By Victor Rogers | Photos and Video by Allison Carter June 28, 2019
This is the tenth installment of a yearlong series about women at Georgia Tech. See the full series.
Tiffany D. Johnson studies bridges, but not the kind that carry trucks and cars. She studies how to connect people.
“I do research on organizations and workplaces, and how they can become more inclusive and equitable,” said Johnson, assistant professor in the Organizational Behavior Area of the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business. “I do this research on the experiences of underrepresented minorities, women, people with disabilities, people with marginalized sexual orientations, people coming from lower social classes, and allies associated with any and all of these groups. I am driven to answer the question: What are the micro-processes (the verbal language, body language, etc. that happens in organizations) that make workplaces more equitable?”
To answer this question, Johnson applies stigma theory to much of her research.
“Stigma in and of itself is a dirty word,” she says. “But the definition offered, and studies done, by the influential sociologist and social psychologist Erving Goffman several years ago is what drew me to the theory. Goffman talks about stigma as an identity that has become spoiled or tainted, through interactions. He emphasizes that stigma is created through social systems and interactions. In the case of my research, this means I am asking: What makes people feel devalued or less than valuable enough to be able to work in an organization?”
This question piqued Johnson’s interest during her first year of graduate school. She said she didn’t realize it then, but the idea of worthiness is interwoven throughout stigma.
In hindsight Johnson realized that her fascination with studying inclusion and equity is because it has a layer of psychology, a layer of sociology, and some emotional tenets — all topics that, over the course of nine or so years, she found to be intrinsically interesting.
“These are the concepts and ideas that I now recognize to be integral to my work on creating equitable workplaces,” she said.
As an example, Johnson shares details about her dissertation on job coaches who work with individuals with autism and related disabilities, a study that she hopes will contribute to understanding of allies and disability in organizations.
“For my dissertation I was really surprised at the emotional themes that came up. This is when I had no choice but to accept it. In every single interview there was emotion, compassion, empathy, and stories of challenging experiences of doing this work either with other people or with oneself. There were sad stories as well as really happy and proud moments that I just was not expecting. I guess I was just so focused on the practical behaviors that would be involved, I didn’t think that the ‘soft’ stuff — the emotional processes — would take a front seat as well.”
Johnson earned a Ph.D. in management and organization at Penn State, and a master of human resources and industrial relations from the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois. Her dissertation was a finalist in the 2015 INFORMS Best Dissertation Competition. Her research appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology and Organizational Studies.
Johnson said she wants her students to recognize organizational behavior in everything they do. She likes referencing examples from the news, students’ own experiences, and television shows like The Office or Parks and Recreation.
“Usually, around the middle of the semester, my students start noticing examples. When those things happen I get really excited because I know they’re starting to get it.”
Now Johnson is particularly interested in equity, or the lack thereof, and its impact on emotional, physical, and work-related well-being of underrepresented minorities.
“I wonder if that has been the missing link,” she says. “A lot of times we want to talk about inclusive workplaces, but we don’t want to talk about emotions that arise. There is fear, guilt, and sadness. I wonder if, by neglecting that, we are neglecting a human experience.”
Johnson’s research intersects with her role in the classroom as well. She finds herself applying some of the strategies that her research participants shared with her when she has students who disclose personal information or request accommodations for class.
“Every semester I try to respond to students’ emotions in a way that is supportive and compassionate, while still being mindful of how I feel,” Johnson said. “I learn something new about how to do this each time, and I know that I will never do it perfectly. No one will. But I want to always grow from the experience, because I know that those moments — a five-minute meeting that seems so small — makes a huge difference in the long haul toward making an inclusive organization or workplace.”
Johnson said she wants her students to recognize organizational behavior in everything they do. She likes referencing examples from the news, students’ own experiences, and television shows like The Office or Parks and Recreation.
“Usually, around the middle of the semester, my students start noticing examples. When those things happen I get really excited because I know they’re starting to get it,” Johnson says.
She also enjoys working with students, from undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates, on research, and seeing them develop research skills that reflect rigor and cultural competence.
“I have always been in awe of the ways in which my Ph.D. advisor, dissertation chair, and mentor, Aparna Joshi, guided me and several others as students,” Johnson said. “Her level of commitment to our development as people and scholars influenced the way that I mentor students. I don’t take the responsibility lightly, and I am honored to do that work.”
