The Meritocracy Paradox: Where Talent Management Strategies Go Wrong and How to Fix Them

Join us for lunch and an engaging fireside chat with Professor Emilio J. Castilla, the NTU Professor of Management at MIT Sloan and co-director of the Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER). A leading expert on workplace inequality, people analytics, and talent management systems design, Professor Castilla has spent his career uncovering a striking paradox: well-intentioned efforts to build "meritocratic" organizations can backfire, creating hidden risks for leaders and firms.   

 

**The first 20 students to arrive will receive a signed copy of the book.**

 

During the chat, Emilio will share insights from his personal journey and discuss his groundbreaking research, offering a preview of his new book, The Meritocracy Paradox: Where Talent Management Strategies Go Wrong and How to Fix Them (Columbia University Press, 2025). In this conversation, he'll explore the organizational blind spots that undermine performance and share practical, evidence-based frameworks that MBA students can apply as future leaders to align human capital strategies with practices that unlock growth, innovation, and trust for all.    

 

This is an invaluable opportunity to learn from a scholar whose work is reshaping how organizations approach equity and excellence.    

 

This event is sponsored by IWER, SLO, Teaching & Learning, and co-hosted with MIT Sloan clubs: P&O, HBC, and the Senate DEI committee. 

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Co-hosted with: Hispanic Business Club, People and Organizations Club, Sloan Senate, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER), Office of Teaching and Learning

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