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Research is central to our mission of outreach and improving the relationships between workers and managers. SMLR faculty are engaged in research across a wide range of topics about employment and the changing workplace.

SMLR Faculty Directory
Research Highlight

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For Effective Equity Compensation Programs, Think Strategically

Joseph R. Blasi | Douglas L. Kruse | Bill Castellano

This Human Resource Management research brief summarizes the latest empirical research to help your company develop a comprehensive and robust equity compensation plan. 

Read the research brief
SMLR Areas of Impact
Program Highlight

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The Rutgers Occupational Training and Education Consortium (OTEC) has partnered with Rutgers Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) and the Protect NJ Workers Coalition to create the NJ COVID-19 Awareness and Prevention Program.

The program includes English and Spanish asynchronous and live two-hour versions of the training. Since November of 2020, the project has reached thousands of NJ workers and residents, many of them from high-risk, hard to reach low-income communities of color.

Learn more

Recent SMLR Research In the News

When do employees leave to pursue entrepreneurial work? Research by Scott Seibert and Maria Kraimer finds that negative events at work may inspire aspirational employees to leave their jobs. The findings are detailed in a Journal of Applied Psychology article.
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For her latest book, Dorothy Sue Cobble studied the global history of 20th century feminism in the United States. She writes an op-ed for Ms. Magazine about President John F. Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women and why its radical ideas are still relevant today.
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Research by Saul Rubinstein finds student achievement is higher in schools where administrators, teachers and their unions collaborate more closely. NEA Today reports the National Education Association is funding a nationwide initiative that’s putting his research into action.
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Don’t underestimate the power of small talk at work. A study by Jessica Methot finds casual conversations make us feel happier, more connected, and less burned out. She co-authors an article for Harvard Business Review about the findings and how they relate to working from home.
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Employee-owned companies are more resilient than other firms. They’ve been less likely to cut jobs and wages during the pandemic, according to research by Joseph Blasi and Douglas Kruse of the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. A Fast Company op-ed explores the findings.
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Voting accessibility improved significantly in the 2020 presidential election. A study by Douglas Kruse and Lisa Schur of the Program for Disability Research finds 11% of people with disabilities had trouble casting their ballot, down from 26% less than a decade ago. TIME reports on the findings.
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Employers value college graduates with work experience. U.S. News and World Report writes about a study co-authored by Daniel Douglas of the Education and Employment Research Center, which finds students who work during college typically have higher earnings when they get out of school.
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When dads help out with cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the kids, moms are happier and more productive at work. Yana Rodgers of the Center for Women and Work co-authors a column for Forbes about Rutgers research on working parents and the pandemic. 
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A study led by Janice Fine of the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization finds employers are more likely to cheat their workers when unemployment is high. The New York Times reports on the research and what it means for low-wage workers during the pandemic.
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