Led by Dr. Alexis Hanna, the ARC lab is comprised of a diverse set of scholars interested in topics within human resources, organizational behavior, and careers. In each area, the lab emphasizes person-environment (P-E) fit as a lens: we study people in context. Under this conceptual umbrella, most ongoing lab efforts fit within one or more of the following three primary areas – analytics, recruitment, and/or careers.

Analytics

At the core of everything we do, the ARC lab emphasizes data-driven insights backed by strong methodological design and rigorous statistical approaches. The ARC lab typically strives for triangulation in research projects, which approaches a research question from multiple angles to derive stronger conclusions. Previous and ongoing lab projects utilize a variety of methodological and statistical approaches, including survey research, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, longitudinal studies, meta-analysis, systematic scale validation, structural equation modeling, and multilevel modeling. The lab also researches best practices in methods, such as how survey design decisions and technical features influence survey responses and data quality, as well as new ways to measure and analyze P-E fit. 

Recruitment

A central goal of the ARC lab is to produce knowledge beneficial for human resource and management practice. To this end, several research streams in the lab focus on using recruitment and other HR practices to enhance the P-E fit of job applicants and employees, particularly in an effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. For instance, we investigate how recruitment ads emphasizing vocational interests can be used to close gender gaps in certain career areas, how job seekers in different generations respond to recruitment efforts, and how women and racial/ethnic minorities interact with organizational recruitment efforts and apply to jobs at different rates than men and White applicants. 

Careers

Given Dr. Hanna’s primary expertise in vocational interests, fit, and career choices, the ARC lab heavily emphasizes research on careers. Example topics include career choices and P-E fit development across the lifespan, the role of interests and other individual differences in making career decisions, and the evolving nature of careers in the modern world of work. The lab also researches some non-traditional career paths (e.g., the gig economy) and modalities (e.g., remote work, artificial intelligence in different careers), as well as newer conceptualizations of dynamic careers and what it means to achieve career success.