Kyle Dobson studies how we form authentic connections at work.  Dobson's research examines how organizations often devalue employees’ authenticity to ensure conformity and reduce conflict at the cost of inclusion, engagement, commitment, and performance—in settings from police departments to schools.

Dobson takes an interdisciplinary approach to organizational studies, focusing primarily on occupations where employees put their well-being at risk in service to others. His work has focused on police departments but has expanded to schools and other organizations. In his collaborations with the Chicago Police Department, and the Evanston, University of Texas, and Northwestern Police Departments, he studies how police view themselves and how this affects the way they connect with others in and out of the uniform. In his work with schools and other organizations, Dobson studies how teachers and other leaders can create supportive environments that encourage people to bring who they are into these contexts.