Associate Professor
Melody CHAO
Associate Professor
mchao@ust.hk
CV
Melody CHAO

Research Interests

  • Globalization; Multicultural psychology
  • Organizational behavior; Normative judgments
  • Group processes and intergroup relations

Academic Qualifications

  • Ph.D. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Social Psychology
  • M.A. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 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.

  • The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, School of Business and Management, Associate Director (Undergraduate Programs), since July 2018.

Publications

Refereed Journal Publications (Chronological, alphabetical)

  • Yang, Z. (R.), Kung, F. Y. H., Brienza, J. P., & Chao, M. M. 2024. Bridging social divides: The role of wise reasoning in improving intergroup relations. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 10: 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000389

  • Magni, F., Park, J., & Chao, M.M. 2023. Humans as creativity Gatekeepers: Are we biased against AI creativity. Journal of Business and Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09910-x

  • Harjani, T., He, H., & Chao, M.M. 2023. The moral foundation of vaccine passports. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05427-8

  • Kung, Y.H.F., Brienza, J.P., & Chao, M.M. 2023. Mixed reactions to multicultural (vs. colorblind) diversity approach signals: A lay theories of culture perspective. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 29: 162-178. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000409

  • Lee, S.S. & Chao, M.M. 2023. Employee Psychological Wellbeing in the Face of Pandemic: The Role of Belief in Work Priority. Social Personality and Psychology Compass. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12846

  • Noor, M., Chao, M. M., & Doosje, B. 2023. To forgive or not to forgive: Perceived motives shape individuals’ forgiveness of transgressing organizations. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 72: 1160-1180. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12428

  • Lee, S.S. & Chao, M.M., & He, H. 2022. When family interrupted Work: The implications of gendered role perception in the face of COVID-19. Journal of Social Issues. Special Issue: Magnifying Inequity: Women’s Lives during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic Women and Work, Children and Family Roles, 79: 861-877. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12504

  • Lian, H., Huai, M., Farh, J. L., Huang, J. C., Lee, C., & Chao, M. M. 2022. Leader unethical pro-organizational behavior and employee unethical conduct: Social learning of moral disengagement as a behavioral principle. Journal of Management 48: 350-379. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320959699

  • Park, J., Choi, Y., Chao, M.M., Beejinkhuu, U., & Sohn, Y.W. 2021. A cultural orientation approach to work orientation: Mongolian workers’ jobs, careers, and callings. Journal of Career Development, 49: 1351-1366. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453211040811

  • Brienza, J., Kung, F., & Chao, M.M. 2021. Wise reasoning, intergroup positivity, and attitude polarization across contexts. Nature Communications, 12: 3313. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23432-1

  • Magni, F., Gong, Y., & Chao, M.M. 2021. A longitudinal examination of the reciprocal relationship between goal orientation and performance: The mediating role of self-efficacy. Personality and Individual Differences, 179: 110960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110960

  • Van Assche, J., Moor, M., Dierckx, K., Saleem, M., Bouchat, P., De Guissme, L., Bostyn, D., Carew, M., Ernst-Vintila, A., & Chao, M.M. 2020. Can psychological interventions improve intergroup attitudes post terror attacks? Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11: 1101-1109. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550619896139

  • Fong, L.H.N., He, H., Chao, M.M., Leandro, G., & King, D. 2019. Cultural essentialism and tailored hotel service. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31: 3610-3626. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-11-2018-0910

  • He, H., Chao, M.M., & Zhu, W. 2019. Cause-related marketing and employee engagement: The roles of follower implicit morality beliefs, moral identity, and admiration. Journal of Business Research, 95, 83-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.013

  • Kung, F.Y.H., & Chao, M.M. 2019. The impact of mixed emotions on creativity in negotiation: An interpersonal perspective. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02660

  • Yao, J.D., Chao, M.M., & Leung, A.K. 2019. When essentialism facilitates intergroup conflict resolution: The positive role of perspective-taking. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022119835058

  • Yao, J.D., & Chao, M.M. 2019. When forgiveness signals power: Effects of forgiveness expression and forgiver gender. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45, 310-324. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218784904

  • 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

  • Tadmor, C. T., Hong, Y. Y., Chao, M. M., & Cohen, A. 2018. The tolerance benefits of multicultural experiences depend on the perception of available mental resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 115: 398–426. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000125

  • 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, 146: 1402-1419. (# Equal contribution) https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000355

  • 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, 13:375-397. https://doi.org/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. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12142

  • 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.08.001

  • Chao, M.M., Kung, F.Y.H., & Yao, D. 2015. Understanding the divergent effects of multicultural exposure. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 47: 78-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2015.03.032

  • 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2015.09.003

  • 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, 26: 702-718. https://doi.org/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. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12089

  • Chao, M. M., & Wong, J.K.W. 2014. Culture and everyday sense-making. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 17: 112-114. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12049

Book Chapters

  • Chao, M. M. 2023. Chapter 10: Individual behavior in a multicultural context. In Z.-x. Zhang, R.-t. Jing, & W. Shen (Eds.), Organizational Management: A Perspective of Chinese Enterprises in the Age of Digital Intelligence: 197-216. Peking University Press. (In Chinese)

  • Chao, M. M., Maitner, A. T., & Kung, F. Y. H. 2023. Cultural intelligence from an intergroup perspective. In D. C. Thomas & Y. Liao (Eds.), Handbook of Cultural Intelligence Research: 379-396. Springer Press. Edward Elgar Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781800887169

More Publications

Selected Recent Conference Presentations

  • Magni, F., Kerekes, M., Tang, G., Park, J., & Chao, M.M. 2024. Threatened by AI? The chain effect of AI as producer on creativity evaluations and willingness to pay. Paper presentation at the ESSEC’s Experimental and Behavioral Workshop, Cergy, France.

  • Cho, J., Chao, M.M., Zhang, R., & Morris, M.W. 2024. Political orientations and judgments of cultural borrowing: The role of moral foundations. Asian Association of Social Psychology Special Symposium presentation at the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Bali, Indonesia.

  • Choi, J., & Chao, M.M. 2024. Understanding emotional expression in virtual communications at work: The role of expression means and expressor age. Data Blitz presentation at the International Association for Conflict Management 2024, Singapore.

  • Cai, Y., Choi, J., Chao, M.M. 2023. Understanding dispute resolution practices in a multicultural world. Symposium presentation at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA, USA.

  • Magni, F., Park, J., & Chao, M.M. 2023. Humans as creativity gatekeepers: Are we biased against AI creativity. Symposium presentation at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA, USA.

  • Chao, M.M., & Lam, E. 2023. From mindset to cultural competence: Understanding the effects of intervention and its boundary conditions. Symposium presentation at the 21st European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, Katowice, Poland.

  • Tadmor, C., Chao, M.M., & Hong, Y. 2022. Reasoning wisely to restore the intergroup tolerance benefits of multicultural experience in the heat of armed conflict, social unrests, and a pandemic. Symposium presentation at the 35th Annual International Association for Conflict Management, Ottawa, Canada.

  • Cho, J., Chao, M.M., Zhang, R., & Morris, M.W. 2022. Liberals and conservatives in the United States differently judge cultural appropriation. Paper presentation at the 2022 Berkeley Culture Conference, Berkeley, CA, USA.

  • Lee, S.J., Chao, M.M., He, H. 2021. Addressing the gender pay gap: The role of pay gap framing and causal attributions. Paper presentation at the 3rd International Human Resource Management Conference, Online.

  • Pan, X., Choi, J. & Chao, M.M. 2021. The impact of perceiving AI as a threat on prosocial behavior. Paper presentation at the 3rd International Human Resource Management Conference, Online.

  • Chao, M.M. 2021. Wisdom and cultural diversity: beyond cultural stereotypes and culture-blindness. Discussant. Panel Discussion at the 2021 International Wisdom Summit, Online.

  • Chau, M., Chao, M.M., & Liu, W. 2021. Detecting emotional distress from text. Emergent Research Forum presentation at the Annual Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), Online.

  • Magni, F., Park, J., & Chao, M.M. 2021. The bias in creativity evaluation of artificial intelligence. Paper presentation at the Virtual 81st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Online.

  • Tadmor, C., Chao, M.M., & Hong, Y. 2021. The effects of multicultural experience on social tolerance during times of crisis. Symposium presentation at the Virtual 81st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Online.

  • Chao, M.M., Luk, C. T., Fu, H., & Hui, P. 2021. Cross-country scale invariance of Hostede’s values, implicit culture belief, and need for closure. Paper presentation at the 25th International Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Online.

  • Fu, H., Chao, M. M., & Hui, P. 2021. Forestalling the inevitable? Belief in conflict inevitability and dispute resolution system adoption. Paper presentation at the 32rd International Congress of Psychology, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Chao, M.M. 2021. Experimental research in IM. Panel Presentation at the Academy of International Business Conference, Online.

  • Fu, H., Chao, M.M., & Hui, P. 2020. Implicit belief of conflict and adoption of dispute resolution system. Paper presentation at 2020 Academy of International Business Southeast Asian Regional Conference. Online.

  • Magni, F., Chao, M.M., & Park, J. 2020. Creativity evaluation of artificial intelligence products. Paper presentation at the 36th European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Hamburg, Germany.

  • Nanakdewa, K., Chao, M.M., & Savani, K. 2019. Seeing colorblindness clearly: Aligning the measurement of diversity ideologies with theory. Symposium presentation at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA.

  • Lam, E.Q.Y., & Chao, M.M. 2019, August. Cultural blunders or opportunities? The effect of a growth mindset intervention on cultural intelligence. Symposium presentation at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA.

  • Brienza, J., Kung, F.Y.H., & Chao, M.M. 2019. Wise reasoning moderates reactions toward the outgroup after exposure to media reports of intergroup conflict. Symposium presentation at the 2019 International Association for Conflict Management Conference, Dublin, Ireland.

  • Cho, J., Zhang, R., Chao, M.M., & Morris, M. 2019. Liberals and conservatives in the United States differently judge cultural appropriation. Paper presentation at the 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Lisbon, Portugal.

  • Lee, S.S., Chao, M.M., & He, H. 2019. Gender inequality = Women issue?: Understanding inequality from a social consensus perspective. Paper presentation at the 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Lisbon, Portugal.

  • Nanakdewa, K., Chao, M.M., & Savani, K. 2019. Seeing colorblindness clearly: Aligning the measurement of diversity ideologies with theory. Paper presentation at the 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Lisbon, Portugal.

  • Kung, F.Y.H., Chao, M.M., Adair, W.L., Fu, J., & Tasa, K. 2019. The role of malleable culture beliefs in improving intercultural negotiation outcomes. Symposium presentation at the 34th Annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference, Washington, D.C.

  • Lee, S.S., Chao, M.M., & He, H. 2019. Gender inequality = Her issue?: Understanding inequality from a social consensus perspective. Data blitz presentation at the Gender Preconference for the 2019 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Convention, Portland, OR.

Review Activities

  • Associate Editor

    • Journal of Business Research (2020 - 2022)

    • Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (2020 - 2021)

  • Member of Editorial Board:

    • Personality and Social Psychology Review (2022 - present)

    • Personnel Psychology (2019 - 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

    • 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

    • Ministry of Education, Social Science Research Thematic Grant, Singapore

    • University of Macau Multi-Year Research Grant, Macau

Funded Projects

Research Grants

  • Promoting Well-being in the Community through Writing Interventions: The role of emotion beliefs and work ideology (2022-2025). Funded by Center for Aging Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Role: Principal Investigator (HK$883,350).

  • Understanding Dispute Resolution Practices in Emerging Economies (2018-2020). Funded by Institute of Emerging Market Studies, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Role: Principal Investigator (HK$300,000).

  • A wise reasoning perspective to intergroup relations (2017-2020). Funded by Research Grants Council General Research Fund, Hong Kong SAR Government. Role: Principal Investigator (HK$773,500).

  • 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).

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

Teaching Grants

  • 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).

Honors And Awards

  • 2021. Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Fellow

  • 2020. Association for Psychological Science (APS) Fellow

  • 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.