Beyond Bias - Ph.D. successfully completed

Our colleague Tobias Sachs, now a PhD, has successfully completed his dissertation, titled “Beyond Bias”, at the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR).

Tobias Sachs, PhD, part of our team at the Institute for Diversity Medicine at RUB, completed his doctoral dissertation in March 2026, titled  “Beyond Bias - Examining Conditions That Shape Ethnic Discrimination in Resume Screening and Employees' Support for Organizational Inclusion”.

Ethnic discrimination remains a persistent issue in contemporary labor markets despite widespread organizational commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is evident in both hiring decisions and the everyday experiences of minority employees. It is typically studied at one of two levels - the organizational or the individual level. The former approaches discrimination as a structural problem that can be explained by organizational features and practices, while the latter treats it as a consequence of individuals' characteristics and attitudes. The thesis integrates these perspectives by examining conditions within organizations under which individual biases shape decisions and behavior. Drawing on multiple experimental and field studies, it shows that biased resume screening and employees' intentions to support organizational inclusion result from an interplay between the organization and the individual. While personal attitudes matter, situational and structural contexts within organizations can strongly influence employees' capability, opportunity, and motivation to constrain the expression of prejudice and engage in inclusion efforts.

We extend our warmest congratulations to him and are delighted to have his expertise on our team.