Focus: Executive deficits and burnout, the shift from surface-level to deep-level diversity over time, stereotype threat, and the methodology for semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis.
1. Neurodiversity, Executive Deficits & Psychosocial Toll
This cluster directly connects individual neurobiological characteristics (such as autism and ADHD) with psychosocial outcomes in the workplace, with specific attention to the emergence of burnout.
Transdiagnostic frameworks and executive functioning
- Apperly et al. (2024) — The transdiagnostic N+4 model for a spectrum-wide approach to neurodiversity.
- Doyle (2020) — The biopsychosocial model of neurodiversity and its impact on working adults.
- Legault, Bourdon & Poirier (2021) — The transition from neurodiversity to neurodivergence and the role of cognitive and epistemic marginalization.
- Turjeman-Levi, Itzchakov & Engel-Yeger (2024) — Research into how executive function deficits mediate the relationship between employee ADHD and the risk of job burnout.
Masking and autistic burnout
- Raymaker et al. (2020) — The empirical definition and framing of "autistic burnout" as the depletion of all internal resources.
- Tomczak & Kulikowski (2024) — Explaining burnout in autistic employees through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory.
- Cook, Crane & Mandy (2024) — "Dropping the mask: It takes two" — on the interrelational dynamics required to safely let go of social camouflaging.
2. Team Diversity, Social Identity and the Effect of Time
This theme focuses on group dynamics. How does the influence of visible versus invisible differences shift as teams work together longer?
Surface-level versus deep-level diversity over time
- Harrison, Price, Gavin & Florey (2002) — The methodological classic on how the effects of surface-level diversity diminish over time, while the effects of deep-level cognitive diversity on group functioning actually increase.
- Mathieu et al. (2008) — Leading review work on team effectiveness and the process-based shifts within work groups.
Social identity and group-directed effort
- Van Knippenberg & Ellemers (2014) — Social identity at work: how group identification is the ultimate key to group-directed effort and performance.
- Brands (2013) — Review of cognitive social structures and the role of social network analysis in organizational research.
3. Diversity Policy: Genuine Strategy versus "Diversity Washing"
This critical cluster dissects the intent behind corporate diversity programs. It separates effective interventions from purely cosmetic window-dressing.
Symbolic rhetoric and "washing" processes
- Baker et al. (2024) — The hard business-economics and accounting approach to the phenomenon of "diversity washing."
- Bartoli & Rouet (2023) — The critical question within strategic management: is diversity policy an expression of organizational isomorphism (imitating one another), a "washing process," or a genuine strategic approach.
- Foldy (2002) — Power and identity in organizations around the construct of "managing diversity."
Efficacy and support for diversity policy
- Kalev, Kelly & Dobbin (2006) — The large-scale evaluation study of the effectiveness of corporate diversity measures.
- Scarborough, Lambouths & Holbrook (2019) — The influence of demographic characteristics (race, gender) and personal views on inequality on actual support for diversity policy in the workplace.
- Roberson (2019) — Systematic review and synthesis of the current state of affairs and the future agenda for workplace diversity.
4. Stereotype Threat, Inclusive HRM & Network Support
This theme operationalizes the work environment. How can HRM and internal networks (ERGs) remove the psychological barriers for marginalized groups?
Stereotype Threat and inclusion
- Casad & Bryant (2016); Walton, Murphy & Ryan (2015) — Mitigating stereotype threat as an absolute necessity for equality, well-being and performance in organizational-psychology settings.
- Colgan & McKearney (2012) — Giving "visibility and voice" to minority groups in organizations.
The business case for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
- Welbourne, Rolf & Schlachter (2017); Welbourne & McLaughlin (2013) — The empirical evidence and the making of the "business case" for the strategic value of Employee Resource Groups.
- Slootman (2022); Bierema (2005) — The sociological dilemmas and the question of whether affinity networks (such as women's networks) are a career intervention or instead an obstacle.
- Gremmen & Benschop (2017); O'Neil, Hopkins & Sullivan (2011) — The leadership of professional women's networks and their contribution to career development.
- Dennissen, Benschop & van den Brink (2019, 2020) — Intersectional analyses of the power dynamics within diversity networks.
- Friedman, Kane & Cornfield (1998) — The effectiveness of network groups in providing social support and generating career optimism.
- Perales (2022) — The effect of diversity training and ally networks on employee well-being.
- Pini, Brown & Ryan (2004) — Case studies of "women-only" networks as a change strategy within local government.
- Hennekam & Follmer (2024); Nicholls (2025) — Practice-oriented reviews and research agendas for effectively narrowing the employment gap for neurodivergent people.
- Provan & Milward (1995) — A comparative theory of the effectiveness of inter-organizational networks in mental health care.
5. Empirical Core Anchors & Qualitative Methodology
This crucial cluster contains your own central publications and provides the formal methodological handbooks for conducting rigorous qualitative research (interviews and thematic analysis).
Dissertation anchors
- van Rijswijk, Curșeu & van Oortmerssen (2024) — Your systematic and integrative review of cognitive and neurodiversity in groups (the foundation of your dissertation).
- van Rijswijk, Curșeu & van Oortmerssen (2025) — Your empirical study of the roles of horizontal differentiation and socio-cognitive integration as predictors of team performance.
Qualitative research methodology
These are the methodological method books with which you scientifically justify the validity of your qualitative data collection and analysis (for example from semi-structured interviews).
- Bryman (2016) — The absolute bible of social science research methods (Social Research Methods).
- Adams (2015) — The formal and practical guide to correctly conducting and structuring semi-structured interviews.
- Vaismoradi, Jones, Turunen & Snelgrove (2016) — The methodological guideline for theme development within qualitative content and thematic analysis.