| Abstract: | This article was delivered in a session entitled Insights from a behavioral lens: why perceptions and diversity matter. In the article, I ask whether a diverse academic workforce is an asset to a University, and more generally to society, and conclude that it is. Although this conclusion is based on empirical data from US universities, the message is universal. Even when correcting for years of experience, rank, and nature of appointment and women's work‐life situation, there is still a negative expectation bias, whereby women and minority candidates are not expected to be as good as male researchers (a bias that also exists in the case of the appointment of female Chief Executive Officers). On the other hand, more women and minority appointments increase the productivity of women students. |
