12668: Beyond Documentation: Mechanism-Based Approaches to Addressing Inequalities in Cultural Industries

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

08:30 - 10:00 CEST (GMT+2)

Location: Bella Center: MR174/175

Session Type: Symposium (panel)
Orientation: Practice,Research,Diversity
Highlight: Showcase Symposium
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/Kp8Xmk

Organizer(s)

JB

Jiwon Byun

Stanford Graduate School of Business, United States
SC

Susie Choe

University of Michigan, United States

Panelist(s)

SK

Sharon Koppman

U. of California, Irvine, United States
MM

Michael Mauskapf

Columbia Business School, United States
AO

Amandine Marie Ody-Brasier

McGill U., United States
CR

Chris I. Rider

University of Michigan, United States

At a time when diversity initiatives face mounting resistance, organizational research must move beyond merely documenting inequalities to understanding how they persist. This symposium advances theory by proposing a mechanism-based approach to studying inequality in cultural industries. Through comparative analyses across cultural industries, our panel examines several key mechanisms, including how uncertainty shapes gatekeepers' reliance on privilege-laden signals, how gendered and racialized practices affect resource access, and how institutional structures maintain systemic barriers. By employing diverse methodological approaches—from ethnography to computational analysis—we demonstrate how mechanism-focused research can both advance theory and generate practical frameworks for organizational change. This approach opens new pathways for understanding and addressing persistent inequalities in creative fields.