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Below you will find an overview of my current work on the following topics
loneliness | psychological needs | team & interpersonal relationships | diversity and inclusion
LET'S COLLABORATE
LET'S COLLABORATE
If any of the work below interests you or you are conducting related work, please don't hesitate to email me.
I am always seeking to grow friendships with future informal and formal collaborators.
Loneliness
Loneliness
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
LaBella, M. & van Knippenberg, D. (2024). Workplace loneliness: Relationships with abstract entities as substitutes for peer relationships. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 54(10), 628-643. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.13062
GRANT AWARDS
Student Investigator - “Building a Connected Workplace: Integrating Leadership, Teamwork, and Social Networks Approaches to Reduce Social Ostracism in the Military”
Proposal Recommended for Funding (May 20, 2024) – currently in final cost negotiations.
Proposed Period of Performance: 01/01/2025 to 12/31/2028
Proposed Costs (ROM): $2,818,524
WORK IN PROGRESS
LaBella, M., Ye, H. & D’Innocenzo, L. (Preparing for Submission). Lonely teams: Extending the regulatory loop theory to team dynamics. Manuscript to be submitted to Small Group Research.
Silard, T., LaBella, M., Wright, S., Wilkins, S., & Reina, C. S. (Preparing for Submission). Feeling appreciated, celebrated, included, and … not lonely: How the need for belongingness influences loneliness in organizations. Manuscript to be submitted to the Academy of Management Journal.
LaBella, M. (Data analysis stage). Emotional self-disclosure and workplace loneliness: Can encouraging employees to disclose their emotions help to combat the workplace loneliness epidemic? [Doctoral dissertation, Drexel University].
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
*LaBella, M. & Mawritz, M. B. (August 2024). Workplace Loneliness: When it Happens, Who Experiences It, and How to Prevent It. Symposium Co-Organizer for 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
*LaBella, M., Ye, H. & D’Innocenzo, L. (August 2024). Lonely Teams: Extending the Regulatory Loop Theory to the Team Level. Symposium presentation at 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
*LaBella, M. (May 2024). Emotional Self-Disclosure to Combat Loneliness in Work Teams. Positive Work Relationships Conference, Cleveland, OH, United States.
*LaBella, M. & van Knippenberg, D. (October 2023). Workplace Loneliness: Relationships with Abstract Entities as Substitutes for Peer Relationships. Southern Management Association 2023 Annual Meeting, St. Pete Beach, FL, United States.
Psychological Needs
Psychological Needs
WORK IN PROGRESS
Resick, C. J., Lee, J., LaBella, M., Allen, J., Davis, A., & Taylor, J. (Preparing for Submission). Navigating the unknown: Leader safety sensegiving and first responders’ withdrawal intentions in disruptive contexts. Manuscript to be submitted to the Journal of Applied Psychology.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
*Resick, C. J., Lee, J., LaBella, M., Allen, J., Davis, A., & Taylor, J. (2025). Navigating the Unknown: Leader Safety Sensegiving and First Responders’ Withdrawal Intentions in Crisis. Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference, Denver, CO, United States.
*Resick, C. J., Lee, J., LaBella, M., Allen, J., Davis, A., & Taylor, J. (2024). Navigating Extreme Contexts: The Effects of Leader Safety Sensegiving on the Retention of First Responder Groups. INGRoup, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.
Team & Interpersonal Relationships
Team & Interpersonal Relationships
WORK IN PROGRESS
Ziegert, J. C., Resick, C. J., D’Innocenzo, L., LaBella, M., & Kiker, J. D. (Preparing for Submission). Team Power Dynamics and the Expression of Shared Leadership. Manuscript to be submitted to Journal of Applied Psychology.
D’Innocenzo, L., LaBella, M., & Ye, H. (Data Analysis). Examining how team processes unfold over time. Manuscript to be submitted to Academy of Management Journal.
Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity & Inclusion
WORK IN PROGRESS
Van Knippenberg, D., Yuan, Y., Dwertmann, D., LaBella, M, & Lee, Y. (Preparing for Submission). Meta-analytic examination of attitudinal and behavioral outcomes of diversity climate. Manuscript to be submitted to the Academy of Management Journal.
Research Recognition
Research Recognition
Teck-Kah Lim Graduate Student Excellence Award, 2024
Awarded to one graduate student across the University per year who shows “promise of future meaningful contributions to local, national or global communities as can be gleaned from present academic excellence and achievements in research and/or teaching, as well as outstanding selfless service to peers, and the local community.”
Clark Outstanding Behavioral Research Award, 2023
Presented to one doctoral student each year in the LeBow College of Business
Awarded for my work on the role of abstract relationships in workplace loneliness
Community Development Research
Community Development Research
BOOKS & BOOK CHAPTERS
Miller, M., Alter, T., & Gurklis, A. (2019). Growing community. Penn State Press.
Miller, M. and Bridger, J. (2018). Developing and using narratives in community-based research. In T. M. Howard, T. R. Alter, P. Z. Frumento, L. J. Thompson (Eds.). Community pest management in practice: a narrative approach (pp. 21-36). Springer.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
*Miller, M. & *Bergner, E. (April 2019). The Power of Stories to Reduce Stigma and Promote Community Action. Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition Conference, Harrisburg, PA, United States.
Alter, T., *Sterner, G., *Engle, E., Miller, M., Gurklis, A., Frumento, P., Barsom, S., Calore, G., and Goldberg, D. (2015). Achieving the Promise of Sustainability Though Civic Engagement and Public Scholarship. Public Scholarship, Sustainability, Community Engagement Colloquium, Altoona, PA, United States.
Before pursuing my PhD in Organizational Behavior, I spent seven years researching issues affecting community development as part of my work in the following roles.
Before pursuing my PhD in Organizational Behavior, I spent seven years researching issues affecting community development as part of my work in the following roles.
Research Manager for the Criminal Justice Research Center at Penn State Abington
Research Manager for the Criminal Justice Research Center at Penn State Abington
In this role, I managed a staff of researchers to study the impacts of stigma related to substance use disorder, the configuration of drug distribution networks, issues with implementing medication assisted treatment, and the overdose crisis broadly. I led the Share Your Opioid Story initiative to end the stigma of substance use disorder through written and video storytelling, community events, curriculum development, digital marketing, and research.
Research Assistant for the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education at Penn State University Park
I am who I am as a scholar and person because of Dr. Theodore R. Alter. Working in his research group was a formative experience that led me into academia and always keeps me focused on connecting research with practice and forming partnerships to make real impacts. Working with Ted and dedicated colleagues, I researched how communities can work together to combat invasive animals issues, how storytelling affects community work within and beyond organizations, and how to conduct qualitative research, including narrative profile analysis.
Quite simply, organizations are communities.
Quite simply, organizations are communities.
Research shows it is critical for employees to feel a sense of community and connectedness at work.
Research shows it is critical for employees to feel a sense of community and connectedness at work.
What's more is that organizations are part of larger communities and thus can be a force for good both locally and globally.
What's more is that organizations are part of larger communities and thus can be a force for good both locally and globally.
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