Discursive Practices
Our research on discursive practices examines how organizations and their leaders use language to construct social realities that reproduce or disrupt traditional power, identity, and cultural norms. Here are some examples of our lab members’ published work on organizational discursive practices:
Dang, C., Volpone, S. D., & Umphress, E. E. 2023. The ethics of diversity ideology: Consequences of leader diversity ideology on ethical leadership perception and organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(2): 307–329.
Winner of the 2024 Saroj Parasuraman Award from the DEI Division of AOM.
[TAMGU Publication; FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
In this work, we explore how how leaders’ communicated diversity ideologies shape employees’ behaviors. Leaders’ diversity ideologies—whether identity-conscious (e.g., multiculturalism) or identity-blind (e.g., colorblindness, assimilation) were shown to influence whether employees perceive the leader as ethical. Specifically, identity-conscious rhetoric (e.g., multiculturalism) affirmed employee identities and leads to positive perceptions of ethical leadership, while identity-blind rhetoric (e.g., colorblindness or assimilation) may result in perceived ethical deficiency.
Organizational & Leader Rhetoric
Our work on organizational and leader rhetoric investigates the strategic use of language to construct shared meanings, define norms, and shape the social realities of workspaces. We examine how organizational rhetoric (e.g., mission statements, policies) codifies organizations’ cultural norms. Further, our research on leader rhetoric (e.g., public statements, ideologies) explores how leaders use language to reinforce or contest power, and shape how people experience identity, belonging, and inclusion in the workplace.
Volpone, S. D., & Avery, D. R. 2010. I’m confused: How failing to value sexual identities at work sends stakeholders mixed messages. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 3(1): 90–92.
Summarized Contribution:
This publication analyzes how organizations can use policies and messaging as rhetorical tools to convey their values, particularly around diversity and inclusion. Specifically, we argue that organizational policies are not merely functional tools but also serve as rhetorical signals that communicate organizational values to various stakeholders (e.g., employees, customers, shareholders). Stated another way, the absence of LGBT-supportive policies can send a mixed message about the organization's actual commitment to diversity, undermining its credibility and perceived ethical stance.
Volpone, S. D., Casper, W. J., Wayne, J. H, & White, M. In press. Are employees committed to diversity at work and in their personal lives? The role of organizational antiracist signaling following a racial injustice event. Human Resource Management.
[FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
The study explores how employees interpret and respond to diversity messages embedded in organizational communication. We conceptualized organizations’ antiracist statements as a practice through which institutions communicate their values. These statement are an example of how organizational rhetoric can construct and communicate their values, intentions, and identity in response to societal events—in this case, racial injustice.
Gabriel, A. S., Volpone, S. D., MacGowan, R. L., Butts, M. M., & Moran, C. M. 2020. When work and family blend: Examining the daily experiences of breastfeeding mothers at work. Academy of Management Journal, 63(5): 1337–1369.
Winner for the AOM OB Division Best Paper of 2021 Award.
Finalist for the 2021 Scholarly Achievement Award from the HR Division of AOM.
Winner of the 2022 William A. Owens Scholarly Achievement Award from SIOP.
[UTD24 Publication; TAMGU Publication; FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
In this publication, we illustrates how workplace norms and policies shape the lived experiences of breastfeeding mothers at work. For example, we explore how physical spaces (e.g., lactation rooms), break policies, and scheduling norms communicate implicit messages about if breastfeeding and professional identity is considered compatible in workplaces.
Volpone, S. D., Tonidandel, S., Avery, D. R., & Castel, S. 2015. Exploring the use of credit scores in selection processes: Beware of adverse impact. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(2): 357–372.
Summarized Contribution:
The study shows that the use of credit scores in selection disproportionately affects racial minorities, raising concerns about adverse impact. When such practices are normalized and institutionalized, they reproduce social hierarchies and inequities—not only through outcomes, but also through discursive legitimization. These practices send a message that structural inequalities (like access to credit) are valid grounds for employment decisions, thereby embedding a biased narrative into organizational life.
Arena, D., Volpone, S. D., & Jones, K. P. 2023. (Overcoming) maternity bias in the workplace: A systematic review. Journal of Management [Review Issue], 49(1): 52–84.
[FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
This review illustrates how workplace practices, norms, and institutional arrangements construct and communicate meaning about motherhood within organizations. That is, the review presents organizational policies and practices as discursive acts that shape how motherhood is understood, valued, and performed in work settings.
*David, E. M., *Volpone, S. D., & Nandialath, A. M. 2021. Fostering longevity attitudes in women expatriates: The role of general and targeted types of organizational support. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(18): 3833–3861.
*Shared first authorship
Summarized Contribution:
This study demonstrates how the design, delivery, and framing of organizational support mechanisms are communicative acts that shape expatriate women’s experiences, identities, and sense of belonging.
Organizational & Leader Practices as Discourse
Our work on discourse examines how organizations and their leaders construct and reinforce social realities, meaning, and power dynamics in workspaces. Through this view, we consider the impact of practices not just as what organizations and leaders do—but also how they do it, and what meanings are enacted or contested through those actions.
Organizational Practices: Constructing Social Realities for Employees
Avery, D. R., McKay, P. F., & Volpone, S. D. 2016. Blaming the building: How venue quality influences consumer bias against stigmatized leaders. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(8): 1111–1121.
[TAMGU Publication; FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
This work shows that the quality of an institution’s venue serves as a symbolic cue that communicates information about its leader. Findings showed that consumers tend to judge leaders who possess social stigmas (e.g., racial minorities) as incongruent with implicit leadership prototypes when the physical setting they were assigned to (i.e., store location) was low-quality. This shows that organizational practices (e.g., placing leaders in certain physical environments) actively contribute to meaning-making processes, especially when leaders are operating under conditions of social stigma.
Jiang, K., Hong, Y., McKay, P. F., Avery, D. R., Wilson, D. C., & Volpone, S. D. 2015. Retaining employees through anti–sexual harassment practices: Exploring the mediating role of psychological distress and employee engagement. Human Resource Management, 54(1): 1–21.
[FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
The study demonstrates that employees’ perceptions of anti–harassment practices affect psychological distress and engagement. This means employees are actively interpreting the organization's practices—not just experiencing them administratively. The presence or absence of effective practices communicates inclusion or neglect, thus participating in the discursive construction of organizational climate and culture.
Organizational Practices: Inclusive Norms
Stewart, R. W., Volpone, S. D., & Avery, D. R. 2011. You support diversity, but are you ethical? Examining the interactive effects of diversity and ethical climate perceptions on turnover intentions. Journal of Business Ethics, 100(4): 581–593.
[FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
The study finds that when employees perceive both strong diversity and ethical climates, they are less likely to express turnover intentions. These climates are not just background conditions—they are shaped by visible organizational practices, such as inclusive hiring, fair treatment, ethical leadership, and open communication. These practices communicate that inclusive norms are discursively constructed not only by what is said, but by how those values are enacted in practice.
Iqbal, Q., Volpone, S. D., & Piwowar-Sulej, K. 2025. Workforce neurodiversity and workplace avoidance behavior: The role of inclusive leadership, relational energy, and self-control demands. Human Resource Management, 64(1): 37–57.
[FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
The study highlights that inclusive leaders establish inclusive norms by modeling acceptance and responsiveness to neurodiverse needs. This discursively constructs an environment where neurodivergent employees interpret accommodation and support not as special treatment, but as part of the organizational fabric. These leader practices communicate to all employees what is acceptable, expected, and valued—reshaping the normative discourse of what it means to be a prototypical employee.
Volpone, S. D., Marquardt, D. J., Casper, W. J., & Avery, D. R. 2018. Minimizing cross-cultural maladaptation: How minority status facilitates change in international acculturation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(3): 249–269.
Awarded the 2019 AOM International HRM Scholarly Research Award by the HR Division.
[TAMGU Publication; FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
The study explores how minority status can facilitate adaptive change, particularly when individuals are embedded in organizational environments that acknowledge, accommodate, and support cultural difference. The practices that enable this—such as language support, cultural sensitivity training, or inclusive onboarding—are not merely logistical—they communicate norms of inclusivity and openness. These practices actively shape the discourse around what is valued and who is welcome in organizations.
Leader Practices: Inclusive Leadership
Zhu, X., Jiang, F., Volpone, S. D., Baldridge, D. C., & Li, R. In press. The role of inclusive
leadership in reducing disability accommodation request withholding. Journal of Management.
Avery, D. R., McKay, P. F., Volpone, S. D., & Malka, A. 2015. Are companies beholden to bias? The impact of leader race on consumer purchasing behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 127, 85–102.
[TAMGU Publication; FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
This study shows that communicating the race of a leader affects consumer purchasing behavior, meaning that leader visibility is rhetorically loaded and influences how the organization is socially interpreted.The choice to highlight or downplay a leader's identity (e.g., showcasing them in media, profiles, or company communications) is not just a branding decision—it is a discursive act. It sends implicit messages about organizational identity, values, and who belongs in leadership.
Avery, D. R., McKay, P. F., Tonidandel, S., Volpone, S. D., & Morris, M. A. 2012. Is there method to the madness? Examining how racioethnic matching influences retail store productivity. Personnel Psychology, 65(1): 167–199.
2012 Finalist for the Best Article Award in Personnel Psychology.
2012 Honorable mention for AOM’s Outstanding Gender & Diversity (GDO) publication.
[TAMGU Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
The study reveals that racioethnic matching has productivity outcomes, but it also functions rhetorically. By embedding race-based assumptions into hiring and staffing decisions, organizations reproduce societal stereotypes and biases through discourse embedded in routine practice. The practice itself becomes a narrative—an ongoing, performative statement about how race functions in customer interactions and workplace value systems.
Avery, D. R., Volpone, S. D., Stewart, R., Luksyte, A., Hernandez, M., McKay, P. F., & Hebl, M. R. 2013. Examining the draw of diversity: How diversity climate perceptions affect job pursuit intentions. Human Resource Management, 52(2): 175–193.
[FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
This study investigates how perceptions of diversity climate are built on interpretations of organizational behavior—how companies talk about and act on diversity. This shows that even policies or practices intended to support inclusion must be rhetorically legible to stakeholders. In this way, inclusive norms are not just declared—they are socially constructed through discursive engagement between the organization and its external audience.
[FT50 Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
In this work, we highlight that by modeling inclusivity, leaders establish and reinforce inclusive norms that influence broader organizational discourse. When leaders actively invite input, acknowledge individual differences, and respond supportively to requests, they are enacting discursive practices that institutionalize inclusion—signaling that difference is not only tolerated but welcomed and valued.
Avery, D. R., Wang, M., Volpone, S. D., & Zhou, L. 2013. Different strokes for different folks: The impact of sex dissimilarity in the empowerment-performance relationship. Personnel Psychology, 66(3): 757–784.
[TAMGU Publication]
Summarized Contribution:
The study highlights the rhetorical complexity of leadership communication. The findings demonstrate that when leaders empower employees, especially those who are demographically different from themselves, they have the potential to establish inclusive norms—but only when that empowerment is interpreted as authentic. This illustrates that leadership practices are part of an organizational discourse that constructs norms around inclusion, equity, and belonging, particularly for employees who may otherwise feel marginalized.
Gabriel, A. S., Volpone, S. D., MacGowan, R. L., Butts, M., & Moran, C. M. 2019. When companies support pumping breastmilk at work, everyone benefits. Harvard Business Review.
Summarized Contribution:
This coverage of the Gabriel, Volpone, et al., (2019) publication shows how routine workplace policies and spaces function as communicative acts that convey meaning, shape norms, and influence identity and behavior. For instance, providing lactation rooms and scheduled break times isn’t just a logistical accommodation—it can communicate to employees that the organization values breastfeeding employees.