Research Groups

An additional way inclusion manifests is through the creation of interdisciplinary research groups. We have a number of such groups in our program.

Better Ideas Group (BIG)

The Better Ideas Group (BIG) consists of graduate students and professors trained in Organizational Communication, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Social Psychology, and Organizational Sociology. Members of BIG draw on their disciplinary perspectives to create a transdisciplinary lens through which they can view a topic of interest. By encouraging scholars from different educational backgrounds to discuss a common topic of interest, BIG allows for research to transcend the single perspective of one discipline, therefore creating a new outlook on an old problem. Currently, BIG members are studying the general construct of “meetings in the workplace”, specifically the temporal structures underlying meetings and the workplace in general, the effect of supervisor actions in meetings, the influence of role differentials and emotion regulation in meetings, and the overall impact of power and perceived organizational support on meeting behavior and secondary work behaviors.

Better Leadership Ideas Group (BLIG)

The Better Leadership Ideas Group (BLIG) is an interdisciplinary group dedicated to advance the science and practice of leadership through innovative research integrating qualitative and quantitative methods. Faculty and students across four disciplines are engaged in the efforts. We are looking at leadership issues related to leader success, derailment, support, development, health, and organizational effectiveness.

Non-Profit Voluntary Action Consortium (NVAC)

The Non-Profit Voluntary Action Consortium (NVAC) is an interdisciplinary research group intent on learning more about non-profit organizations, promoting relationships among UNC Charlotte faculty and graduate students interested in non-profit research, and engaging in community outreach in the Charlotte Metropolitan area. NVAC faculty and graduate students hail from Management, Political Science, Communication Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Geography and Earth Sciences, Social Work, and Organizational Science.

For information on any of these research groups, please email Logan Justice at LJustic5@uncc.edu.