisenbach C., Guzm´an-Vargas, L., Jacobs, D., Khan, A., Li, C., Maksumov, D., Mucia, J., Persaud, M., Salimi, M., Schweiger, L., Wang, Q. (2019). Complexity analysis of sustainable peace: mathematical models and data science measurements. New Journal of Physics. https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ab2a96
Liebovitch, L., Coleman, P. T., and Fisher, J. (2019). Approaches to Understanding Sustainable Peace: Qualitative Causal Loop Diagrams and Quantitative Mathematical Models. American Behavioral Scientist. 000276421985961. 10.1177/0002764219859618.
Coleman, P. T., Liebovitch, L. and Fisher, J. (2019). Taking complex systems seriously: Visualizing and modeling the dynamics of sustainable peace. Global Policy, June, 2019. 10.1111/1758-5899.12680.
Coleman, P. T., and Bass, B. (2019). Facing uncertain times together: Strengthening intercultural connections. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 22, pp. 1-14.
Coleman, P. T. (2019). Tentative teachings on conflict from Trump’s tumultuous tenure in office. Negotiation Journal, 35(1), p. 231-234.
Coleman, P. T., Kugler, K. G., Kim, R. and Vallacher, R. (2018). Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst: Regulatory focus optimality in high and low-intensity conflict. International Journal of Conflict Management, 30(1), 45-64.
Coleman, P. T., Kugler, K. G., Kim, R. and Vallacher, R. (forthcoming). Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst: Regulatory focus optimality in high and low-intensity conflict. International Journal of Conflict Management.
Coleman, P. T. (2018). Morton Deutsch (1920–2017). American Psychologist, 73(2), 198.
Coleman, P. T. (2018). Conflict intelligence and systemic wisdom: Meta-competencies for engaging conflict in a complex, dynamic world. Negotiation Journal, 34, 1, pp. 7-35.
Coleman, P. T. (2018). Ten major scientific contributions that promote a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. Negotiation Journal, 34, 1, pp. 105-116.
Coleman, P. T., Coon, D., Kim, R., Chung, C., Regan, B., Anderson. R., & Bass, B. (2017). Promoting constructive multicultural attractors: Fostering unity and fairness from diversity and conflict. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science.
Coleman, P. T., Kugler, K. G., and Chatman, L. (2017). Adaptive mediation: An evidence-based contingency approach to mediating conflict. International Journal of Conflict Management.
Webb, C. E., Coleman, P. T., Rossignac-Milon, M., Tomasulo, S. J., & Higgins, E. T. (2017). Moving on or Digging Deeper: Regulatory Mode and Interpersonal Conflict Resolution. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000131
Kim, R. and Coleman, P. T. (2015) The Combined Effect of Individualism – Collectivism on Conflict Styles and Satisfaction: An Analysis at the Individual Level. Peace and Conflict Studies, 22, 2.
Coleman, P. T., Kugler, K., Gozzi, C., Mazzaro, K., El Zokm, N & Kressel, K. (2015). Putting the peaces together: Introducing a situated model of mediation. International Journal of Conflict Management.
Coleman, P. T., & Kugler, K. G. (2014). Tracking Managerial Conflict Adaptivity: Introducing a Dynamic Measure of Adaptive Conflict Management in Organizations.Journal of Organizational Behavior. Online first publication.
Kurt, L., Kugler, K. G., Coleman, P. T., & Liebovitch, L. S. (2014). Behavioral and emotional dynamics of two people struggling to reach consensus about a topic on which they disagree. PLoS ONE, 9, 1-15.
Coleman, P.T., Kugler K., Bui-Wrzosinska, L., Nowak, A. & Vallacher, R. (2012). Getting Down to Basics: A Situated Model of Conflict in Social Relations. Negotiations Journal, 28(1), 7-43.
Vallacher, R., Coleman, P. T., Nowak, A., Bui-Wrzosinska, L. (2010). Rethinking intractable conflict: The perspective of dynamical systems. American Psychologist, 65 (4), 262-278.
Coleman, P.T., Kugler, K., Mitchinson, A., Chung, C.T., & Musallam, N. (2010). The View from Above and Below: The Effects of Power and Interdependence Asymmetries on Conflict Dynamics and Outcomes in Organizations. Negotiations and Conflict Management Research, 3 (4), 283-331.
Coleman, P.T., Vallacher, R.R., Nowak, A. & Bui-Wrzosinska, L. (Eds., 2010). Special Issue: Dynamical Systems Theory and Conflict. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 16 (2).
Coleman, P.T., Gray, B. & Putnam, L.L. (Eds., 2007). Special Issue: Intractable Conflict.American Behavioral Scientist, 50 (11).
Peter T. Coleman (2003). Characteristics of Protracted, Intractable Conflict: Toward the Development of a Metaframework-I . Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 9(1).
For further information, visit us at http://icccr.tc.columbia.edu/
If you have additional questions, please contact Danielle Coon at dnc2123@tc.columbia.edu.
This workgroup primarily but not exclusively focuses on issues of inclusion, demographic diversity and discrimination in organizations. Emphasis is placed on using a variety of theoretical (e.g., social cognitive; legal; relational and organizational demography; person-environment fit) and methodological (lab studies, surveys) approaches to conduct research that helps us understand the role that a variety of demographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, generational membership) play in the workplace. The implications of demographic diversity for decision making (e.g., selection) and organizational behaviors (e.g., communication, turnover) are explored. More recently our research examines inclusive leadership and its role in managing workplace diversity. Attention is given to the role of individual, group, and organizational factors in understanding issues of inclusion, demographic diversity and discrimination.
Current Workgroup Members:
Workgroup Members Continuing Work on Projects and Papers:
Inclusive Leadership
Our workgroup has conducted research to better understand the causes and consequences of inclusive leadership. More specifically, projects have explored antecedents to and outcomes of inclusive leadership, whether an inclusive leadership style is gendered, and the role that inclusive leadership might play in sexual harassment in the workplace. Other projects have focused on developing an evidence-based measure of inclusive leadership. A more recent focus is on better understanding what inclusive leaders "do" and developing these behaviors in leaders.
HR for the Non-HR Manager (Instructional Resources)
In 2004, Carol Kulik wrote a book on Human Resource Management (HRM) targeted toward line managers who must engage in HR related activities at work. A new edition of HR for the Non-HR Manager (Kulik & Perry) is currently in press. The book provides an overview of HR activities to managers who are not in HR from the initial recruitment and selection of new employees, through compensation and performance appraisal decisions, and ultimately to unpleasant but sometimes necessary disciplinary and termination actions. Members of our workgroup are developing accompanying instructional resource materials that are based on sound pedagogical principles. These materials are being prepared for a website that will accompany the publication of the book.
The Research-Practice Gap
There is ample evidence for a research practice gap. The gap refers to the fact that practitioners ignore or underutilize evidence-based research at work. There are two reasons for this gap. A knowing gap suggests that practitioners do not have access to or understand what academics know based on available research. A doing gap suggests that practitioners are familiar with evidence-based best practices but are unwilling or unable to implement them. Our workgroup is focused on understanding how academics can help to close a doing based gap both through executive teaching but also through research. The workgroup will focus on a conceptual paper related to the role of executive teaching in the research-practice doing gap. Additionally, the workgroup will consider new projects focused on how academics can help practitioners “do” evidence-based diversity management. Projects are in the development stage.
NOTE: The above represent current workgroup activities. Previous projects have explored generational stereotypes and stereotype threat, sexual harassment awareness training, and the impact of gender stereotype violations on the employment outcomes of caregivers.
Information for Interested Applicants:
Please email Dr. Perry at ep248@tc.columbia.edu.
Dynamic Network Theory, Decision Science, and Social Network Analysis
The goal of the work in our Dynamic Network Lab is to use social network, motivation, and decision science to predict, understand, and positively intervene in complex individual, social, and organizational systems. The lab combines social network analysis, motivation, and decision-making approaches to more fully explain how social networks wield their power on important targets: goals, important decisions, specific behaviors, performance, climates, and system well-being. Largely grounded in dynamic network theory (DNT), network goal analysis (NGA) aims to portray these system dynamics at individual, group, organizational, or international levels, including those with conflict. NGA can also be used with other theoretical approaches, not just DNT, whenever social networks and goals (or target behaviors) are the focus. In contrast, we also use behavioral reasoning theory (BRT) to examine how people's reasoning and counter-argument processes within the network help trigger motivated goal striving and behavior at the individual levels. Utilizing both DNT and BRT together is presumed to provide a richer, yet highly operational understanding of system behavior with direct implications for strategic change to improve system functioning. Individuals have used the Lab to model the in-person networks involved in their pursuits to get jobs, start businesses, lose weight, run marathons, quit tobacco, and improve social and organizational systems, among many others. Our work also examines how to model important decision making in groups as well as how groups are working effectively (or not) in pursuit of their important goals.
Please see our Dynamic Network Lab’s website for much more information: www.tc.columbia.edu/dnl or www.DynamicNetworkLab.Org
Workgroup Members Continuing Work on Projects and Papers:
Wang, Stark, Westaby, Parr, & Newman (In press). Social Network Analysis in Psychology: Recent Breakthroughs in Methods and Theories. APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology. American Psychological Association.
Westaby, J. D., Pfaff, D. L., & Redding, N. (2014). Psychology and social networks: A dynamic network theory perspective. American Psychologist, 69, 269-284.
Westaby, J. D., & Parr, A. K. (2020). The network goal analysis of social and organizational systems: Testing dynamic network theory in complex social networks. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 56(1), 107-129.
Westaby, J. D. (2012). Dynamic network theory: How social networks influence goal pursuit. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Westaby, J. D., & Shon, D. (2017). Simulating the Social Networks in Human Goal Striving. In R. R. Vallacher, S. J., Read, & A. Nowak (Eds.), Computational models in social psychology (1st ed.). pp. 231-257. New York, NY: Psychology Press (Frontiers of Psychology series).
Westaby, J. D., & Echtenkamp, A. (2017). Humor and Organizational Networks: Functions and Dysfunctions. In C. Robert (Ed.), Humor in the workplace (1st ed.). pp. 45-59. Routledge.
Westaby, J. D., & Redding, N. (2014). Social networks, social media, and conflict resolution. In P.T. Coleman, M. Deutsch, & E.C. Marcus (Eds.), The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). pp. 998-1022. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Westaby, J. D. (2005). Behavioral reasoning theory: Identifying new linkages underlying intentions and behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 98, 97-120.
Westaby, J. D., Probst, T. M., & Lee, B. C. (2010). Leadership decision-making: A behavioral reasoning theory analysis. Leadership Quarterly, 21, 481-495.
Wagner, M., & Westaby, J. D. (in press). Changing pay systems in organizations: Using behavioral reasoning theory to understand employee support for pay-for-performance (or Not). Journal of Applied Behavioral Science.
Westaby, J. D., Versenyi, A., & Hausmann, R. C. (2005). Intentions to work during terminal illness: An exploratory study of antecedent conditions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 1027-1035.
Westaby, J. D., & Lowe, J. K. (2005). Risk taking orientation and injury among youth workers: Examining the social influence of supervisors, coworkers, and parents. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 1297-1305.
Topics of Interest:
This workgroup primarily but not exclusively focuses on issues of demographic diversity, discrimination, and inclusion in organizations. Emphasis is placed on using a variety of theoretical (e.g., social cognitive, legal, relational and organizational demography, person-environment fit) and methodological (lab studies, surveys) approaches to conduct research that helps us understand the role that a variety of demographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, generational membership) play in the workplace. The implications of demographic diversity for decision making (e.g., selection) and organizational behaviors (e.g., communication, turnover) are explored. Attention is given to the role of individual, group, and organizational factors in understanding issues of demographic diversity, discrimination, and inclusion.
Current Workgroup Members:
Current Projects:
Inclusive Leadership
This workgroup has conducted research to better understand the causes and consequences of inclusive leadership. Projects have explored antecedents to and outcomes of inclusive leadership, whether an inclusive leadership style is gendered, and the role that inclusive leadership might play in sexual harassment in the workplace. Other projects have focused on developing an evidence-based measure of inclusive leadership. A more recent focus is on better understanding the specific behaviors that inclusive leaders engage in.
HR for the Non-HR Manager (Instructional Resources)
A new edition of HR for the Non-HR Manager (Kulik & Perry) is currently in press. Members of the workgroup are developing instructional resource materials that are based on sound pedagogical principles. The book provides an overview of human resource activities for the non-human resource manager from the initial recruitment and selection of new employees, through compensation and performance appraisal decisions, and ultimately to unpleasant but sometimes necessary disciplinary and termination actions.
The Research-Practice Gap
There is ample evidence for a research practice gap. The gap refers to the fact that practitioners ignore or underutilize evidence-based research at work. There are two reasons for this gap. A knowing gap suggests that practitioners do not have access to or understand what academics know based on available research. A doing gap suggests that practitioners are familiar with evidence-based best practices but are unwilling or unable to implement them. The workgroup is focused on understanding how academics can help to close a doing based gap both through executive teaching but also through research. The workgroup will focus on a conceptual paper related to the role of executive teaching in the research-practice doing gap. Additionally, the workgroup will consider new projects focused on how academics can help practitioners “do” evidence-based diversity management. Projects are in the development stage.
Representative Publications/Conference Papers:
Perry, E.L., Kulik, C.T., Mendelsohn, D.B., & Shon, D.A. (2022). Faculty gender diversity, institutional performance and the role of diversity climate. Research in Higher Education, 62, 1204-1236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-022-09688-6
Perry, E.L., Block, C.J., & Noumair, D.A. (2021). Leading in: Inclusive leadership, inclusive climates and sexual harassment. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 40(4), 430-447. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-04-2019-0120
Li, A., & Perry, E.L. (2020, April). The Inclusive Leadership Questionnaire – Development of a Theory-Based Measure, Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference, Austin, TX.
Perry, E.L., & Li, A. (2019, August). Leadership for inclusion “above” and “below” the line. In K. P. Weeks, I. Metz, & S. Perrera (Chairs), Crossing the Line: Examining "Above" and "Below" the Line Diversity Activities in Organizations, Academy of Management Annual Conference, Boston, MA.
Perry, E.L., & Mendelsohn, D. (2017, August). Organizational-level racioethnic matching: The case of college faculty and students. Academy of Management Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.
VonNumers, S., Perry, E.L., & Mendelsohn, D. (2017, August). Faculty racial diversity and stakeholder outcomes: The important role of diversity climate. In, Y. Yang & Konrad, A. (Chairs), Diversity and Inclusion Management: Theory and Research at the Organizational Level of Analysis, Academy of Management Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Information for Interested Applicants:
Please email Dr. Perry at ep248@tc.columbia.edu.
Topics of Interest:
Current Workgroup Members:
Workgroup Members Continuing Work on Projects and Papers:
Current Research:
Past Research:
Representative Publications:
Representative Student Qualifying Papers
Chen-Carrel, A. (2020). Working towards an online learning community: Experiences from piloting an online group relations consulting course
Information for interested applicants:
Please contact Dr. Noumair at dn28@tc.columbia.edu.
Box: 6
Teachers College, Columbia University
Room 222 Zankel
Contact Person: Ometria Seebarran
Phone: (212) 678-8109
Email: oks2107@tc.columbia.edu