Faculty & Staff Directory
Aparna Joshi
Associate Professor, School of Labor & Employment Relations
In Brief
- Ph.D., Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Rutgers University
- Master of Science, Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Rutgers University
Research Interests
Aparna Joshi 's work focuses on multilevel issues in workplace diversity, gender issues in science an engineering, collaboration in global and distributed teams, generational issues in the workplace, and international and cross-cultural management. Her work in the area of gender dynamics in engineering work groups was recently awarded a National Science Foundation grant. Her research appears in the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, and Organization Science. Aparna’s work has received the Academy of Management’s Saroj Parasuraman Award in 2010, the Dorothy Harlow Distinguished Paper Award in 2006 and 2008, the Ulrich-Lake Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Human Resource Management Journal, and the Academy of Management’s Best Dissertation Award (Gender and Diversity in Organizations division) and has also been featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer, USA Today, and the Times of India. She currently serves as the Co-Editor for the annual review series Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management and is on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
Aparna's NSF funded research focuses on status based dynamics in multidisciplinary science and engineering groups. These groups are assembled to pool expertise and knowledge, solve complex and critical
problems, and advance innovation. Yet, managing social dynamics in work groups has been an enduring
challenge. This challenge is magnified when work groups represent diversity in terms of gender,
ethnicity, or cultural backgrounds. From a policy standpoint, the attraction and retention of female and minority scientists and engineers has been a concern in both academic and corporate settings. The findings from the
proposed research will inform initiatives for facilitating inclusive and productive working relationships at
the group level that will ultimately lead to the more optimal utilization of the diverse expertise
represented in these groups. Specifically, the proposed research will have broad impacts on three
stakeholder groups – engineering faculty, students, and managers in high-technology organizations.
A second focus of her ongoing research is generational dynamics in the workplace. This research questions the prevalent age-based focus in generational research and draws attention to a broader set of factors that can define generations. By developing a more fine grained approach to understanding generations and intergenerational relationships, this research is positioned to develop more realistic solutions to generational challenges faced by organizations (in collaboration with J. Dencker, J. Martocchio, & G. Franz).
Courses Taught
- LER 590 L: Managing Diversity in a Global Workplace
- LER 590 M: Performance Management: Implications for HRM
- LER 564: Human Resource Training and Development
Other
Selected to serve on Social and Behavioral Science Research Council
Recent press coverage on generational research: http://www.news.illinois.edu/news/10/0802generation_gap.html
'Unpacking the Effects of Demographic Diversity in Multidisciplinary Groups'
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0964963
To reach Professor Joshi:
247 D LER Building
504 E. Armory Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
(217)333-1483; (217)244-9290 fax
email: aparnajo@uiuc.edu