My research examines how departures from traditional gender norms shape work and family life, with a particular emphasis on caregiving men. Much of the existing literature on gender dynamics highlights disadvantages for women, especially the biases tied to roles they are expected to fulfill both at work and home. My work extends this perspective by focusing on the barriers men — and fathers in particular — navigate when engaging in caregiving, and how their involvement supports both their own well-being and their spouses' careers.
I pursue this agenda through two research streams: (1) engaged fatherhood and (2) spousal dynamics.
Fathers who take on caregiving challenge the "ideal worker" norm — and often pay a price for it in perceived competence and career opportunities. My work asks how fatherhood reshapes men's work identities, attitudes, and behaviors as they navigate being both providers and caregivers.
Working papers
From Worker to Father: How Post-Fatherhood Changes in Identity and Motivation Impact Work Outcomes (with Mike Christian) — Data collection and analysis. Target: Academy of Management Journal.
When Dad Stays Home: Understanding the Couple Dynamics Behind Role Reversals (with Nitin Natrajan, Christine Bataille) — Data analysis. Target: Sex Roles.
Organizational behavior has traditionally centered on individuals and their relationships with their employers, treating employees as though they arrive at work unattached — leaving spouses largely outside the frame. Yet evidence suggests spousal support is often instrumental to career advancement, especially for women. I argue that overlooking spouses means overlooking one of the more consequential influences on how people show up at work. My research treats spouses not as background context but as active, measurable forces on work outcomes.
Dissertation
My dissertation, You Got This: Perceived Spousal Trustworthiness Reduces Invisible Family Load, Improving Work Engagement and Work Outcomes, argues that perceived trustworthiness in a partner in their caregiving and domestic roles — not just their effort — reduces the invisible family load: the cognitive and emotional labor of running a household. Lighter invisible family load, in turn, boosts work engagement and downstream work outcomes, with stronger effects for women, who carry a higher baseline load. [Committee: Mike Christian (Chair), Jessica Christian, Marie Mitchell, Christine Porath, Jamie Ladge]
Working papers
Gendered organizational and personal outcomes of perceived spousal trustworthiness via the invisible family load (with Mike Christian) — Preparing manuscript for submission. Target: Journal of Applied Psychology.
He Stayed Home, She Built a Career: Impact of Stay-at-Home Fathers on Women's Work Outcomes (with Nitin Natrajan, Christine Bataille) — Ongoing interviews and data coding. Target: Journal of Management.