Leah Sheppard Ph.D.

About

Leah Sheppard, Ph.D., is an associate professor of management and an associate dean for equity and inclusion with the Carson College of Business at Washington State University. She has taught courses on diversity in the workplace, leadership, managerial skills, and negotiation. Beyond her academic work, Leah enjoys providing talks, workshops, and coaching services to organizations.

Leah's primary research stream focuses on the effect of gender on workplace experiences and career outcomes. She is also interested in employees' experiences of phenomena generally regarded as taboo when they transpire at work, such as sexual behavior, physical attractiveness biases, non-work identity disclosures, and discussions about news or politics.

Leah has published in several outlets, including Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Management, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Business and Psychology, and The Atlantic. Her research findings have also been publicized in several news outlets, including The New York Times, CBS News, and The Wall Street Journal.

Recent Posts

The Legitimacy of DEI Is at a Critical Juncture

Now, more than ever, it’s essential that organizations use rigorous methods and evidence-based practices in their efforts to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Sexism in Our Romantic Rituals Gives Me the Ick

A Personal Perspective: Reflecting on the patriarchy embedded in hetero romantic rituals that go unchallenged, despite strivings for gender equality in other domains.

Why Gen Z Women Are Leaning Out

Here's what recent trends like "stay-at-home girlfriends," "leaning out" culture, and "lazy girl jobs" mean for Gen Z women's career aspirations and the future of work.

Solving Household Labor Inequities: Should Women Care Less?

A Personal Perspective: Do gender disparities in household labor persist because women have higher standards than men?

The Condescension of "Girlboss Feminism"

Overcorrection in the spaces of gender and sexism plagues many different workplaces. Here's how.

Perils of the Pedestal

Thoughts on Francesca Gino’s fall from grace, whether it relates to gender, and the failures of the academic publishing process to prevent research misconduct.

Can We Talk About Our Retrograde Name-Change Practices?

A recent Pew survey shows that the vast majority of women, and a tiny minority of men, change their names after marriage. Why does this practice remain so resistant to progress?

Rethinking the Gender Gap in Leadership

Men and women are similar in their tendency to view status and power as relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things. So why do so many more men become leaders than women?