PhD
Institute for Work & Employment Research
The Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) is dedicated to advancing research that enhances the well-being of workers and their loved ones while guiding managers towards creating an inclusive and successful future of work. Comprising sociologists, labor economists, and employment scholars, this multidisciplinary group offers a collaborative environment where PhD students work closely with core faculty. IWER provides an interdisciplinary environment deeply rooted in sociology, labor relations, and labor economics, preparing students for innovative empirical research and impactful contributions to policy and practice. Notable faculty members include Erin Kelly, Thomas Kochan, Susan Silbey, and Emilio J. Castilla.
Research from IWER Faculty
Download: Workforce development in the age of AI
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From MIT experts, strategies to transform skills, roles, and human potential across your organization.
Generative AI isn’t culturally neutral, research finds
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When presented with the same prompt in different languages, generative AI provides culturally distinct responses.
Why talent management strategies go wrong — and how to fix them
“The Meritocracy Paradox” offers frameworks to help organizations make people-management decisions based on data and evidence rather than intuition.
How Meritocracy Can Backfire — and Five Steps to Address It
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A new book by MIT Sloan professor Emilio J. Castilla offers managers and leaders a practical, data-driven roadmap for building fairer and more effective talent management systems.
The business benefits of a workplace health and well-being committee
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HaWCs can be a cost-effective way to reduce turnover among front-line employees and save your organization money.
Why people favor AI in certain domains but not others
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To improve AI adoption in your organization, pay attention to both capability and personalization, new research suggests.
MIT Sloan’s 2025 summer book collection
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Eight research-backed titles covering retirement transitions, artificial intelligence and skills development, and how to build an innovation advantage.
Generative AI’s hidden cultural tendencies
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New research from MIT Sloan finds that generative AI provides culturally distinct responses to the same prompt in different languages.
Does generative AI actually enhance creativity in the workplace?
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Does generative AI actually enhance creativity in the workplace? The answer is yes — but only for employees who have strong metacognitive strategies, according to new research from Jackson Lu.
Why our minds sometimes say no — even when AI is right
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A new study from the MIT Sloan School of Management sheds light on a puzzling paradox: Despite AI’s growing accuracy and efficiency, people often prefer human decisions—even when AI performs better.
Select IWER Faculty
IWER Co-Directors
Emilio J. Castilla
NTU Professor of Management
Emilio J. Castilla is the NTU Professor of Management and a Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Castilla is currently the co-director of the Institute for Work and Employment Research. He joined the MIT…
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Erin Kelly
Sloan Distinguished Professor of Work and Organization Studies
Erin L. Kelly is the Sloan Distinguished Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Co-Director of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research. Kelly’s research has been published in many top…
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Anna Stansbury
W. Maurice Young (1961) Career Development Assistant Professor of Management
Anna Stansbury is an Assistant Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and is in the core faculty of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research. She is also a nonresident senior fellow at the…
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Nathan Wilmers
Erwin H. Schell Associate Professor of Management
Nathan Wilmers is the Erwin H. Schell Associate Professor of Management and an Associate Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is in the core faculty of the Institute for Work and Employment Research…
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Thomas Kochan
George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management, Emeritus
Thomas A. Kochan is the Post-Tenure George Maverick Bunker Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a faculty member in the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research. Kochan focuses on the need to update America's work and…
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Paul Osterman
Nanyang Technological University Professor Emeritus
Paul Osterman is a Professor Emeritus of Human Resources and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management as well as a member of the Department of Urban Planning at MIT. From July 2003 to June 2007 he also served as Deputy Dean at the MIT Sloan…
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Susan Silbey
Leon and Anne Goldberg Professor of Humanities
Professor Susan S. Silbey is Leon and Anne Goldberg Professor of Humanities, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, and Professor of Behavioral and Policy Sciences, Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Silbey is…
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Mary Rowe
Adjunct Professor, Work and Organization Studies
Mary P. Rowe is an Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and taught these topics for twenty years. She served for almost 42 years as an organizational ombuds reporting directly to five…
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Robert B. McKersie
Professor Emeritus, Work and Organization Studies
Robert McKersie is Professor Emeritus of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. McKersie is an expert source on industrial and labor relations with a focus on bargaining. He researches strategies being pursued by different industries to…
Learn MoreExample PhD Thesis Topics
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K. MacKenzie Scott (2025)
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Claire McKenna (2024)
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Arrow Minster (2024)
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Alexander Kowalski (2022)
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George Ward (2022)