A Discussion with Katherine Phillips on Diversity and Organizations
Professor Katherine W. Phillips is a Paul Calello Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. Professor Phillips' research addresses the main questions of what is the value of diversity and what are the barriers that prevent society, organizations and especially work teams from capturing the knowledge, perspectives and unique backgrounds of every member? As organizations and society become increasingly diverse, developing a more sophisticated understanding of intergroup relations and the myriad of processes that interfere with capturing the value that diversity can bring to the table, is essential for the continued growth of organizations. Professor Phillips' theoretical and empirical work has focused mainly on the small group processes and performance that are affected by diversity, but more recently her work has expanded to assessments of worth and status that intertwine with group composition to affect interpersonal and group outcomes.
Prior to her time at Columbia, she was an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and Co-Director and Founder of Northwestern's Center on the Science of Diversity. She has also been a Visiting Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Visiting Scholar at the Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences. Professor Phillips received her PhD in Organizational Behavior from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. She is the recipient of numerous professional awards, including top awards and recognition from the International Association of Conflict Management, the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management, the Rosabeth Moss Kanter Excellence in Work-Family Research Award, and the Gender, Diversity and Organizations Division of the Academy of Management.