HRLR News & Events Archive
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School of HRLR PhD Candidate Carla Lima Aranzaes chosen as co-winner for the 2023 Susan C. Eaton Scholar-Practitioner Research Grant
Awarded by the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA), this grant will fund the research project "Challenging a Behemoth: An Examination of Amazon Workers Organizing in the U.S. South".
The Susan C. Eaton Scholar-Practitioner Research Grant is awarded every other year for promising and relevant research. This grant will support Carla’s research, focusing on understanding the specific dynamics between employer’s surveillance, monitoring, working conditions, and workers’ identities that collide and motivate workers in the U.S. South to act collectively.
MSU SHRLR Doctoral Candidate Lima Aranzaes Receives LRAN New Scholars Research Grant
Congratulations to SHRLR Doctoral Candidate Carla Lima Aranzaes for receiving a Labor Research Action Network (LRAN) New Scholars Research Grant for her project "Examining Worker-Led Organizing in the U.S. South: Don't Quit. Organize!" in collaboration with Destiny Blackwell Skinner from C.A.U.S.E. Recruitment Committee.
The Labor Research and Action Network (LRAN) is an exciting collaboration connecting academics and labor practitioners to help build workplace and economic power for working people in this country.
MSU SHRLR Professor Emeritus Profile: Richard N. Block
During his 35-year career with Michigan State, Block served several key roles including Associate Director, Director, and favorite Professor according to many HRLR alumni. Block taught Labor Law, Trade Union Administration and Structure, Labor Economics, Grievance and Arbitration, and Collective Bargaining, in addition to serving on the committees of numerous PhD candidates.
HRLR Associate Professor Maite Tapia on local WILX 10 news discussing Starbucks 'Red Cup Rebellion' strike
SHRLR's Maite Tapia explains that "this is why workers come out publicly and say 'hey [Starbucks] this is enough, stop playing, you gotta sit with us at the negotiating table and let's talk about the issues and let's see how we can improve our workplace'".
HRLR Assistant Professor Phil DeOrtentiis recognized by RRBM-Honor Roll
Congratulations to School of HRLR Assistant Professor Phil DeOrtentiis for acceptance into the Honor Roll of Responsible Research in Business and Management for his research titled "Different starting lines, different finish times: The role of social class in the job search process". This award is in recognition of serving the larger good through research.
In Memoriam: John Revitte
OCTOBER 8, 1950 – APRIL 20, 2022
John L. Revitte, Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University, School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, passed away on Wednesday, April 20 at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. John is survived by his wife, Diane (Smith) Revitte; daughters Rachel Babale (Aboubacar) of East Lansing and Kate Revitte (Jason Abele) of Milwaukee, and grandson, Mohamed Babale.
Visitation will be at Gorsline-Runciman in East Lansing on Friday, April 29, from 5 – 8 p.m. On Saturday, April 30, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in East Lansing, visitation will be at 10 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m.
If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Walter P. Reuther Library Endowment Fund at Wayne State University (https://giving.wayne.edu/donate/reuther) or to the Greater Lansing Food Bank (greaterlansingfoodbank.org/donate).
Human Capital & Society seniors Joanna Myatt and Aylasia Steen present research at 2022 UURAF
Senior Human Capital & Society student Joanna Myatt presented her research "A Recipe for a More Equitable Restaurant Industry? The Role of Female Chefs in Shaping the Workplace", at the MSU 2022 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF).
Joanna Myatt, pictured with research mentor, School of HRLR Associate Professor Dr. Maite Tapia. Photo credit: Melanie Zaremba
Senior Human Capital & Society student, Aylasia Steen, presented her research "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Blind Recruitment: Minimizing Inequity in Job Candidacy", at the MSU 2022 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF).
Aylasia Steen, pictured with research mentor, School of HRLR Associate Professor Stacy Hickox. Photo credit: Melanie Zaremba
Congratulations to Kerrington Curl on her UURAF presentation "Influences on Gender and Racial Gaps Within Stem Major Choice". Kerrington was mentored by School of HRLR Assistant Professor Dr. Amanda Chuan.
Photo credit: Kerrington Curl
PhD student Salil Sapre is co-winner (First Place) in the S. C. Lee Graduate Best Paper Competition organized by the Asian Studies Center at MSU
Salil Sapre's paper focuses on a feminized export-oriented garment industrial cluster in South India and examines how internal migrant women coming in from different parts/states of the country experience employment relations in the setting.
Through intensive fieldwork, Sapre finds that garment firms adopt intersectional practices tailored to exploiting migrant women based on their migrant and gender identities. He also assesses various manifestations of agency exercised by these workers and how worker actions, in turn, affect employer practices. Essentially, this paper not only highlights intersectional subordination faced by internal migrant women but also articulates how they actively shape regional capitalist relations within garment export clusters.
Employees with disabilities face stigma and stereotypes associated with their impairment
When individuals seek to obtain an accommodation, it can lead to negative consequences including harassment, retaliation, or even discharge.
In their recent article “Denial of Jury Trials for Employees with Disabilities: The High Bar of Proving Discriminatory Intent,” School of Human Resources and Labor Relations Associate Professor Stacy Hickox and Maya Stevelinck explore how difficult it is for employees facing such negative consequences to prove discriminatory intent under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Anna Bielecki, named Human Capital & Society Outstanding Senior
Congratulations to Anna Bielecki, named Human Capital & Society Outstanding Senior. Anna is a senior Human Capital & Society major from Grand Rapids, MI. She chose the HCS program because she liked the opportunity to learn about the workplace from a social science perspective. Anna plans on pursuing a job in HR after graduation and getting her MBA in the future. Anna is also Co-Director of Performances for Orchesis Dance Company.
The School of HRLR names its 2022 Human Capital & Society Scholars
Congratulations to Maurice Ash, Kate Brennan, Eli Castillo, Hannah Daniel, Ashley DuMont, Sarah Duncan, Abigail Foss, Kirsten Handlen, Snow Hickox, Anna Malmquist, Isabelle McKinney, Janan Muhammad, Marlena Szczechowicz, and Nathan Steffens! (not all students pictured)
Congratulations to Dr. Mevan Jayasinghe, recipient of the Daniel H. Kruger Teaching Award
The Daniel H. Kruger Teaching Award honors excellence in teaching by faculty members in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations. Carrying on the tradition of excellence demonstrated by Professor Daniel Kruger, this award recognizes the faculty member's dedication to motivating students' desire to learn, creative and effective instruction, and contributions to the advancement of human resources and labor relations knowledge among the MSU community.
HRLR Associate Professor Mevan Jayasinghe honored as a Fellow of the Center for International Human Resource Studies at the Pennsylvania State University
As a result of his contributions to international human resource management research and scholarship, HRLR Associate Professor Mevan Jayasinghe was recently honored as a Fellow of the Center for International Human Resource Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. A select group of academics and leading experts in international HRM are invited to hold the position of CIHRS Fellow. The Center for International Human Resource Studies (CIHRS) aims to encourage scholarly research on international human resource management and to serve the international HRM practitioner community. It serves as the central hub for the community of scholars dedicated to studying international HRM, hosts the global conference on international HRM, and coordinates the CRANET HRM research network across 50 countries.
In memory of Human Capital & Society senior Mike Maga
On behalf of the School of HRLR, we send our deepest condolences to his family and all who knew and will miss him.
Dr. Hye Jin Rho awarded NSF's Future of Work Grant to help prepare hospitality workers and workplaces for the future of automation
Professor Hye Jin Rho has been awarded the National Science Foundation grant for a collaborative research, “Upskilling Workers and Re-designing Workplaces for the Future of Automation in the Hospitality Industry”. Under the NSF’s Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier program, this research has received $2.5 million in funding between Michigan State University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and New Mexico State University.
2021's Hardest-Working States in America - Ask the Experts
School of HRLR Associate Professor John Beck joined WalletHub to discuss the impact automation will have on the American worker, workers' safety after the pandemic, and if wages will increase or if people might need to work extra or get a second job.
Liberson Scholarships help MSU undergraduate students gain valuable work and research experience
Michigan State University and School of Human Resources and Labor Relations alumni Dennis and Tracey Liberson continued their legacy of support for young Spartans this year by helping fund summer research and internship opportunities for 10 undergraduate students in the Human Capital and Society Major. Creating opportunities for students at MSU to learn and grow is at the heart of Dennis and Tracey Liberson’s gift giving.
Diversity Torch: Katie Pezzetti
Diversity Torches celebrate College of Social Science students who uphold a diversity value or ideal. As “Diversity Torches,” they provide light, guidance, and awareness to their fellow students and all who see them. This month's “Torch” is Katie Pezzetti, an MSU junior majoring in Human Resources and Labor Relations in the College of Social Science. As an intern with the Michigan Employment Clinic, she worked to support jobseekers with disabilities in creating resumes, preparing for interviews, and finding employment. She also helped create an employer pledge in which employers commit to hiring people with disabilities.
How to smoothly transition from at-home to in-person work
To help those grappling with anxiety and uncertainty surrounding this return to “normal,” Dr. Angela Hall, offers tips for making the transition from remote to in-person work as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Join HRLR Assistant Professor Hye Jin Rho and Director of Education Michelle Word of the MSU Broad Art Museum as they discuss the changing nature of work in our daily lives.
FOCUS TOUR: Work is Wednesday, July 28 at 4pm on Facebook Live ⇾ bit.ly/3xn2wor
HRLR Associate Professor Maite Tapia Wins International Luis Aparicio Prize
This prize is awarded once every three years by the International Labor and Employment Relations Association (ILERA) to recognize outstanding contributions to research and policy in the field of labor and employment relations.
School of HRLR Professional Development welcomes new director
Celebrating Dr. Tina Riley and looking to the future with new Professional Development Director Dr. Mevan Jayasinghe.
MSU School of Human Resources and Labor Relations’ (HRLR) Professional Development unit will continue its tradition of providing premier professional education and certification programs under the new leadership of Associate Director of Outreach and Director of Professional Development, Mevan Jayasinghe.
Michigan State University College of Social Science Diversity Champion: Thuy-Tram Nguyen Butler
Thuy-Tram Nguyen Butler is an Academic Specialist and Director of Career Development and Placement with the School of Human Resources & Labor Relations (HRLR) in the College of Social Science.
As a student, alumna, and current employee of Michigan State University, Thuy-Tram has epitomized what it means to be a Spartan, even before setting foot on MSU's campus.
"I am a double Spartan, with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and a Master'’'s in Human Resources & Labor Relations. My family and I are immigrants, refugees, and boat people who escaped from Vietnam after the Vietnam War. I was five years old when my parents and I arrived in the US. I vividly remember the harrowing journey at sea, the challenging time at the refugee camp in Thailand, and then the anticipation of starting a new life in a new country."
Congratulations to Selva Haidar
Selva Haidar, the 2021 Student Commencement Speaker for the College of Social Science at Michigan State University, has this message for her classmates. Selva majored in Human Capital & Society and Political Science and will be joining the Master of Human Resources & Labor Relations program in the fall!
Capstone course in Human Capital & Society concludes with presentations to executives from Dell Technologies
On April 20th, students in Prof. Mevan Jayasinghe’s Capstone course in Human Capital & Society presented their Policy Change projects to an audience of over 20 executives from Dell Technologies, including Senior Vice President of Human Resources Ed Loya, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Vanice Hayes, and Chief Human Resources Officer Jennifer Saavedra.
HRLR hosts "DEI at Work" panels to discuss workplace experiences
The School of HRLR's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee recently hosted two "DEI at Work" panels with the goal to help attendees learn from panelists and their unique workplace experiences. Panelists shared their diverse backgrounds and powerful stories of challenges they have faced because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability in the workplace. They also shared proactive ideas for how workplaces can be more inclusive.
HRLR researchers examine remote work as an accommodation for employees with disabilities
For employees with disabilities, remote work can mean the difference between working and being unemployed. Some individuals may need to work from home because of their limitations.
In their publication “Remote Work as an Accommodation for Employees with Disabilities,” School of Human Resources and Labor Relations Associate Professors Stacy Hickox and Chenwei Liao reviewed 125 court claims by employees seeking remote work as an accommodation. Hickox and Liao’s research identifies four main reasons why employers resist providing remote work arrangements to employees with disabilities.
HRLR Associate Professors Jason Huang and Chenwei Liao receive 2020 Editor Commendation Award from Journal of Business and Psychology
School of HRLR Associate Professors Jason Huang and Chenwei Liao with co-authors Y. Li, M. Liu, and B. Biermeier-Hanson received the 2020 Editor Commendation award from the Journal of Business and Psychology for their paper Just What You Need: The Complementary Effect of Leader Proactive Personality and Team Need for Approval.
With over 1000 papers submitted to the Journal of Business and Psychology, only 11 received this distinction.
HRLR Associate Professors Stacy Hickox and Michelle Kaminski and Criminal Justice Associate Professor Jennifer Cobbina receive grant award
This grant will allow for the training of facilitators to hold restorative practices sessions on MSU's campus to address issues of inequities and workplace incivility related to race, gender, and other innate characteristics among MSU's faculty and staff. Restorative practices are a method for communities to identify ways to address wrongdoing and to provide opportunities for community members to express the harms or impacts of one member’s actions. Restorative practices via proactive healing circles have the possibility to impact workplace satisfaction, reduction in cynicism, feelings of exclusion, community building, and organization commitment to MSU. This grant will allow us to measure the impact of implementing these practices and lay the groundwork for more widespread use of restorative practices on MSU's campus.
In memory of Javier Jerez
It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the sudden passing of Javier Jerez of Hartford, Connecticut. He was a student at Michigan State University in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, and he died in East Lansing at the age of 21 in early December 2020.
Drs. Jason Huang and Dongyuan Wu's research on extroversion featured in MSUToday and Forbes
Jason Huang, an associate professor in the MSU School of Human Resources and Labor Relations in the College of Social Science, and former doctoral student Dongyuan Wu have found a nuanced way that people adapt their behavior during interactions with others that can also affect their satisfaction with a social experience.
The research was published online Dec. 2 in the Journal of Individual Differences.
Dr. Maite Tapia and Anna Wilcoxson awarded $25,000 grant from the Midwest Mobility from Poverty Network
Through this project, MSU seeks to enhance economic mobility through job training, develop and deepen partnerships between MSU and community partners, and shape policies through tracking the working conditions of individuals in the food and restaurant industry.
2020 HRLR Graduation Celebration
Celebrating our Human Capital & Society, Master of HR & Labor Relations, and Doctoral students. A very special thank you to this year's guest speakers, Associate Provost & Assistant VP of Academic Human Resources, Terry Curry and keynote speaker Darryl Robinson, Chief HR Officer, CommonSpirit Health (Class of '81). Also thank you to student leaders, Kirstie Waller, Jasmine Hunter, and Sarah Sopocy for contributing to the celebrations!
What are the implications of a four-day work week?
As New Zealand's Prime Minister considers this option for her country, HRLR Associate Professor Angela Hall joins international news channel TRT World to discuss the potential impact on individuals, businesses, and economies.
Ask the expert: How can employees care for their mental health while working from home?
MSU Today: Angela Hall, a professor in Michigan State University’s School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, has been tracking workplace dynamics and changes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has said that employment will forever be changed as a result of how employers will need to view remote work.
Dr. Mevan Jayasinghe wins 2020 International HRM Scholarly Research Award
Congratulations to HRLR Associate Professor Mevan Jayasinghe, this year’s winner of the International HRM Scholarly Research Award sponsored by the Human Resources Division of the Academy of Management. Published in the Journal of Management, Dr. Jayasinghe’s paper “Perceived Workplace Gender Discrimination and Employee Consequences: A Meta-analysis and Complementary Studies Considering Country Context” is identified by the Academy of Management as the year’s most significant article in International Human Resource Management.
Dr. Angela Hall featured on MSUToday
In their article "Tips for Working Successfully in a Time of Social Distancing," Dr. Hall explained that the nation’s current state of panic is a call to action for employers to be more transparent — and compassionate — than they have been in the past. She said that virtual town halls, proactively sending update emails, checking in with employees and offering assistance will help keep employees’ morale up and their anxiety down.
"Employees aren’t all the same, and they won’t all have the same needs during this time, and it’s important for employers and managers to realize that,” Hall said. “There are some who have kids at home that need to be cared for, some whose primary access to the internet is their phone and some who are concerned about how they’ll keep their families fed."
HRLR Researchers Collaborate with UAW to Understand Workers' Attitudes During 2019 General Motors Strike
School of Human Resources and Labor Relations Assistant Professors Dr. Maite Tapia and Dr. Christian Lyhne Ibsen in collaboration with UAW International Representative (Ret.) Mark Strolle, conducted a survey of striking GM workers at two Locals in Lansing, Michigan, to understand the workers' attitudes towards the strike, the support they received, as well as the strength of worker-union relationships.
PhD Newsletter - January 2020
Get to know the next generation of top scholars and global professionals from the School of Human Resources & Labor Relations.
Was the strike worth it for both side?
School of Human Resources & Labor Relations Professor and Director, Peter Berg, joined News 10, this past Friday, to discuss the tentative agreement reached between the UAW and GM.
Dr. Peter Berg Appointed Director of Michigan State's School of Human Resources & Labor Relations
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Berg, PhD, to the role of Director for the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations (HRLR). Dr. Berg assumes the Director role after serving as Associate Director for Academic Programs for the past four years and as a faculty member in the School since 1999.