Featured Post from Emory University, Goizueta Business School

Social Class At Work

Jul 12, 2021

3 min

Social class has a significant role to play in career success in the United States. A growing body of research is shedding disquieting light on the extent to which working class Americans face discrimination in recruitment, pay and promotion – despite having a college degree. This demographic is up to four times less likely to get hired, 34% less likely to accede to leadership roles, and earns around 17% less on average than counterparts from middle or upper-class backgrounds.

But while research is starting to document how class can impede or accelerate professional success, it remains unclear why these discrepancies exist. What are the mechanisms or dynamics at play that make it so much tougher for working class people to succeed than others?

Goizueta Business School Assistant Professor of Organization & Management Andrea Dittmann has an interesting hypothesis. She believes that employees from different backgrounds can bring inherently different strengths and weaknesses to the workplace; advantages and disadvantages that speak to certain norms governing how we think about work and leadership. And it boils down, she says, to the way we work with others.

“People from working-class backgrounds—those with blue-collar parents, who might be the first in their family to get a college degree—typically relate a certain way to other people. They are better connected to others, more team-like in their approach, than their middle-class counterparts who see themselves as more independent or unique,” says Dittmann.

This team spirit could be working against lower-class employees, she says, in the sense that they see themselves or are perceived by bosses as being less adept at working autonomously or as individuals within organizations; and are therefore viewed by others as less poised to advance into roles of greater responsibility.

On the flip side, this very capacity to work well with other people could actually give working class employees an advantage in team-based activities or cultures; an advantage that might translate into concrete benefits for organizations.

To put this to the test, Dittmann conducted a series of studies aimed at unpacking how individuals perceive themselves within the context of work, and at the interactions that occur between employees and the workplace. Among these studies were qualitative interviews with MBA students from different social class backgrounds about their experiences navigating white-collar workplaces after graduating from college. She also ran a number of experiments to assess how well working-class people performed in teams and individually, and how environments that prioritize collaborative dynamics or interdependence might produce better experiences and outcomes for employees than environments geared to working individually or independently.

A full article detailing Dittmann’s work is attached here and offers very compelling research showing how social class plays out in the workplace. It covers important aspects such as:

The Catch-22 of Working Well with Others

“It’s a kind of catch-22. Working class kids don’t make it into the gateway settings of school or college as much as middle-class kids in the U.S. They are significantly underrepresented in leading business schools like Goizueta, at roughly 15% of the student population,” she notes. “So, the higher-educational context—the talent pool for corporate America—is very much geared to a different social demographic and dynamic; one that inherently favors independent work ethics and approaches and sees them as the norm. Other ways of working, collaborating, and contributing risk are being undervalued as much as they are underrepresented.”

When Considering Diversity, Companies Stand to Benefit

“We know that companies that are more diverse perform better than others, and diversity needs to extend to social class. What my research and others are showing is that people from a working-class background tend towards behaviors that are more relational, that they are better at working together. If they fail to make it into the workforce in a more representative fashion, companies are basically missing out on opportunities to form better teams.”

Faculty research like Dittmann’s is a critical element in Goizueta Business School’s drive to develop principled leaders who are better prepared to engage in the business of tomorrow.

If you are interested in learning more, then let us help.

Andrea G. Dittmann is an Assistant Professor of Organization & Management at the Goizueta Business School. She is an expert in the areas of diversity and inequality, particularly employees' social class backgrounds, aiming to promote equity and inclusion at work. Dr. Dittmann is available to speak with media about this research – simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.

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Oct 26, 2026

2 min

Why Negative Political Ads Work - And When They Backfire

With the U.S. midterm elections approaching, political campaigns are increasingly turning to negative advertising, emotional appeals and artificial intelligence to influence voters. But how effective are these tactics, and when might they do more harm than good? David Schweidel, Professor of Marketing and Roberto C. Goizueta Professor in Business Technology at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, joined CNN Newsroom anchor Fredricka Whitfield on October 25 to examine the psychology behind political attack ads and the growing influence of AI-generated campaign content. View his profile Schweidel, whose research includes political marketing, consumer behaviour and digital advertising, explained why negative messages often have a greater impact on voters than positive campaign advertising. The Power of Negative Advertising Research suggests that advertisements designed to provoke fear or anger can be particularly effective at capturing attention, influencing voter preferences and motivating people to cast their ballots. As Schweidel explained during the CNN interview: "That's what the research has shown, that negative ads tend to stick with people longer than positive ads, getting them more likely to show up at the polls. So increasing voter turnout and moving the needle when it comes to share of the vote." However, the effectiveness of negative advertising comes with risks. Campaigns that push emotional messaging too far may alienate the very voters they hope to persuade. Schweidel noted that economic frustrations, including rising costs for groceries, health care and gasoline, have created an environment in which political campaigns are eager to capitalize on voter anger. AI Adds a New Dimension The conversation also explored the increasing use of artificial intelligence in political advertising, particularly the ability to create realistic images and messages that may mislead audiences. Schweidel warned that voters who encounter these advertisements casually may not take the time to verify their accuracy. Even brief exposure to misleading content can leave a lasting impression, particularly when subsequent advertisements reinforce the same message. The emergence of AI-generated political advertising raises important questions about transparency, authenticity and the ability of voters to distinguish legitimate campaign messages from manipulated content. An Expert Perspective for Election Coverage As campaigns intensify ahead of Election Day, Schweidel's research offers valuable insight into why political advertisements resonate with voters, how emotional appeals influence political behaviour and the implications of AI for election communications. His expertise spans political marketing, artificial intelligence, social media analytics and consumer behaviour, making him a valuable resource for journalists examining the changing landscape of political advertising. David Schweidel is available to speak with media about negative political advertising, voter psychology, AI-generated campaign content and the effectiveness of political messaging. To arrange an interview or connect with David Schweidel, click on his profile below.

Jul 9, 2026

2 min

Why Negative Campaign Ads Work: David Schweidel on the Psychology Driving This Election Cycle

As the 2026 Senate races heat up, negative campaign ads are once again dominating the airwaves. David Schweidel, Professor of Marketing and the Roberto C. Goizueta Professor in Business Technology at Emory's Goizueta Business School, has researched political advertising for years and is currently tracking the 2026 Senate races. Asked why negative campaigns tend to outperform positive ones, Schweidel points to what sticks with voters: "It's those negative messages. It's those attack messages," often fear- or anger-based, that he says are "more arousing to us" and "tends to move the needle more so than positive advertising." Where an ad comes from matters too. Schweidel's research looks at whether messaging originates from the candidate directly or from third parties like PACs or political parties, and he's found that candidate-sourced messaging tends to be more believable, "coming from a human brand," in his words, rather than an unfamiliar political organization. His current research pushes this further, into how political advertising shapes what AI chatbots tell voters. Schweidel notes that where news coverage and social media once drove poll movement, more voters are now turning to AI chatbots for candidate information. Using Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner as an example, he explains that recent news coverage and online conversation about a candidate gets absorbed by these chatbots, ultimately shaping what's presented to a voter asking about that candidate. For campaigns and advertisers, Schweidel frames this as a new channel to understand, similar to how companies already monitor social media conversation, and predicts political campaigns will start actively tracking how their candidates are portrayed in AI responses, the same way many companies now treat AI presence the way they once treated search engine optimization: "What a lot of companies are trying to come up with now is what is the playbook to do the same thing for AI." Dr. Schweidel is an expert in marketing technology, AI, social media, political marketing, and customer analytics. He holds a PhD in Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of Social Media Intelligence and Profiting from the Data Economy. His research has appeared in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, and Management Science, and he has been recognized as a Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar and named to Poets & Quants' "Top 40 Under 40." Dr. Schweidel is available to discuss: Why are negative campaign ads more effective than positive ads? Why do negative emotions drive people to vote, donate, and campaign, more than positive emotions? The connection between AI and campaign ads How organizations make explicit decisions to exploit these trends Click on the connect button in his profile below.

Jun 25, 2026

1 min

World Cup 2026: The Business Behind the Game

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup unfolds across North America, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School experts are available to help media explore the business stories behind the world’s biggest sporting event, from the economics of hosting and ticket pricing to global sponsorship, player brands and the psychology of fandom. Goizueta’s World Cup 2026 Business Hub brings together faculty who can provide timely, research-backed commentary on the commercial, cultural and consumer forces shaping the tournament as it moves from match to match, city to city and story to story. Featured Topics The Economics of Hosting Infrastructure investment, tourism revenue, real estate, local labor markets and the broader financial impact of hosting World Cup matches. The Science of Fandom What drives global fan devotion, audience loyalty and engagement across stadiums, broadcasts and digital platforms. Ticket Pricing and Demand Dynamic pricing, hospitality packages, travel costs and how extraordinary demand shapes the fan experience at major global events. Brand Strategy and Global Sponsorship How companies evaluate World Cup sponsorships, build global campaigns and measure the return on major sports partnerships. The Rise of the Player Brand How star footballers build, extend and monetize personal brands that reach far beyond the pitch. Media can visit Goizueta’s World Cup 2026 Business Hub to explore available experts and connect directly with the right source for their story.