Industrial/Organizational Psychology: Diversity & inclusion in the workplace
Dr. Afra Saeed Ahmad is the Director of the online Master's of Professional Studies in Applied Industrial and Organizational Psychology Program. She received her BA in Psychology (2008), MA (2012) and PhD (2016) in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from right here at George Mason University! Afra worked as an Assistant Professor of Management at Zayed University in Dubai for three years before returning home to Mason.
Please feel free to contact Afra about the new MPS program and to learn more, please visit:
Afra's program of research focuses on diversity and inclusion and well-being in the workplace.She focuses on understanding the experiences of different demographic groups in the workplace (e.g., religious employees, women and ethnic leaders, LGBT individuals, older workers, individuals with disabilities, expatriates) while utilizing various methodologies (e.g., field experiments, lab experiments, meta-analyses, surveys). Her research aims generate effective remediation strategies that diverse employees can use to improve their work experiences and offer guidance to organizations striving to achieve a tolerant and equitable workforce.
Ahmad, A. S., Zhou, S., & Ayers, T. (2021). The future of learning: Teaching industrial and organizational psychology in all modalities. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science & Practice, 13(4), 540-543.
Zhou, S., & Ahmad, A. S. (2021). Who’s your audience? Expanding I-O teaching to non I-O students. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science & Practice, 13(4), 585-589.
Ahmad. A. S., Sabat, I., Trump-Steele, R., & King, E. (2019). Evidence-based strategies for improving diversity and inclusion in undergraduate research labs. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1305.
*Ahmad, A. S., *Anderson, A. J., King, E. B., & Gilrane, V. (2019). Subtle and Overt Behaviors Toward Ethnic Minority Leaders and the Moderating Role of Competence. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 1548051819859289.
Anderson, A., Ahmad, A., King, E., Lindsey, A, Ragone, S., Feyre, R., & Kim, S. (2015).The effectiveness of three strategies to reduce the influence of bias in evaluations of female leaders. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45, 522-539.
Kaplan, S., Bradley-Geist, J., Ahmad, A., Anderson, A., Hargrove, A. K., & Lindsey, A. (2014). A test of two positive psychology interventions to increase employee well-being. Journal of Business & Psychology, 29, 367-380.
King, E. B., Hebl, M. R., Morgan, W.B., & Ahmad, A. S. (2012). Field experiments on sensitive organizational topics. Organizational Research Methods, 16, 501-521
King, E. B., & Ahmad, A. S. (2010). An Experimental Field Study of Interpersonal Discrimination Toward Muslim Job Applicants. Personnel Psychology, 63, 881-906.
1/2019 Granted Research Incentive Fund (PI: 300,000 AED)
1/2017 ESCP Europe Research Funding (Co-Pi: 5,000€)
10/2016 Policy Research Incentive Award (PI: 20,000 AED)
12/2016 Start-Up Grant (PI: 15,000 AED)
11/2015 Dissertation Completion Grant (PI: $10,000)
11/2015 Diversity & Inclusion Grant (PI: $1,188)
8/2015 International Travel Grant ($2,500)
3/2009-9/2009 Critical Language Enhancement Award for Study of Arabic ($8,000)
2/2009-1/2010 Fulbright Fellowship to the United Arab Emirates ($36,000)
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
Human Resource Management
Recruitment and Selection
Compensation & Performance Management
Comparative Human Resource Management
People and Organizations Recitation
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Online Courses
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Social Psychology (PSYC 231)
Traditional In-Person Courses
Professional Issues in Social Sciences: College to Career
Social Psychology
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Research Methods in Psychology
Research Methods Writing Lab
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Ph.D. Industrial/Organizational Psychology August 2012-May 2016
Dissertation: Context matters: Uncovering factors influencing charges of religious workplace discrimination
M.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology August 2010- May 2012
B.A. Psychology (Honors) & Minor in Islamic Studies August 2004- May 2008
Ahmad., A.S. (April, 2019). Keynote Speaker: Diversity in human resource management. Talk given at the symposium on Tolerance and Diversity in the Workplace, Dubai, UAE.
Ahmad., A.S. (April, 2019). Co-chair; Panelist: The struggle is real: What it means to “have it all” in I-O psychology. Panel conducted at the annual conference for the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, National Harbor, MD.
Ahmad., A.S. (November, 2018). Panelist: Organizational & individual solutions to promote diversity in business. Panel conducted at the annual 8th Annual MENA Regional Conference, Dubai, UAE.
Goldberg, C., Roth, P., Thatcher, J., Matthews, K. & Ahmad, A. (November, 2018). The effects of religion on the evaluation of social media profiles in hiring. Paper presented at the Meeting of the Southern Management Association, Lexington, KY.
Ahmad., A.S. (April, 2018). Panelist: What we wish our allies knew. Panel conducted at the annual conference for the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL.
Ahmad, A.S. (August, 2017). Context matters: Uncovering factors influencing charges of religious workplace discrimination. In M. Finny (Chair), Institutional Contexts and Spirituality. Symposium conducted at the Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA..
Jones, K.P., Lindsey, A.P., Arena, D., Sabat, I.E., Ahmad, A.S. (August, 2017). The vicious cycle: A longitudinal examination of the cumulative effects of subtle discrimination on employee psychological health. In K. S. Lyness & M. K. Judiesch (Co-Chairs), Diversity interface challenges: Intersectionality, faultlines, and subtle discrimination peril. Symposium conducted at the Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
Cheung, HK., Lindsey, A., King, E., Sabat, I., Ahmad, A.S. (August, 2017). When gay men and lesbian women disclose their sexual orientation influences salary. In N. E. Day & S. Marquez (Co-Chairs), LGBT Identity in the Workplace. Symposium presented at the Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
Ahmad, A.S, King, E. B., & Luchman, J. (April, 2017). Examining effects of context on discrimination using difference-in-differences estimator. In J. Wessel & S. Barth (Co-Chairs), Methodological and analytical advances in diversity and inclusion research. Symposium conducted at the annual conference for the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, Orlando, FL.
Ahmad, A.S. (April, 2017). Panelist: Mitigating the impact of implicit bias in high-stakes settings. Panel conducted at the annual conference for the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, Orlando, FL.
Jones, K., Sabat, I., Lindsey, A., Ahmad, A.S, & Arena, D. (April, 2016). Killing me softly: How subtle discrimination pushes minority women out. In K. Jones (Chair), The trouble with subtle: Boundary conditions of subtle discrimination outcomes. Symposium conducted at the annual conference for the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, Anaheim, CA.
Ahmad, A.S, King, J., & Smith, J. G. (August, 2015). Religious identity management. In H. H.Chung, & C. D. Johnson (Chairs), The benefits and boundaries of religious and spiritual expression at work. Professional Development Workshop conducted at the Academy of Management in Vancouver, BC, CAN.
New I/O Masters Program (2019). Retrieved from https://psychology.gmu.edu/undergraduate/psyc-psignature/spring-2019/new-i-o-masters-program
Houlihan, T. (Producer). (2019, March 19). Jeanie Whinghter and Afra Ahmad: Balance vs. Harmony. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://behavioralgrooves.podbean.com/e/jeanie-whinghter-and-afra-ahmed-balance-vs-harmony/
Ahmad, A.S., Sabat, I., & King, E. (2018). Research: The upsides of disclosing our religion, sexual orientation, or parental status at work. Harvard Business Review. Available online: https://hbr.org/2018/03/research-the-upsides-of-disclosing-your-religion-sexual-orientation-or-parental-status-at-work
Cruise, C. (2016). Class of 2016: Doctoral student finds improving workplace culture has many benefits. Retrieved from https://www2.gmu.edu/news/236926?platform=hootsuite
Cruise, C. (2016). Patriot Profile: Afra Ahmad. Mason Spirit. Retrieved from
https://spirit.gmu.edu/2016/04/patriot-profile-afra-ahmad/
Working Toward Promoting Diversity. (2016). Retrieved from
https://www2.gmu.edu/focused-your-future/working-toward-promoting-diversity
McDonald, M. (2014). Talk religion at work? Go ahead, says Mason researcher. Retrieved from