Associate Professor Emily M. David from the Department of Management & Organisation at NUS Business School aims to make a positive impact in the classroom using her research on diversity and inclusion.
“I share evidence-based principles that reveal the intricacies of workplace diversity. While it can pose some challenges, inclusive organisational cultures are key to unlocking the benefits of diversity, such as innovation and increased market access,” Emily said. She and her co-authors found that teams with high levels of cognitive diversity, such as having different ways of thinking, beliefs, and skills, helps to boost motivation and creativity only when the teammates are willing to learn from one another.
Emily’s research and teaching also emphasise the importance of fostering the right organisational cultures – those that are led by authentic leaders and have a high ethical standards – to harness the potential of a diverse workforce. Her research suggests that such environments will develop vigour, trust, and performance among diverse employees. If differences are not valued, employees will not feel safe speaking up even when they view issues from a different perspective.
“I also love cracking the code on the idiosyncrasies that make us unique and the implications they have on work teams, as well as individual performance and well-being. I’m currently working on a qualitative project that explores how having a chronic illness or cancer impacts one’s work identity,” she added.
In her classes, Emily creates an immersive learning experience for her students. For instance, they are tasked looking at things from a different perspective by going about their day while riding a wheelchair or adopting a lisp. These experiences help the students understand not only the challenges faced by others but also the advantages of having a unique perspective.
From therapy to teaching
Emily’s academic journey began with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and General Studies (with minors in Spanish, Business Administration, and Sociology) from Louisiana State University. Her initial ambition was to become a Clinical Psychologist as she was “always fascinated with the human brain and human behaviour, but also felt a strong calling to help others.”
Later, Emily realised that as an Organisational Psychologist she could help shape workplaces to impact employees en masse rather than on one-on-one basis. She then pursued a Master’s and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of Houston.
During her PhD studies, her growing passion for research and teaching resulted in another shift, this time from consulting to academia.
She found that the classroom could offer more opportunities for positive change in future generations. “The first course I taught as a graduate student was Cultural Psychology. It was amazing to watch the students engage in real-time perspective-taking as they shared stories of their cross-cultural misunderstandings with one another”, she shared.
Emily decided to retake the international route after graduation. After teaching in Dubai and Shanghai, she finally settled in NUS this year. She chose NUS for its high-calibre students and vibrant research environment. She also loves Singapore’s perfect blend of delicious food, Asian culture, and warm weather.
Moving forward, Emily hopes to empower her students to have a nuanced perspective of diversity and inclusion so that they can create a multiplier effect on their subordinates and colleagues at work.