Rebecca

Ponce  de  Leon

Assistant Professor | Columbia Business School

I study the forces that contribute to inequality in organizations and society, with a focus on biases related to social stereotypes, category prototypes, and motivated reasoning. My research is grounded in the desire to better understand the mechanisms that hinder progress toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces and communities.

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Management Division at Columbia Business School . Before that, I received my Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. I also have a B. A. in Psychology from Duke (go Blue Devils).

ABOUT

PUBLICATIONS

  • Goya-Tochetto, D., Ponce de Leon, R., & Jost, John T. (Forthcoming). A system justification perspective on law, human behavior, and society. Research handbook on law and society.

  • Ponce de Leon, R., Carter, J. T. & Rosette, A. S. (2024). Sincere solidarity or performative pretense? Evaluations of organizational allyship. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. [link; data and materials here]

  • Ma, A., Ponce de Leon, R., & Rosette, A. S. (2023). Asking for less (but receiving more): Women avoid impasses and outperform men when negotiators have weak alternatives. Journal of Applied Psychology. [link; data and materials here]

  • Wingrove, S., Paek, J.J.W.,  Ponce de Leon, R., & Fitzsimons, G.M. (2023). Tying the value of goals to social class. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. [link; data and materials here]

  • Kay, A.C.,  Ponce de Leon, R., Kteily, N., & Ho, A.K. (2023). Motivated egalitarianism.  Current Directions in Psychological Science. [link]

  • Ponce de Leon, R.  & Rosette, A.S. (2022). "Invisible" discrimination: Divergent outcomes for the non-prototypicality of Black women.  Academy of Management Journal. [link; data and materials here]

  •  Ponce de Leon, R.*, Rifkin, J.R.*, & Larrick, R.P. (2022). "They're everywhere!": Symbolically threatening groups seem more pervasive than non-threatening groups. Psychological Science.  [link; data and materials here]

  •  Carter, J.T. &  Ponce de Leon, R.  (2022). Double jeopardy or intersectional invisibility? Reconciling (seemingly) opposing perspectives.  Research on social issues in management (V. 3): The Future of scholarship on race in organizations.

  • ​Ponce de Leon, R.  & Kay, A.C. (2021). Ironic egalitarianism: When hierarchy-attenuating motives increase hierarchy-enhancing beliefs.  Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. [link;  data and materials here]

  • ​Ponce de Leon, R., Wingrove, S., & Kay, A.C. (2020). Scientific skepticism and inequality: Political and ideological roots.  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. [link; data and materials here]

  • ​Ponce de Leon, R.  & Kay, A.C. (2020). Political ideology and compensatory control mechanisms.  Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. [link] 

  •  Rosette, A.S.,  Ponce de Leon, R., Koval, C.Z., & Harrison, D.A. (2018). Intersectionality: Connecting experiences of gender with race at work.  Research in Organizational Behavior. [link]

SELECT WORK IN PROGRESS

  • Ponce de Leon, R.  & Carter, J. T. Job fit and DEI leadership. Revise and resubmit at Academy of Management Journal.

  • Ponce de Leon, R.*  & Bailey, E. R.* Communality and leadership. Under review at Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

  • Ponce de Leon, R.*, Du, K. M.*, & Dobson, K. Stigma and authenticity. Under review at Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

  • Petsko, C. D., Ponce de Leon, R., & Rosette, A. S. Race , gender, and parenthood boosts. Under review at Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.​

  • Seegars, L. B. &  Ponce de Leon, R. Intersectionality and identity-based coalitions. Working paper.​

  • Ponce de Leon, R.*, Rifkin, J. R.*, & Sharma, E. The emotional health tax.  Writing stage.  

  • White, M. W., Ponce de Leon, R., & Akinola, M. A. Awe and organizational inclusivity. Writing stage.

  • ​Ponce de Leon, R., Kim, J. Y., & Kay, A. C. Femininity, masculinity, and workplace gender equality. Data collection.

  • Ponce de Leon, R., Germano, A. L., & McMahon, C. E. Social identity and the allocation of diversity resources.  Data collection.

  • McMahon, C. E. , Ponce de Leon, R., & Brown, N. D. Diversity gatekeeping. Data collection.