About

Ivuoma Ngozi Onyeador is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Her research examines how people judge and respond to group-based discrimination and disparities, with the aim of increasing understanding of and willingness to address inequality. Her work has been published in leading journals such as Psychological Science and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and has been featured in popular press outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Chicago Sun-Times. She has received recognition for her contributions, including being named a 'Rising Star' by the Association for Psychological Science, receiving the SAGE Early Career Trajectory award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and a Mission Award from the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science. In 2022, she was named one of the best 40 under 40 MBA professors by Poets & Quants. During the 2024-2025 academic year, she served as a Racial Equity fellow for the Institute for Business in Global Society at Harvard Business School. She earned her B.S. in Psychology with distinction from Yale University, her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from UCLA, and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Social psychology
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Gender studies
• Public relations

Selected publications

• The DEI Debate: Perceived Support and Effectiveness of Diversity Policies in a Shifting Climate

  Academy of Management Proceedings · 2025-07-01

  article

  The anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement is gaining momentum in the U.S. As such, it is important to understand how organizations can implement effective diversity policies in an increasingly hostile climate. Two potential barriers to implementation may be 1) waning support in the face of anti-DEI litigation and 2) increased perceptions of diversity policies as ineffective. The four papers in this symposium examine shifting attitudes towards diversity policies and identify what factors make these policies more effective in organizations. Utilizing diverse methodologies (i.e., longitudinal, experimental, and field studies), the papers featured in this symposium demonstrate that while the anti-DEI movement does, under certain circumstances, undermine support for diversity policies (Vo & Onyeador), people vastly overestimate the hostility of Americans’ attitudes toward DEI (Takahashi & Onyeador). Furthermore, well-designed and intentionally implemented diversity policies can motivate greater pro-diversity intentions (Creary & Younge) and more diverse hiring decisions (Arslan, Chang, Chilazi, Bohnet & Hauser). These papers advance the literature on diversity in organizations by providing greater insight into the processes driving diversity policy support and success. Dismiss or Defend? The Impact of Litigation on Diversity Policy Support Author: Kathy Vo; Northwestern University Author: Ivuoma Ngozi Onyeador; Northwestern University The Consequences of (Mis)perceptions of Hostility to Organizational DEI Programs Author: Koji Takahashi; Duke University Author: Ivuoma Ngozi Onyeador; Northwestern University Behaviorally Designed Diversity Training Leads to More Diverse Hiring in a Global Engineering Firm Author: Cansin Arslan; University of Exeter Author: Edward Chang; Harvard Business School Author: Siri Chilazi; Harvard University Author: Iris Bohnet; Harvard University Author: Oliver Hauser; University of Exeter More Effective for Whom and Why? Racial and Gender Differences in Diversity Training Outcomes Author: Stephanie J. Creary; University of Pennsylvania Author: Ayana N. Younge;

  PublisherDOI

• <i>Connecting With Others</i>: Diversity Training Shapes Egalitarian Orientations

  Journal of Social Issues · 2025-08-18 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  ABSTRACT Despite considerable resources invested in diversity training, there has been a paucity of studies that examine the enduring impact of diversity training. The current study was conducted in a workplace setting and is a quasi‐experimental empirical evaluation of a widely used diversity training program that includes a daylong workshop and 8 weeks of structured interracial interactions. We examined the effects of this program on diversity‐relevant outcomes—motivational, ideological, and attitudinal—over 2 months later. Although the program features content and assigns activities intended to reduce social biases in general, this examination focuses on biases toward Black Americans. In a pre‐test/post‐test analysis of employees who participated in training, we found that participants reported a significantly lower social dominance orientation (SDO) and significantly more motivation to be nonprejudiced 2 months after the training compared to before. Converging results were observed such that employees who participated in the training program exhibited significantly lower SDO and exhibited marginally higher internal motivation to respond without prejudice compared to employees in a control group who did not participate. No differences were observed for explicit attitudes, implicit bias, or right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA). The current study thus documents that diversity interventions administered in “real‐world” contexts can have a relatively long‐term impact on egalitarian orientations. The research also highlights the need for further investigation of how specific elements of the program (e.g., the training itself, the nature, and duration of interracial contact exercises), and the way they are implemented, may or may not affect different outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Reducing paternalistic bias toward ethnic minority girls

  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · 2025-11-25

  articleOpen access

  Ethnic minority girls and women often face biases not rooted in hostility but in intersecting ethnic and gender stereotypes, giving rise to paternalism – a seemingly benevolent attitude that undermines perceptions of competence and autonomy. Conventional prejudice-reduction interventions, which primarily target affective or implicit biases, overlook the distinct challenges posed by paternalism. This research introduces and tests an intervention in the educational context, designed to reduce teachers' paternalistic bias toward ethnic minority girls across two countries (United States and Hungary) with two follow-up assessments ( N = 1350). The intervention follows a four-step, theory-driven process targeting the dynamics of paternalism: (1) affirming benevolent intentions to reduce defensiveness, (2) enhancing perceptions of minority girls' competence and autonomy, (3) raising awareness of paternalism's harm, and (4) motivating responsibility and fostering empowerment. Successful outcomes would provide a framework for reducing paternalism, whereas null results would highlight the difficulty of mitigating seemingly well-intentioned biases.

  PublisherDOI

• Walk the Talk: The Effects of Apology and Reparation After Acts of Prejudice

  Journal of Applied Social Psychology · 2025-09-28

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT In an era of abundant high‐profile apologies, many of which are perceived to be cheap and insincere, it is crucial to understand what constitutes a meaningful response from a high‐status perpetrator. Across three studies using a 2 (apology: present, absent) × 2 (reparation: present, absent) within‐subjects design, we presented participants ( N total = 300) with 16 vignettes describing prejudicial harm and assessed the unique effects of apology and reparation on perceptions of the perpetrators' subsequent responses. We additionally examined whether apology and reparation operate via a cognitive mechanism (reevaluation of the harm itself) or via a relational mechanism (identification with the perpetrator). As predicted, the presence of an apology and of reparation each independently predicted more positive perceptions of the perpetrator's response. Reparation exerted a stronger effect than apology on ratings of response quality (Study 1) and on ratings of the response's impact (Studies 2 and 3); in some cases, if reparation was present, apology did not add value. Our findings suggest that, while apology operates primarily via a relational mechanism, reparation operates via both cognitive and relational mechanisms. Additionally, responses were perceived more favorably overall in the context of close relationships (Study 3), which contributes to existing evidence that relational closeness buffers against negative attributions about the perpetrator and their motives. We suggest that while apology and reparation are each key to an effective response, reparation plays a particularly important role in predicting positive reception to a response to prejudicial harm.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• DEI Practices in Organizations: Effectiveness, Impact, and Unintended Consequences

  Academy of Management Proceedings · 2024-07-09

  article

  This symposium examines the complex and often contradictory nature of addressing workplace inequities through diversity initiatives. Organizations are increasingly investing in diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts, as evidenced by the prevalence of Chief Diversity Officers and comprehensive diversity training programs among Fortune 1000 companies. These efforts represent a deliberate strategy to cultivate equitable and inclusive workplaces. However, the symposium emphasizes the necessity of evaluating the impact of these practices to ensure they contribute to real and sustainable change, rather than being mere symbolic gestures. The studies featured explore the complex dynamics of workplace inequities and the often paradoxical outcomes of well-intentioned D&I efforts. These studies employ various methods such as surveys, audit studies, and experiments to assess organizational policies across different contexts. Key findings include: 1) Gender differences in EEOC judgments of merit, with claims filed by women in masculine industries more likely to be granted merit. 2) The impact of free speech appeals on reducing accountability for workplace bias, highlighting a failure in achieving D&I goals. 3) The concept of strategic ignorance in sexual harassment claims, indicating that claims of ignorance may not always be made in good faith. 4) The effectiveness of positive versus negative feedback in motivating equitable behaviors among city councilors. 5) The exploitation of first-generation college students in organizations due to positive stereotypes. These studies collectively reveal the intricate nature of addressing workplace inequities, underscoring the need for more nuanced and effective strategies in fostering true equity and fairness in the workplace. He Said She Said: How Gender Relates to Judgments about the Merit of Workplace Accusations Author: Grusha Agarwal; U. of Toronto, Rotman School of Management Author: Chloe Kovacheff; U. of Toronto Author: Rachel Lise Ruttan; U. of Toronto Author: Gabrielle Adams; U. of Virginia Darden School of Business Author: Katherine Ann DeCelles; U. of Toronto What About My Free Speech? Appeals to Free Speech Reduce Accountability for Workplace Bias Author: Ivuoma Ngozi Onyeador; - Author: Felix Danbold; UCL School of Management Playing Dumb: Strategic Ignorance about what Constitutes Sexual Harassment Author: Natalya Alonso; Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser U. Author: Zhanna Lyubykh; Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser U. Author: Sandy Hershcovis; U. of Calgary What motivates equitable behavior? The effects of positive & negative feedback in the domain of bias Author: Erika Kirgios; U. of Chicago Booth School of business Author: Edward Chang; Harvard Business School The Heroization and Exploitation of First-Generation College Students Author: Shuang Wu; Rady School of Management, U. of California San Diego Author: Peter Belmi; U. of Virginia

  PublisherDOI

• A Future for Organizational Diversity Training: Mobilizing Diversity Science to Improve Effectiveness

  Academy of Management Perspectives · 2024-06-06 · 15 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  In recent decades, diversity training has become a frequently used tool in efforts to reduce bias and increase inclusion in organizations. However, the effectiveness of diversity training has been called into question. The content and methods of diversity training programs vary widely, making it difficult to scientifically evaluate their effectiveness. Using a database of programs marketed to human resource professionals, we analyze advertised descriptions of 163 organizational diversity training programs and characterize their described content and methodologies. Our analysis generated themes about the ways training programs are designed to intervene (e.g., combating bias and stereotypes, fostering positive intergroup relations, reaping benefits from diversity), the goals they purport to achieve (e.g., bias reduction, cultural competence, increased productivity, employee satisfaction), and the forms the programs take (e.g., individual self-paced e-learning, live group training). Based on our analysis of what training providers promise and what research tells us such training can do, we discuss three key challenges to these programs’ effectiveness in addressing organizational inequalities and to our ability to assess their effectiveness. We conclude by offering five recommendations to better align diversity training with the outcomes that providers and organizational leaders expect it to achieve.

  PublisherDOI

• Westerners underestimate global inequality

  Judgment and Decision Making · 2024-01-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Most global inequality is between countries, but inequality perceptions have mostly been investigated within the country. Six studies (total N = 2656, 5 preregistered, 1 incentivized for accuracy, 1 with a sample representative of the USA) show that Westerners (U.S. American, British, and French participants) believe that developing and middle-income countries’ GDP per capita is much closer to developed countries’ than it actually is, and that people in developing and middle-income countries have higher rates of car ownership, larger houses, and eat out more frequently than they actually do, meaning that Westerners underestimate global inequality. This misperception is underpinned by a convergence illusion: the belief that over time, poorer countries have closed the economic gap with richer countries to a larger extent than they have. Further, overestimating GDP per capita is negatively correlated with support for aid to the target country and positively correlated with a country’s perceived military threat. We discuss implications for inequality perceptions and for global economic justice.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Decoding the Fabric of Gender Inequality: Psychological Factors and Social Contexts

  Academy of Management Proceedings · 2024-07-09

  article

  This symposium aims to introduce novel psychological states and emphasize the importance of social contexts for gender inequality, suggesting that management scholars must adopt a broader lens beyond the traditional focus on gender disparities in human capital and occupations when considering gender inequality issues in organizations. Specifically, while introducing novel psychological states and individual characteristics for gender inequality, we emphasize the significance of scrutinizing social contexts (i.e., occupation, corporate, and familial environments) where gender inequality is more likely to manifest. By providing specific contexts that are more likely for gender disparities to occur, this symposium intends to not only identify psychological factors that yield different rewards or gendered psychological states contributing to gender inequality but also attempts to examine ‘when’ those gender gaps in psychological factors are more pronounced, providing policymakers and organizational authorities insights into where they need to pay attention to in order to mitigate gender inequality. The Misperception of Gender Economic Equality. Author: Ivuoma Onyeador; Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Author: Sa-kiera Hudson; Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley Author: Natalie Daumeyer; Yale U. Author: Julian Rucker; U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Author: Michael W. Kraus; Yale School of Management Author: Jennifer Richeson; Yale U. Extraversion Revisited: How Personalities and Occupations Jointly Shape Gender Pay Inequality Author: Hee Man Park; The Pennsylvania State U. Author: Seunghoo Chung; Hong Kong Polytechnic U. Bridging the Aspiration Gap: The Unexpected Role of Performance Incentives Author: Julia D. Hur; New York U. Tight Ships or Loose Cannons: Couples’ Approaches to Domestic Tasks and Gender Differences at Work Author: Kelly Harrington; Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern U. Author: Alexandra Feldberg; Harvard Business School Author: Kathleen L. McGinn; Harvard U. Mind the Gap: An Integrated Conceptual Review of Research on the Gender Pay Gap Author: Beth Ann Livingston; U. of Iowa Author: Sujin Jeong; U. of Iowa Author: Felice Klein; Boise State U. Author: Anushka Chakroborty; Tippie College of Business, U. of Iowa

  PublisherDOI

• Walk the Talk: The Effects of Apology and Reparation After Acts of Prejudice

  2024-08-01

  preprintOpen access

  In an era of abundant high-profile apologies, many of which are perceived to be cheap and insincere, it is crucial to understand what constitutes a meaningful response from a high-status perpetrator. In each of three studies using a 2 (apology: present, absent) x 2 (reparation: present, absent) within-subjects design, we presented participants (Ntotal = 297) with 16 vignettes describing acts of prejudice and perpetrators’ responses. The presence of an apology and of reparation each independently predicted more positive perceptions of the perpetrator’s response. Reparation exerted a stronger effect than apology on overall ratings (Study 1) and on ratings of the response’s impact (Studies 2 and 3). Additionally, responses were perceived more positively overall in the context of close relationships (Study 3). We suggest that while apology and reparation are each key to an effective response, reparation plays an especially important role in predicting positive reception to a response to prejudicial harm.

  PublisherDOI

• Understanding the (In)effectiveness of Organizational Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Efforts

  Academy of Management Proceedings · 2023-07-24

  article

  Organizations spend annually billons of dollars on DEI-efforts. These efforts, however, are not always effective. Showcasing cutting-edge research, this symposium seeks to answer a critical question for management scholars: Why do many of these costly and often well-intentioned DEI-efforts fail to deliver and what can organizations do about it? The presentations seek to answer this question by illuminating key factors and mechanisms with regards to the (in)effectiveness of DEI-efforts. The presentations are followed by an integrative moderated discussion with a focus on what future research is needed and how the insights from the presentations can be used to better shape DEI-efforts. You can’t fix what you don’t see: Diversity blind spots reduce support for organizational diversity Author: Linda Nguyen; U. of Washington Author: Serena Does; UCLA Anderson School of Management Author: Miguel Unzueta; U. of California, Los Angeles Author: Sapna Cheryan; U. of Washington The Business Case for Diversity Undermines Women’s Performance During Recruitment Author: Oriane Georgeac; Boston U. Questrom School of Business Author: Aneeta Rattan; London Business School A Path Forward for Diversity Training: Bringing More Diversity Science into Practice Author: Ivuoma Ngozi Onyeador; - Author: Hannah McKinney; Boston U. Author: Ashley E. Martin; Stanford Graduate School of Business Gender neutral = Masculine Author: Adriana Germano; Yale School of Management Author: Kristina Olson; Princeton U.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Consequences of Implicit Bias Framing on Accountability for Discrimination

  NSF · $138k · 2018–2020

Frequent coauthors

• Jennifer A. Richeson

  Yale University

  14 shared

• John F. Dovidio

  Yale University

  11 shared

• Natalie M. Daumeyer

  10 shared

• Ajua Duker

  8 shared

• Sara E. Burke

  Syracuse University

  7 shared

• Jonas R. Kunst

  University of Oslo

  7 shared

• Natalie M. Wittlin

  Yale University

  7 shared

• Michael W. Kraus

  Yale University

  6 shared

Education

• PhD, Psychology

  University of California Los Angeles

  2017

• B.S., with distinction, Psychology

  Yale University

  2011

Awards & honors

• Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science
• SAGE Early Career Trajectory award by the Society for Person…
• Mission Award from the Society for the Improvement of Psycho…
• Best 40 under 40 MBA Professors by Poets & Quants