Title: They'll Conform Anyway: A Motivation Stereotype Perspective on the Exploitation of Asian Employees

Speaker: Liuxin Yan, Assistant Professor, Tsinghua University

Host: Shike Li, Assistant Professor, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Time: 13:30-15:00, Monday, June 22, 2026

Venue: Room B207, Antai Building, Xuhui Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Brief introduction of the content: 

In this research, we examine why Asian employees are disproportionately exploited at work, proposing that the answer lies partly in how their motivation is perceived. Drawing on social exchange theory and cultural perspectives on the self, we argue that Asian employees are stereotypically seen as driven by external pressures— obligations, expectations, and social norms—rather than genuine personal choice. This perception of controlled motivation leads supervisors to anticipate greater conformity from Asian employees, making them more vulnerable to workplace exploitation. Across four studies combining experiments and field surveys, we find consistent evidence for this pattern. These findings shed new light on the subtle, stereotype-driven mechanisms behind workplace mistreatment and on the unique challenges faced by Asian employees in organizational life.

Speaker's profile:

Dr. Liuxin Yan is an Assistant Professor at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. She received her Ph.D. from the Business School of the National University of Singapore. Her primary research interests include impression management, social inequality, and negative workplace experiences. Her research has been published in leading international journals, including Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organization Science, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

Welcome all!