Research
My research draws on relational motivation and social exchange theory to understand workplace connection. I explore when and why people cross interpersonal boundaries to seek growth through feedback, friendship, and voice. Current research questions include:
Friendships across difference: What drives interracial-bridging friendships at work?
Voice and authenticity: How does psychological alignment lead people to challenge those in power?
Feedback and power: What makes some people more (or less) resistant to overly prescriptive developmental feedback?
Published Journal Articles
Brodsky, A.*, Lee, M. J.*, & Leonard, B. Discovering new frontiers for dyadic and team interaction studies: Current challenges and an open-source solution—SurvConf—for increasing the quantity and richness of interactional data. Academy of Management Discoveries, 8(3): 337-340. doi:10.5465/amd.2021.0257
*Authors contributed equally to this manuscript, alphabetical order.
Manuscripts in Preparation for Submission
(Titles withheld in accordance with double-blind peer-review protocol)
Lee, M. J. & Harrison, D. A. [The role of informational dissimilarity and relational investment in interracial friendships at work]
Lee, M. J., Brodsky, A., & Kouchaki, M. [State authenticity leading to challenging voice]
Green, Jr., P. & Lee, M. J. & Coutifaris, C. G. V. [Negative performance effects of prescriptive feedback and the moderating role of learning goal orientation]
Hussain, I.*, Lee, M. J.*, & Burris, E. [Voice topics: What do employees speak up about?].
*Authors contributed equally to this manuscript, alphabetical order.
Working Papers
Lebel, R. D., Yang, X., Lee, M. J., & Parker, S. K. Hope and growth: A reinforcement sensitivity model of emotion and feedback-seeking under uncertainty at work. Status: Additional data collection.
Longmire, N. H., Ma, A., & Lee, M. J. Politically correct but failing to connect? Self-censoring with cultural minorities as a barrier to joint performance. Status: Additional data collection.
Lee, M. J. & Green, Jr., P. When my mentor becomes my manager: Role-based evaluative frames and the performance effects of strategic advice alignment. Status: Writing.
Lee, M. J. & Harrison, D. A. A closer look at interracial-bridging friendships: Unveiling the influence of team inclusion on workplace social connection. Status: Additional data collection.
Lee, M. J., Sohn, W., & Brodsky, A. Towards a virtually diverse workplace: The dynamics of dyadic relational history and virtual communication media richness on interracial-friendships. Status: Additional data collection.
Google Scholar Profile link
Curriculum Vitae link
Last Updated Jul, 2025