PhD Research Proposal Presentation: Masoomeh Kalantari
Ms. Masoomeh Kalantari, a doctoral student at Â鶹AV in the area of Organizational Behaviour will be presenting her research proposal entitled:
Intersectional Homophily and Its Implications for Organization
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Monday, October 21, 2024 at 10:00am – 12:00pm
Student Committee Chair: ProfessorÌýBrian RubineauÌýand Professor John-Paul Ferguson
Please note that the presentation will be conducted on Zoom.
ABSTRACT
This research introduces and empirically explores the concept of intersectional homophily: the tendency for individuals to connect based on multiple overlapping social identities they share. This concept is proposed to fill a gap in studies of social networks and diversity in organizations. Scholars tend only to infer, rather than identify, how individuals' multiple identities influence their associations at work. While this approach poses no problem in contexts where single identities dominate, it becomes troublesome in large diverse organizations where individuals may connect with others based on combinations of intersecting identities, such as gender, race, age, and social class, simultaneously. Social network studies of organizations
examine people's associations but tend to focus on relationships through single identity lenses. Consequently, they neglect how multiple identities interact to shape social connections, thereby affecting organizational outcomes.
This research addresses this concern through three interconnected chapters. The first chapter develops a novel theory of intersectional homophily, integrating insights from homophily and intersectionality theories. This theoretical framework acknowledges that individuals simultaneously belong to multiple salient social groups and aims to unravel how these multifaceted identities collectively shape network structures and organizational outcomes such as conflict.
The second chapter introduces an innovative intersectional homophily test designed to detect whether multidimensional similarity is intersectional, using a single statistical test. This method uniquely accommodates both categorical and continuous similarity dimensions simultaneously, addressing a key limitation in current approaches. The test will be validated through simulation studies before being applied to real-world data.
The third chapter empirically investigates the relationship between intersectional homophily and conflict in 56 New Jersey middle schools, utilizing the new test to examine whether shared identities influence conflict behaviors. This study aims to illuminate the consequences of multidimensional similarity on organizational dynamics and contributes to the literature by offering both theoretical insights and practical tools for understanding complex social identities in organizations.
