Melody Chao

Academic qualifications

• Ph.D. Universti of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Social Psychology
• M.A. Univreisty of Illinois, Urbana-Campagin, Social Psychology
• B.A. University of California, Berkeley, Psychology

 

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Department of Management, Associate Professor, since July 2015; Assistant Professor, July 2009 - June 2015.

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PUBLICATIONS

Refereed Journal Publications (Chronological, alphabetical)

-Kung, F. Y. H., Chao, M. M., Yao, D. J., Adair, W.L., Fu, J. H., & Tasa, K. 2018. Bridging racial divides: Social constructionist (vs. essentialist) beliefs facilitate trust in intergroup contexts. _Journal of Experimental Social Psychology_, 74: 121-134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2017.09.008.


  -Media Coverage:  

BBC. The ‘hidden’ talent that determines success: In our era of globalisation, your job performance may depend on your “CQ”. So what is it? (October 13, 2017).

-Chao, M. M.#, Visaria, S.#, Mukhopadhyay, A., & Dehejia, R. 2017. Do rewards reinforce the growth mindset?: Joint effects of the growth mindset and incentive schemes in a field intervention. _Journal of Experimental Psychology: General_. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000355 (# Equal contribution)


  -Media Coverage:  

Psychology Today. The growth mindset works, but not for everyone (October 27, 2017).

-Zhang, Z., Wei, X., Chao, M.M., & Zheng, Y. 2017. When do conflicts feel right for prevention-focused individuals? The debiasing effect of low need for closure. _Management and Organization Review_. doi: 10.1017/mor.2017.7


-Chao, M. M., Takeuchi, R., & Farh, J. L. 2017. Enhancing cultural intelligence: The roles of implicit culture beliefs and adjustment. _Personnel Psychology_ 70: 257-292.


  -Media Coverage:  

BBC. The ‘hidden’ talent that determines success: In our era of globalisation, your job performance may depend on your “CQ”. So what is it? (October 13, 2017).

-Visaria, S., Dehejia, R., Chao, M.M., & Mukhopadhyay, A. 2016. Unintended negative consequences of rewards for student effort: Results from a field experiment in Indian classrooms. _Economics of Education Review_, 54: 173-184.


-Chao, M.M., Kung, F.Y.H., & Yao, D. 2015. Cultures synergize, cultures collide: The paradoxical effects of multicultural exposure. _International Journal of Intercultural Relations_, 47: 78-88.


-Feldman, G., Chao, M.M., Farh, J., & Bardi, A. 2015. The motivation and inhibition of breaking the rules: Personal values structures predict unethicality. _Journal of Research in Personality_, 59: 69-80.


-Zhu, W., He, H., Trevino, L., Chao, M.M., Wang, W., & Liu, S. 2015. Ethical leadership and follower voice and performance: The role of follower identifications and entity Morality Beliefs. _Leadership Quarterly_. DOI: doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.01.004


-Chao, M.M., & Kung, F.Y.H. 2015. An essentialism perspective of intercultural processes. _Asian Journal of Social Psychology_, 18: 91-100.


-Chao, M. M., & Wong, J.K.W. 2014. Culture and everyday sense-making. _Asian Journal of Social Psychology_, 13, 44-52.


-Chao, M.M., Hong, Y., & Chiu, C. 2013. Essentializing race: Its implication on racial categorization. _Journal of Personality and Social Psychology_, 104: 619-634.


-Chao, M. M., Chiu, C., Chan, W., Mendoza-Denton, R., & Kwok, C. 2013. The model minority as a shared reality and its implication for interracial perceptions. _Asian American Journal of Psychology_, 4: 84-92.


-Tadmor, C., Chao, M., Hong, Y., Polzer, J.T. 2013. Not just for stereotyping anymore: Racial essentialism reduces domain-general creativity. _Psychological Science_, 24: 99-105.



  -Press release and Media coverage of this article


-Tam, K., Lee, S., & Chao, M.M. 2013. Saving Mr. Nature: Anthropomorphism enhances connectedness to and protectiveness toward nature. _Journal of Experimental Social Psychology_, 49: 514-521.


-Chao, M. M., Chiu, C., Chan, W., Mendoza-Denton, R., & Kwok, C. 2012. The implications of exposure to the "model minority" ideal to self and racial perceptions. _Asian American Journal of Psychology_. doi: 10.1037/a0028769.


-Hong, Y., & Chao, M. M. 2012. Steps to building a good theory. _Acta Psychologica Sinica_, 44: 138-141.


-Tadmor, C., Hong, Y., Chao, M.M., Wiruchnipawan, F. & Wang, W. 2012. Multicultural experiences reduce intergroup bias through epistemic unfreezing. _Journal of Personality and Social Psychology_, 103: 750-772.


-Tam, K., Lee, S., Kim, Y., Li, Y., & Chao, M.M. 2012. Intersubjective model of value transmission: Parents using perceived norms as reference when socializing children. _Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin_, 1041-1052.


-Kashima, Y., Shi, J., Tsuchiya, K., Kashima, E.S., Cheng, S.Y.Y., Chao, M.M., & Shin, S. 2011. Globalization and folk theory of social change: How globalization relates to societal perceptions about the past and future. _Journal of Social Issues_, 67: 696-715.


-Cheng, S. Y., Rosner, J. L., Chao, M.M., Peng, S., Chen, X., Li, Y., Kwong, J.Y., Hong, Y., & Chiu, C. 2011. One world, one dream? Intergroup consequences of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. _International Journal of Intercultural Relations_, 35: 296-306.


-Chao, M., Okazaki, S., & Hong, Y. 2011. The quest for multicultural competence: Challenges and lessons learned from clinical and organizational research. _Social and Personality Psychology Compass_, 5: 263-274.


-Cheng, Y-y., Chao, M. M., Kwong, J., Peng, S., Chen, X., Kashima, Y., & Chiu, C-y. 2010. The good old days and a better tomorrow: Historical representations and future imaginations of China during the 2008 Olympic Games. _Asian Journal of Social Psychology_, 13: 118-127.


-Rosner, J. L., Li, Y., Chao, M. M., & Hong, Y. 2010. One world, just a dream? Effects of the Beijing Olympic icon on perceived differences between Eastern and Western culture. _Asian Journal of Social Psychology_, 13: 139-151.


-Chao, M. M., Chiu, C., & Lee, J.S. 2010. Asians as the model minority: Implications for U.S. government''s policies. _Asian Journal of Social Psychology_, 13: 44-52.


-Chao, M.M., Zhang, Z-X., & Chiu, C. 2010. Adherence to perceived norms across cultural boundaries: The role of need for cognitive closure and ingroup identification. _Group Processes and Intergroup Relations_, 13: 69-89.


-Hong, Y., Chao, M. M., Yang, Y., & Rosner, J.R. 2010. A socially grounded approach to test theories in psychology: Experiences from conducting social identity research. _Acta Psychologica Sinica_, 42: 1-15.

Book Chapters

-Chao, M.M., & Kesebir, P. 2013. Meaning in Life: A cultural perspective. In C. Routledge & J. Hicks (Eds.), The Experience of Meaning in Life: Perspectives Emerging Themes, and Controversies: 317-332. New York: Springer Press.

-Chao, M.M., & Chiu, C. 2011. Culture as norm representations: The case of collective responsibility attribution. In A. K-y. Leung, C. Chiu, & Y. Hong (Eds.), Cultural processes: A social psychological perspective: 65-80. New York: Cambridge University Press.

-Chao, M.M., & Chiu, C. 2011. Epistemic functions of culture. In A. K-y. Leung, C-y. Chiu, & Y. Hong (Eds.), Cultural processes: A social psychological perspective: 81-95. New York: Cambridge University Press.

-No, S., Wan, C., Chao, M.M., Rosner, J., & Hong, Y. 2011. Bicultural identity negotiation. In A. K-y. Leung, C. Chiu, & Y. Hong (Eds.), Cultural processes: A social psychological perspective: 213-241. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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SELECTED RECENT CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

-Chao, M.M. 2017. Translating research into practice: The role of our social and ideological assumptions. Biannual Conference of Asian Association of Social Psychology, Auckland, New Zealand.

-Chao, M.M., Brienza, J.P., & Kung, F.Y.H. 2016. When multiculturalism backfires: From cultural ideologies to organizational outcomes. International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology 23rd International Congress, Nagoya, Japan.

-Chao, M.M., Kung, F.Y.H., & Brienza, J. 2017. Managing diversity from a wise-reasoning perspective. Symposium presentation at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.

-Kung, F.Y.H., Brienza, J., & Chao, M.M. 2016. Diversity policies reconsidered: The effects of implicit beliefs on multicultural and colorblind practices. Symposium presentation at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.

-Lian, H., Huai, M., Farh, J., Huang, J., & Chao, M.M. 2016. Leader UPB and employee unethical conduct: A moral disengagement perspective. Paper presentation at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.

-Best Paper Proceedings of the 2016 Academy of Management Meeting

-Yao, D., & Chao, M.M. 2016. When forgiveness backfires: The joint effect of forgiveness expressions and victim gender. Paper presentation at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA.

-Best Paper Proceedings of the 2016 Academy of Management Meeting

-Kung, F. Y. H., Chao, M. M., & Adair, W. L. 2016. To boost intercultural trust and negotiation gains, change negotiators’ beliefs of cultural malleability. Symposium presentation at the 29th Annual Conference of the International Association for Conflict Management, New York, NY.

-Brienza, J., Kung, F.Y.H., & Chao, M.M. 2016. Loving your “enemies”: Wise reasoning and reduced outgroup hate. Symposium presentation at the Association for Psychological Science 28th Annual Convention, Chicago, IL.

-Takeuchi, R., Chao, M.M., & Yu, N.Y. 2015. The roles of general and culture specific performance avoidance goal orientations on sojourner creativity: A four-wave, time-lagged investigation. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, BC.

-Yao, D., Chao, M.M., Chattopadhyay, R., & George, E. 2015. How does dissimilarity make a difference? A multiple processes model of relational demography. To be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, BC.

-Yao, D., Chao, M.M., & Leung, A.K. 2015. Managing conflicts in a multicultural environment: The role of perspective taking and implicit culture beliefs. Symposium presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, BC.

-Kung, F.Y.H., Chao, M.M., Yao, D., & Fu, J. F. 2015. The implications of cultural essentialism on interpersonal conflicts in intra- vs. intercultural contexts. Symposium presentation at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA.

-Visaria, S., Chao, M.M., Dehejia, R., & Mukhopadhyay, A. 2014. Effects of lay theories and incentive mechanisms on human capital formation: Evidence from a field experiment in non-formal schools in Indian slums. Presented at the 8th Asian Conference on Applied Micro-Economics/Econometrics (Theme: Labor Economics), Hong Kong.

-Chao, M.M., Yao, D., & Fu, J. F. 2014. Understanding cultural differences in intercultural negotiation: The role of essentialism. Symposium presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA.

-Noor, M., & Chao, M.M. 2014. Testing the consequences of intergroup forgiveness for victim-perpetrator relations. Presented at the 17th General Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

-Chao, M.M., Yao, D., & Fu, J. H. 2014. Understanding cultural differences in intercultural negotiation: The effect of essentialist beliefs on trust and negotiation outcomes. Symposium presentation at the 2014 Annual Conference of the International Association for Conflict Management, Leiden, the Netherlands.

-Takeuchi, R., Chao, M.M., & Yu, N. 2014. The roles of general and cultura specific performance avoidance goal orientations on sojourner creativity: A four-wave, time-lagged investigation. Presented at the 6th International Association for Chinese Management Research, Beijing, China.

-Takeuchi, R., Chao, M.M., & Yu, N. 2014. The roles of general and cultura specific performance avoidance goal orientations on sojourner creativity: A four-wave, time-lagged investigation. Symposium presentation at the 3rd Symposium of the Centre for Leadership & Innovation, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.

-Cheng, S.Y.Y., Chao, M.M., Kung, F., & Kwong, J.Y.Y. 2013. Exploring the Psychological Mechanism Behind Exclusionary Reactions to Foreign Companies: The Questions of Who and Why. Presented at the Association for Consumer Research Conference, Chicago, IL.

-Chao, M.M., Takeuchi, R., Farh, J., Zhang, Z. & Hong, Y. 2013. A tale of two perspectives: The role of essentialist beliefs on cultural adjustment and cultural intelligence development. Symposium presentation at the Biannual Conference of Asian Association of Social Psychology, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

-Chao, M.M., & Farh, J.L. 2013. A Goal Orientation Theory on Behavioral Ethics. Presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Orlando, FL.

-Chao, M.M., Takeuchi, R., Farh, J.L., Zhang, Z., & Hong, Y. 2013. The Role of Essentialist Beliefs on Cultural Adjustment and Cultural Intelligence Development. Symposium presentation at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Orlando, FL.

-Chao, M.M., Yao, D., & Fu, J. F. 2013. Essentialising Culture: Its Implications on Cross-Cultural Negotiation. Symposium presentation at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Orlando, FL.

-Chao, M.M., & Farh, J.L. 2012. A longitudinal investigation of the influence of foreign cultural experiences on the development of creativity. Symposium presentation at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA.

-Li, C., Cheng, S.Y.Y., Lee, S. L., Prendergast, G., & Chao, M.M. 2012. Emotion regulation: Cognitive and affective consequences for fund-raising advertisements. Presented at the Academy of Marketing 2012, Southampton, UK.

-Chao, M. M., & Farh, J. L. 2012. Essentializing culture: Implications to sojourner adjustment and the development of cultural competence. Symposium presentation at the 13th Annual Meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, CA.

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REVIEW ACTIVITIES

-Member of Editorial Board:

-Asian Journal of Social Psychology (2014-)

-Management and Organization Review (2013-)

-Frontiers in Psychology (February 2016 - present)

-Ad Hoc Reviewer (selected)

-Academy of Management Journal

-Applied Psychology: An International Review

-Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology

-Developmental Psychology

-Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

-Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

-Journal of Personality

-Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

-Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

-Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

-PlosOne

-Psychology Bulletin

-Social Psychological and Personality Science

-Grant review

-National Science Foundation, USA

-University of Macau Multi-Year Research Grant, Macau

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

-Globalization; Multicultural psychology

-Organizational behavior; Normative judgments

-Group processes and intergroup relations

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FUNDED PROJECTS

-A wise reasoning perspective to intergroup relations (2017-2019). Funded by Research Grants Council General Research Fund, Hong Kong SAR Government. Role: Principal Investigator (HK$773,500).

-Enhancing Expatriation Effectiveness: The Mitigating Effect of Attachment Security on Perceived Threat in Intercultural Conflict (2016-2018). Funded by Research Grants Council General Research Fund, Hong Kong SAR Government. Role: Co-Investigator (HK$490,000).

-Ethics education among HKUST Business School Undergraduate (2013-2015). Funded by Center for Enhanced Learning and Teaching (CELT), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Role: Project leader (HK$200,000).

-Negotiating Across Cultural Boundaries: The Roles of Essentialist Beliefs and Social Identity (2014-2017). Funded by Research Grants Council General Research Fund, Hong Kong SAR Government. Role: Principal Investigator (HK$497,000).

-Anthropomorphizing nature and pro-environmental behavior (2011-2014). Funded by Research Grants Council General Research Fund, Hong Kong SAR Government. Role: Co-Investigator (HK$388,000).

-Cultural distance: Its implications to cognitive processes and sojourner adjustment outcomes Principal (2010-2012), funded by Research Grants Council Direct Allocation Grant, Hong Kong SAR Government. Role: Principal Investigator (HK$187,000).

-Intercultural skills development among HKUST Business School Undergraduate: A longitudinal investigation (2010-2012). Funded by Innovative assessment of learning outcomes (IALO) 2009-2010, VPAAO, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Role: Project leader (HK$475,876).

-Sojourner adjustment: A lay theory perspective (2011-2013). Funded by RGC General Research Fund. Role: Principal investigator (HK$269,129).

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HONORS AND AWARDS

-2014. The Seisoh Sukemune/Bruce Bain Encouragement of Early Career Research Award by International Council of Psychologists.

-2013. The Michael Harris Bond Award for Early Research Contributions by Asian Association of Social Psychology.

-2013. Early Career Award by International Academy of Intercultural Research.