With the ambition to make the world better for folks frequently experiencing marginalization or oppression, Dr. Merrick Robinson Osborne is building his expertise in addressing prejudice within organizations.
“I think of the ways that we did and the ways that we can serve respect and status to people while they are trying to combat prejudice,” said Merrick.
He was recently appointed as the first postdoctoral scholar focusing on racial equity in businesses, as a part of UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School’s new program. His research is focused on exploring how to address prejudice in organizations in ways that benefit the people who are trying to address the prejudice and also the people who supposedly are benefiting from these strategies to address prejudice.
Conducting rigorous research can be taxing and even frustrating at times. But what keeps Merrick going is remembering why he got into it in the first place. “The work that I'm doing and others are doing at Hass, is really important for representing what happens within organizations for more than just those who have been represented previously,” he added.
According to Merrick, people sometimes struggle to understand and connect with the value of his work. This is mainly because this type of research hasn't been represented in years before. However, this makes his focus area all the more important. As companies and organizations are trying to find ways to address diversity, equity and inclusion, it is essential that they do so with informed strategies. Even though it can be challenging to identify and understand these strategies, working on them is indispensable because they directly or indirectly impact all members of an organization.
Merrick aspires to continue working in research and challenge assumptions all the while. He wants to help companies get a better sense of how to make the workplace a better place effectively. For the next two years, Merrick will be using his resources in Berkeley to fulfill these aspirations.
Learn more about Merrick in an interview with Kim Girard from the Haas Newsroom: https://newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu/meet-merrick-osborne-first-haas-post-...