Yunzi Tan

Biography

(Rae) Yunzi Tan’s professional and research interests emphasize the functioning and effectiveness of work groups and organizations from the perspectives of social and organizational psychology. Specifically, Tan has conducted research on the role of social categorization processes on triggered displaced aggression in intergroup contexts, workplace diversity training effectiveness, conflict management profiles in teams, and mindful interventions in online group learning. Some of her current research projects focus on conflict management dynamics in work groups and teams, diversity and conflict management training, and anger rumination in workplace aggression. At the University of Baltimore, Tan teaches graduate courses on approaches to managing conflict, organizational conflict and conflict management systems, and research methods, as part of the M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management program. Her core teaching interests include organizational conflict, diversity and conflict dynamics in teams, workforce diversity and conflict management training interventions, conflict management systems, and organizational change and development. Prior to joining UB in 2013, Tan taught as an associate adjunct professor of psychology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. At Teachers College, she taught graduate courses and topics on groups and teams, experimental research designs, organizational culture and change, and managing conflict in organizations. In 2012, Tan was awarded a competitive visiting research fellowship to conduct research on team conflict management with the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University in Singapore. In 2011, she received the International Association for Conflict Management’s “Best Theoretical Paper” conference award for her conceptual work on conflict management as configural profiles within teams. Aside from her academic and teaching experiences, Tan also spent several years as an experienced professional in strategic change consulting, organizational development, market research, marketing, and business development in both the private and nonprofit sectors. She has served as a strategic change advisor and resource to business leaders and senior executives at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a global professional services firm, and at Disney Consumer Products, the retail and consumer products division of The Walt Disney Company. Tan also worked as part of the organizational research team at Catalyst, a New York-based nonprofit organization that is committed to creating and building more diverse and inclusive workplaces around the globe.

Research Interest

 Conflict management dynamics in work groups Diversity and conflict management training Anger rumination and workplace aggression Organizational change and conflict management