Projects I Lead (PI/co-PI)
CALM: Cognitive Assistance for Lowering Mental Load (2026- )
Primary Investigators: Gozde Corekcioglu, Yusuf Kulu, Berkay Ozcan, Ernesto Reuben
Funded by: Ozyegin University Social Impact Seed Grant Program
Cognitive Assistance for Lowering Mental Load proposes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that investigates whether guided AI use can meaningfully reduce the invisible mental load associated with household and care responsibilities; and whether such reductions improve workplace well-being, productivity, mental health, and family dynamics among white-collar employees. The project develops and pilots a specialized GPT-based assistant designed to help individuals offload cognitive tasks such as weekly menu planning, household coordination, activity planner, care scheduling, gift selection, and routine reminder management.
Domestic Labor and Mental Load among White-Collars (2024-2026)
Project Leader: Gozde Corekcioglu
Project Coordinator: Oguz Can Ok
Funded by: Fiba Group
This report analyzes the effects of domestic unpaid care work and mental load on white-collar workers and examines the cost of such responsibilities to individuals and institutions. The research was conducted by Özyeğin University in two phases. In the first phase, the results of face-to-face interviews with 524 white-collar employees in three major cities were evaluated, while in the second phase, a more comprehensive data set was created with 2,104 face-to-face participants in 11 cities. The project also involves a randomized information intervention, which has been registered at the AEA Registry: AEARCTR-0015092.
Improving Workplace Climate: A Randomized Intervention on Large Corporations (2019-2023)
Primary Investigators: Sule Alan, Gozde Corekcioglu, Matthias Sutter
Funded by: Max Planck Institute
We are conducting large scale fieldwork to i) measure, ii) transform, and iii) monitor corporate climate using a randomized controlled setting, involving large corporations operating in defense, finance, chemicals, construction, energy and textile sectors. The study has an important gender angle related to female leadership. Evaluation results are coming soon. The trial has been registered at the AEA Registry: AEARCTR-0007532.
Projects I Contribute To (Researcher/Collaborator)
Equifirm: Challenges to Shaping an Inclusive Work-life in Rapidly Changing Labour Markets: Firms, Human Capital, and Family Policy (2021-2027)
Project Leader: Astrid Kunze
Collaborators: Gozde Corekcioglu, Mette Ejrnæs, Marco Francesconi, Christina Gathmann, Giorgia Conte, Antoine Bertheau
Funded by: Norwegian Research Council VAM
Why are women still underrepresented in top positions, despite the fact that women have reached high education levels and labour market participation? How do careers and strategic human capital, job assignment and work organisation in firms impact gender inequalities? Do governmental policies alter wages and careers in firms? The NFR project EquiFirm aims to provide new insights on these questions of primary interest to academics, politicians, and business by analysing them from the lens of the firm.
To answer these questions EquiFirm will develop new measures of human capital development and careers within firms taking account of the organisation structure internal to firms. These are then combined with natural experiments through public policy changes, such as social and family policies. To derive quantitative results, EquiFirm will build a high-quality administrative register database of merged information on firms and workers. Combining new insights in human capital, natural experiments and high-quality data, EquiFirm aims to unfold a detailed picture of adjustments within firms. These include adjustments related to input factors to production, firm entries and closures, organisation and management as well as effects on individual labour market outcomes. Finally, EquiFirm intends to expand our understanding of the cost-effectiveness of public policies and their effects on social equality from the firm perspective. EquiFirm combines methods and interdisciplinary perspectives from economics, sociology, psychology, organization theory and finance.
Perceptions and Experiences of Workplace Violence and Harassment (2024)
Project Manager: Canan Sumer
Researchers: Alper Acik, Alpkan Birelma, Gozde Corekcioglu, Cansu Demir, Senem Timuroglu, Yonca Toker Gultas, Ozge Yücel Dericiler
Project Coordinator: Oguz Can Ok
Funded by: International Labor Organization (ILO)
The research project “Women’s and Men’s Perceptions and Experiences of Violence and Harassment at Work” led by Prof. Canan Sümer, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Özyeğin University, has been awarded a $161,500 grant from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The research will be conducted between March and October 2024 by a research team led by Özyeğin University. The project involves a household survey to be conducted in Istanbul with a sample size of 3,000 individuals. The survey is intended to examine the types and frequency of workplace violence and harassment experienced by women and men, attitudes of employers towards these situations, and coping strategies. Covering a broad spectrum of subjects in particular physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence and harassment, the research aims to both reveal the current situation and guide the development of preventive programs and policies.