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)

• Lee, S.S. & Chao, M.M., & He, H. In press. 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.

• Kung, Y.H.F., Brienza, J.P., & Chao, M.M. In press. Mixed reactions to multicultural (vs. colorblind) diversity approach signals: A lay theories of culture perspective. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.

• 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. 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

• Lian, H., Huai, M., Farh, J.L., Huang, J.C., Lee, C., & Chao, M.M. (2020). Leader unethical pro-organizational behavior and employee unethical conduct: Social learning of moral disengagement as a behavioral principle. Journal of Management, 014920632095969. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320959699

• 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. 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. 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.

• 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. 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

• 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

• 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, 146: 1402-1419. (# 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.

Book Chapters

• Chao, M. M., Maitner, A. T., & Kung, F. Y. H. In press. Cultural intelligence from an intergroup perspective. In D. C. Thomas & Y. Liao (Eds.), Handbook of Cultural Intelligence Research. Springer Press. Edward Elgar Publishing.

• 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.

More Publications

Selected Recent Conference Presentations

• Tadmor, C., Chao, M.M., & Hong, Y. 2022 (to be presented). 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.

• 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.

• Brienza, J., Kung, F., & Chao, M.M. 2021. Wise reasoning in polarized societal conflicts. Symposium presentation at the 14th Biannual Conference of the Asian Association of Social Psychology, Seoul, Korea.

• 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, February). 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.

• Choi, Y., Park, J., Chao, M.M., Beejinkhuu, U., & Sohn, Y.W. 2018. Work orientations, cultures, and life satisfaction in mongolia: The Mediating Role of Leader-Member Exchange. Paper presentation at the 2018 International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Congress, Guelph, Canada.

• *Park, J., Choi, Y., Chao, M.M., Beejinkhuu, U., & Sohn, Y.W. 2018. Jobs, careers, and callings: Do the work orientations apply to Mongolia?. The RISE Research Award symposium presentation at the 30th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.

  • *RISE Research Award, Association for Psychological Science

• Lee, S.S., & Chao, M.M. 2018. Effect of inequality frames on gender pay gap. Paper presentation at the 2018 Annual Asian Management Research Consortium, Seoul, Korea.

• Chao, M.M., Visaria, S., Mukhopadhyay, A., & Dehejia, R. (2018, February). Do rewards reinforce the growth mindset?: Joint effects of the growth mindset and incentive schemes in a field intervention. Symposium presentation at the 2018 Annual Winter Conference of the Society of Consumer Psychology, Dallas, TX.

• 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.(Invited presentation)

• 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.

Review Activities

• Associate Editor

  • Journal of Business Research (2020 - 2022)

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

• Member of Editorial Board:

  • Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2019 - present)

  • 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 (2021-2024). 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).

• 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).

• 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

• 2022. 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.