Stephanie Creary

Stephanie Creary
  • Assistant Professor of Management

Contact Information

  • office Address:

    2031 SH-DH
    3620 Locust Walk
    Philadelphia, PA 19104

Research Interests: Identity; diversity; work and non-work boundaries; relationships

Links: CV, Personal Website

Overview

Professor Stephanie J. Creary is an identity and diversity scholar and a field researcher. She is also a founding faculty member of the Wharton IDEAS lab (Identity, Diversity, Engagement, Affect, and Social Relationships), an affiliated faculty member of Wharton People Analytics, a Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI), and affiliated faculty member of the Penn Center for Africana Studies. She leads the Leading Diversity@Wharton Speaker Series as part of her Leading Diversity in Organizations course at Wharton and hosts the Knowledge@Wharton Leading Diversity at Work Podcast Series.

As an organizational scholar, Professor Creary studies people’s identities at work, including their professional identities, marginalized identities, and the resources their organizations provide to support their identities. Specifically, her work investigates how individuals effectively navigate identity-related tensions and boundaries at work particularly when personal values and workplace norms related to inclusion and exclusion may seem at odds. She examines the micro- and organizational roots of the issues, workplace practices that seek to address the issues, and consequences of actions taken. She has studied these dynamics in a variety of organizations, including global firms, corporate board rooms, hospitals, yoga communities, and the US Army.

Prior to joining the Wharton faculty, Professor Creary was on the faculty of Cornell University. Prior to completing her PhD degree, she was a research associate at Harvard Business School and The Conference Board in NYC researching corporate diversity and inclusion practices. She also has extensive work experience in the health care industry. Professor Creary has earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; an MBA degree from Simmons School of Management; and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Boston College Carroll School of Management.

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Research

US Congress House Committee on Financial Services Testimony on “Diversity in the Boardroom: Examining Proposals to Increase the Diversity of America’s Boards”

  • Stephanie Creary, Mary-Hunter McDonnell, Sakshi Ghai, Jared Scruggs, When and why diversity improves your board’s performance.

  • Brianna B. Caza, Lakshmi Ramarajan, Erin Reid, Stephanie Creary, How to make room in your work life for the rest of your self.

  • Stephanie Creary and Laura M. Roberts, “G.I.V.E.-based mentoring in diverse organizations: Cultivating positive identities in diverse leaders”. In Mentoring diverse leaders: Creating change for people, processes, and paradigms, Taylor & Francis. edited by S. Blake-Beard and A. Murrell, (2017)

  • Stephanie Creary and Karen Locke (Under Review), From the old to a new ideal: Altering somatic engagement in integrated nonwork communities.

  • Brianna B. Caza and Stephanie Creary, “The construction of professional identity”. In Perspectives on contemporary professional work, Elgar, edited by A. Wilkinson, D. Hislop and C. Coupland, (2016)

  • Stephanie Creary, “Resourcefulness in action: The case for global diversity management”. In Positive organizing in a global society: Understanding and engaging differences for capacity-building and inclusion, Routledge, edited by L.M. Roberts, L. Wooten, & M. Davidson, (2015)

  • Stephanie Creary and Judith R. Gordon, “Role conflict, role overload, and role strain”. In Encyclopedia of family studies, Wiley, edited by C. Shehan, (2015)

  • Stephanie Creary, Brianna B. Caza, Laura M. Roberts (2015), Out of the box? How managing a subordinate’s multiple identities affects the quality of a manager-subordinate relationship, Academy of Management Review, 40 (4), pp. 538-562.

    Abstract: Positive manager-subordinate relationships are invaluable to organizations because they enable positive employee attitudes, citizenship behaviors, task performance, and more effective organizations. Yet extant theory provides a limited perspective on the factors that create these types of relationships. We highlight the important role subordinates also play in affecting the resource pool and propose that a subordinate’s multiple identities can provide him or her with access to knowledge and social capital resources that can be utilized for work-based tasks and activities. A manager and a subordinate may prefer similar or different strategies for managing the subordinate’s multiple identities, however, which can affect resource utilization and the quality of the manager-subordinate relationship. Our variance model summarizes our predictions about the effect of managers’ and subordinates’ strategy choices on the quality of manager-subordinate relationships. In doing so we integrate three divergent relational theories (leader-member exchange theory, relational-cultural theory, and a positive organizational scholarship perspective on positive relationships at work) and offer new insights on the quality of manager-subordinate relationships.

  • Beth Humberd, Judith Clair, Stephanie Creary (2015), In our own backyard: When a less inclusive community challenges organizational inclusion, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 34 (5), pp. 395-421.

    Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to build insight into how the local community impacts an organization’s ability to develop an inclusive culture. The paper introduces the concept of inclusion disconnects as incongruent experiences of inclusion between an organization and its community. Then, using the case of teaching hospitals, the paper empirically demonstrates how individuals and organizations experience and deal with inclusion disconnects across the boundaries of organization and community. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-method qualitative study was conducted in hospitals located in the same city. Focus groups were conducted with 11 medical trainees from underrepresented backgrounds and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten leaders involved with diversity efforts at two hospitals. Data analysis followed an iterative approach built from Miles and Huberman (1994). Findings – The findings demonstrate how boundary conflicts arise from disconnected experiences of organizational and community inclusiveness. Such disconnects create challenges for leaders in retaining and supporting minority individuals, and for trainees in feeling like they could build a life within, and outside of, their organizations. Based on findings from the data, the paper offers insights into how organizations can build their capacity to address these challenges by engaging in boundary work across organizational and community domains. Research limitations/implications – Future research should build upon this work by further examining how inclusion disconnects between communities and organizations impact individuals and organizations. Practical implications – The paper includes in-depth insight into how organizations can build their capacity to address such a deep-rooted challenge that comes from a less inclusive community. Originality/value – This paper contributes to an understanding of how forces from the community outside an organization can shape internal efforts toward fostering inclusion and individuals’ experiences of inclusion.

  • Eyal Ert, Stephanie Creary, Max Bazerman (2014), Cynicism in negotiation: When communication increases buyers’ skepticism, Judgment and Decision Making, 9 (3), pp. 191-198.

    Abstract: This paper investigates whether certain contexts can lead buyers to be too skeptical and miss beneficial opportunities. We focus on a seller-buyer interaction in which the buyer has limited knowledge about the seller’s offer. The offer is abstracted as two cards, drawn randomly from a deck of 100 cards that are marked consecutively from 1-100. The buyer is presented with the lower card (and knows that she sees the lower card) and must decide whether to buy the cards at a price of 100. The product’s value is abstracted by the cards’ sum, so normative buyers should buy whenever the presented (lower) card exceeds 33. Two studies compare potential context effects on the decision to buy when the lower card equals 40. Study 1 shows that most buyers accept offers from computer sellers, but acceptance rate drops significantly when offers are made by human sellers who communicate with buyers. Study 2 clarifies this effect by showing that restricting human sellers from communicating with buyers increases buying rate, to the extent that human become as successful as computers in selling their product. Together, the results suggest that the mere context of persuasion increases buyers’ attention to sellers’ motives, and consequently increases buyers’ skepticism. Interestingly, sellers do not appreciate this effect: they prefer to have the opportunity to persuade buyers and believe that it would increase their likelihood to sell, although such attempts might actually have detrimental effect on their sales.

Teaching

Leading Diversity@Wharton Speaker Series

Current Courses

  • MGMT224 - Leading Diversity In Org

    People in the workplace are constantly interacting with peers, managers, and customers with very different backgrounds and experiences. When harnessed effectively, these differences can be the catalyst for creative breakthroughs and the pathway to team and organizational learning and effectiveness; but when misunderstood, these differences can challenge employees' values, performance, workplace relationships, and team effectiveness. This course is designed to help students navigate diverse organizational settings more effectively and improve their ability to work within and lead diverse teams and organizations. It also offers students the opportunity to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, relationships across difference, discrimination and bias, equality, and equity in organizations and society and how they relate to organizational issues of power, privilege, opportunity, inclusion,creativity and innovation and organizational effectiveness. Class sessions will be experiential and discussion-based. Readings, self-reflection, guest speakers from organizations, case studies and a final project will also be emphasized. By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1)Evaluate the aspects of yo ur identity and personal experiences that shape how you interact and engage with others and how they interact and engage with you in organizations 2)Explain how issues of power, privilege, discrimination, bias, equality, and equity influence opportunity and effectiveness in organizations 3)Propose ways to make relationships across difference in organizations more effective 4)Describe current perspectives on the relationships among diversity, inclusion, creativity, and innovation in organizations 5)Analyze a company's current approach to leading diversity and use content from this course to propose ways to enhance learning and effectiveness in that company.

    MGMT224001 ( Syllabus )

    MGMT224003 ( Syllabus )

  • MGMT624 - Leading Diversity In Org

    People in the workplace are constantly interacting with peers, managers, and customers with very different backgrounds and experiences. When harnessed effectively, these differences can be the catalyst for creative breakthroughs and the pathway to team and organizational learning and effectiveness; but when misunderstood, these differences can challenge employees' values, performance, workplace relationships, and team effectiveness. This course is designed to help students navigate diverse organizational settings more effectively and improve their ability to work within and lead diverse teams and organizations. It also offers students the opportunity to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, relationships across difference, discrimination and bias, equality, and equity in organizations and society and how they relate to organizational issues of power, privilege, opportunity, inclusion,creativity and innovation and organizational effectiveness. Class sessions will be experiential and discussion-based. Readings, self-reflection, guest speakers from organizations, case studies and a final project will also be emphasized. By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1)Evaluate the aspects of yo ur identity and personal experiences that shape how you interact and engage with others and how they interact and engage with you in organizations 2)Explain how issues of power, privilege, discrimination, bias, equality, and equity influence opportunity and effectiveness in organizations 3)Propose ways to make relationships across difference in organizations more effective 4)Describe current perspectives on the relationships among diversity, inclusion, creativity, and innovation in organizations 5)Analyze a company's current approach to leading diversity and use content from this course to propose ways to enhance learning and effectiveness in that company. Class attendance is required. No more than 2 absences will be allowed to receive a passing grade in the course. Absences due to late enrollment will be counted towards the two max. No student will be allowed to enroll after the first day of class without instructor permission.

    MGMT624001 ( Syllabus )

Past Courses

  • MGMT224 - LEADING DIVERSITY IN ORG

    People in the workplace are constantly interacting with peers, managers, and customers with very different backgrounds and experiences. When harnessed effectively, these differences can be the catalyst for creative breakthroughs and the pathway to team and organizational learning and effectiveness; but when misunderstood, these differences can challenge employees' values, performance, workplace relationships, and team effectiveness. This course is designed to help students navigate diverse organizational settings more effectively and improve their ability to work within and lead diverse teams and organizations. It also offers students the opportunity to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, relationships across difference, discrimination and bias, equality, and equity in organizations and society and how they relate to organizational issues of power, privilege, opportunity, inclusion,creativity and innovation and organizational effectiveness. Class sessions will be experiential and discussion-based. Readings, self-reflection, guest speakers from organizations, case studies and a final project will also be emphasized. By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1)Evaluate the aspects of yo ur identity and personal experiences that shape how you interact and engage with others and how they interact and engage with you in organizations 2)Explain how issues of power, privilege, discrimination, bias, equality, and equity influence opportunity and effectiveness in organizations 3)Propose ways to make relationships across difference in organizations more effective 4)Describe current perspectives on the relationships among diversity, inclusion, creativity, and innovation in organizations 5)Analyze a company's current approach to leading diversity and use content from this course to propose ways to enhance learning and effectiveness in that company.

  • MGMT624 - LEADING DIVERSITY IN ORG

    People in the workplace are constantly interacting with peers, managers, and customers with very different backgrounds and experiences. When harnessed effectively, these differences can be the catalyst for creative breakthroughs and the pathway to team and organizational learning and effectiveness; but when misunderstood, these differences can challenge employees' values, performance, workplace relationships, and team effectiveness. This course is designed to help students navigate diverse organizational settings more effectively and improve their ability to work within and lead diverse teams and organizations. It also offers students the opportunity to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, relationships across difference, discrimination and bias, equality, and equity in organizations and society and how they relate to organizational issues of power, privilege, opportunity, inclusion,creativity and innovation and organizational effectiveness. Class sessions will be experiential and discussion-based. Readings, self-reflection, guest speakers from organizations, case studies and a final project will also be emphasized. By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1)Evaluate the aspects of yo ur identity and personal experiences that shape how you interact and engage with others and how they interact and engage with you in organizations 2)Explain how issues of power, privilege, discrimination, bias, equality, and equity influence opportunity and effectiveness in organizations 3)Propose ways to make relationships across difference in organizations more effective 4)Describe current perspectives on the relationships among diversity, inclusion, creativity, and innovation in organizations 5)Analyze a company's current approach to leading diversity and use content from this course to propose ways to enhance learning and effectiveness in that company. Class attendance is required. No more than 2 absences will be allowed to receive a passing grade in the course. Absences due to late enrollment will be counted towards the two max. No student will be allowed to enroll after the first day of class without instructor permission.

Awards and Honors

  • Wharton Teaching Excellence Award, 2020
  • #thinklist30, 2020 Description

    The #thinklist30 is a list of influential female scholars on social media around issues of responsible business.

  • Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management Research Grant, 2019
  • Elected Representative-at-Large, Managerial and Organizational Cognition (MOC) Division, Academy of Management, 2017
  • Academic Scholar, Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures, 2017
  • Faculty Fellow Research Grant, Engaged Cornell, 2016-2017
  • Faculty Fellow Research Grant, Engaged Cornell, 2016
  • Academy of Management Organizational Behavior (OB) Division Showcase Symposium, Symposium Chair, 2016
  • Cornell University Family Fellows Program Honored Guest, 2016
  • Cornell University Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching Research Grant, 2016
  • Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence Research Grants, 2016
  • Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence Research Grants, 2015
  • Cornell University Small Group Mentoring Program Grant, 2015
  • Academy of Management Managerial and Organizational Cognition (MOC) Division Showcase Symposium, Symposium Organizer, 2015
  • Academy of Management Managerial and Organizational Cognition (MOC) Division Outstanding Reviewer Award, 2015., 2015
  • Academy of Management Gender and Diversity in Organizations (GDO) Division Best Reviewer Award, 2014
  • Academy of Management Gender and Diversity in Organizations (GDO) Division Best Reviewer Award, 2013
  • Academy of Management Gender and Diversity in Organizations (GDO) Division Best Student Paper Award, 2013
  • Boston College Donald J. White Award for Teaching Excellence, 2012
  • AHANA Leadership Council and GLBTQ Leadership Council Faculty Recognition Award, Boston College, 2012
  • Academy of Management Emerald Award for Best International Symposium, Nominee, 2010
  • Simmons College Susan Bulkeley Butler Academic Prize, 2007
  • Simmons College Presidential Inauguration Ceremony Graduate Student Speaker, 2007
  • Simmons College Graduate Student Award for Civic Engagement, 2007
  • Boston University Outstanding Graduating Dance Student, 1998
  • Boston University Student Advisor of the Year, 1998
  • Boston University Scarlet Key Student Leadership Award, 1998
  • Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Community Service Award, 1997

In the News

Knowledge @ Wharton

Activity

Latest Research

Stephanie Creary, Mary-Hunter McDonnell, Sakshi Ghai, Jared Scruggs, When and why diversity improves your board’s performance.
All Research

In the News

Building Diversity into the Venture Capital Ecosystem

During a recent Leading Diversity@Wharton event, Wharton’s Stephanie Creary spoke with venture capital experts about the funding gap faced by minority and female founders.

Knowledge @ Wharton - 2/16/2021
All News

Wharton Magazine

Meritocracy, Bias, and Allyship in the Workplace
Wharton Magazine - 10/16/2020