About
BIS Capstone Research Problem
My academic problem concerns the impact of implicit or unwritten expectations within organizations and how those expectations can create barriers for minority group members. Many workplaces operate with informal rules about communication style, professionalism, participation, and advancement that are not clearly explained. While these expectations may seem neutral, they often advantage individuals who are already familiar with dominant norms and disadvantage those who are not. I want to better understand how these hidden expectations persist and how leadership practices influence their effect on individuals and teams.
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To explore this problem, I will integrate learning from my minors in Sociology, Communication Studies, and Leadership Development. Sociology provides insight into social norms, power, and inequality within organizational systems. Communication Studies helps me analyze how expectations are communicated indirectly through interaction, tone, and feedback. Leadership Development allows me to examine how leaders model behavior and shape culture through their communication and decisions. By combining these disciplines, I aim to examine how leadership communication can either reinforce implicit expectations or create greater clarity and equity within organizations.
The research problem above guided my interdisciplinary inquiry throughout the BIS program and reflects a broader concern with how organizational systems shape equity and institutional effectiveness. By examining implicit expectations through Sociology, Communication Studies, and Leadership Development, I sought to understand how power structures, communication climates, and leadership evaluation practices interact to influence opportunity distribution within organizations.​
This research continues to inform how I approach leadership within higher education environments. By analyzing how unwritten norms are reinforced through communication and authority structures, I have developed a sustained interest in designing transparent evaluation systems, clarifying expectations, and promoting equitable participation within institutional settings.