Organisation and Personnel Management

Understanding the way people operate is central to the success of any organisation. Managing people requires understanding organisations in their full complexity, thus at several levels of analysis.

Our department produces high-quality research and provides excellent teaching of the management of people in organisations. Our diverse faculty apply micro- and macro-perspectives to understand the dynamics of organisations & their employees, and organisations’ interaction with their environment.

Prof. Steffen R. Giessner, Department Chair

The department covers topics on four levels: those that apply to the individual such as leadership, leader development, power, incentives, and goals; those applying at the team level such as diversity, team processes, hierarchy, and professional identity; those at organisation level such as organisational learning, organisational design, coordination, organisational culture and change, and organisation of work; and topics at the level of the environment such as social, technological, economic changes, and politics.

“These interrelated topics and the increasing complexity of organisations makes it necessary to develop specific as well as integrated knowledge to enable future leaders or teams to manage and collaborate with their employees within and through their organisations,” says Department Chair Prof. Steffen Giessner.

Pioneering new fields

Research within the department of Organisation and Personnel Management has always been a force for positive change, helping people and organisations worldwide to thrive and prosper. Pioneering faculty work at the forefront of human issues such as diversity, organisational change and leadership studies. Working successfully with business cultures that may have very different methods, expectations and models to those in Europe, the UK and North America constitute an important focus.

Business and societal impact

The department’s members work autonomously and together on projects of fundamental research as well as to create solutions for practical business and organisational issues. Sometimes their research has the potential to work for wide geographical areas.

One such initiative from the department of Organisation and Personnel Management is the Erasmus Centre for Leadership, in which colleagues from all of RSM’s departments collaborate. The Centre is a joint effort between this department and the department of Business Society Management. Its aim is to develop leadership within businesses and organisations as well as within society by preparing leaders for organisational and environmental changes such as digitalization, sustainability, and diversity – and by making them agents of positive change. It offers a platform by:

Creating a common value proposition for leadership education at RSM, driven by the current needs of business and underpinned by the latest scientific knowledge;
Enabling business leaders to share their insights and experience with the Centre and to learn from each other;
Providing business partners with expertise and support for leadership development so they can lead their organisations into the digital arena;
Using business and scientific knowledge to provide excellent education to students so they can develop into agents of change;
Develop tools, new procedures and programmes to provide life-long leadership education.

Throughout this department’s numerous projects and Centres of Expertise to which faculty members are linked, new knowledge is created then disseminated on

the academic level through publications in major international journals
through educational programmes and tools, and
via practitioner exchanges and knowledge hubs.

The business impact of our research translates into practical programmes at bachelor and master level, and for graduates with and without working experience. It helps us to prepare them to be critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers.

“Our partnership with business and society begin with the education we provide to everyone, from bachelor students in a three-year programme to executives taking part in three-day programmes from RSM Executive Education,” says Prof. Steffen Giessner. “It’s a very direct way to make a positive impact on business.”

About our research

Education

Bachelor Programme

The department of Organisational and Personnel Management contributes to the curriculum of both the Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration programme as well as the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (in Dutch “Bedrijfskunde”) programme.

Course topics include Human Resource Management and Change Management. In addition to introductory courses, we also offer elective courses and bachelor research projects.

MSc Human Resource Management

The MSc Human Resource Management focuses on the core component of any business organisation; living human beings interacting with one another. A student who wants to meet the business challenges of the future and improve competitive edge through a more creative input of employees and members of his or her company, has to understand what makes people more efficient, effective, creative and community-like.

MSc Organisational Change and Consulting

The MSc Organisational Change and Consulting makes you familiar with classic and not so classic concepts of organisations and theories of organisational change. What is the best formula for change? You will become acquainted with a broad range of theories, explaining organisational realities as social constructions, which are constantly negotiated and renegotiated in daily interactions.

Part-time/evening MSc in Business Administration programme

The two-year part-time/evening programme MSc in Business Administration at RSM Erasmus University is a leading management education, known for its pratical relevance and international orientation. The programma is in Dutch and open for students with a Bachelors or Masters diploma plus several years of practical experience.

Part-time MSc in Management programme

This new master programme is designed for young professionals and ambitious students. The Parttime Master in Management is in Dutch and lectures are on Friday afternoon. This programme is open for students with a Bachelors or Masters diploma. Dutch HBO-students can enter the programme if they follow the (parttime) premaster first.

Research Master in Business and Management

Whether you aspire to an international academic career, or want to do research in the wider world of business, the Research Master in Business and Management provides the ideal preparation. In this exclusive master programme offered by the high-ranking research institute ERIM, a select group of students will be taught by top researchers in management. With no more than 30 students, the two-year programme offers individual supervision, a highly personal approach and the opportunity to pursue your own research interests.

PhD in Management

Talented young researchers get the opportunity to do pioneering and innovative PhD research at ERIM, a top research institute in Europe. In its PhD programme in Management, ERIM offers PhD candidates personal supervision by internationally acclaimed management researchers and excellent research facilities, including a state-of-the-art behavioural lab and advanced survey technology. In addition, a special support programme pays for research expenses like conference visits, international research visits, and data collection. All ERIM’s PhD students are paid a competitive salary and receive career development support.

Research

"Our international faculty members are focused on high-quality and impactful research on the dynamics of the organisational change, of organisations’ interrelationships, and of people within organisations. The department members contribute jointly to this endeavour and address topics in the fields of organisational behaviour, organisation theory, human resource management, cross-cultural management and historical as well as economic perspectives on organisation. As a consequence, our department members contribute fundamental knowledge primarily from the disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, business and economics.”

Prof. Steffen Giessner, Chair Department of Organisation and Personnel Management

Areas of research

Individual level

Keywords :

Individual leadership approaches; Leader development; Negotiation; Incentives; Motivation; Co-ordination; Stereotypes and prejudice at work; Power; Employee adjustment; Careers and transitions

Team level

Keywords :

Team leadership; Leadership development; Ownership; Remuneration; Hierarchy; Resource allocation; Diversity; Inclusiveness; Professional/team Identity; Changes in teams; Adaptive performance

Organisation level

Keywords :

Organisational Learning; Inter-organisational co-operation; Agencies, states, communities; Organisational culture and ideology; Cross-cultural management; Organisational change; Firm boundaries; New ways of work; Organisational forms/ownership; Organisational design; Incentives; Co-ordination; Career paths

Environment level

Keywords :

Social, technological, and economic environment; Power and politics; Inter-sectoral collaboration; Labour markets; Contestation and contested industries; Creativity and the creative sector

Centres, projects and experts

Our faculty members constantly develop high-profile and relevant research; a number of them are also heads of Centres of Expertise or other important initiatives at RSM. Support for their research may come from companies, from EU grants, or other forms of sponsorship.

Erasmus Centre for Leadership
Scientific Director: Dr Hannes Leroy

The Erasmus Centre for Leadership supports RSM’s mission to be a force for positive change in the world. It strives to create a hub of knowledge for state-of-the art research into leadership, to help make sure that research outcomes make their way into RSM’s educational programmes, and to inspire the public to join the debate on leadership.

Erasmus Centre for Cooperatives
Scientific Director: Prof. George Hendrikse

The Erasmus Centre for Co-operatives creates, disseminates, and applies knowledge about cooperatives by blending detailed description, informal theory, formal modelling, and empirical analysis to contribute to co-operative business practice as well as to science.

Erasmus Centre for Human Resource Excellence
Scientific Director: Dr Rebecca Hewett

The Erasmus Centre for Human Resource Excellence is RSM’s centre for researching human resource management. It executes fundamental and applied research into people management, which supports and develops observant, inspired and pragmatic business leaders, enabling them to apply managerial knowledge in a sustainable and respectful way.

Research expertise

Leadership

The Erasmus Centre for Leadership supports RSM’s mission to be a force for positive change in the world. We strive to create a hub of knowledge for state-of-the art research into leadership, to help make sure that research outcomes make their way into RSM’s educational programmes, and to inspire the public to join the debate on leadership.

Related research programme at ERIM

Exploring issues from the micro to the macro level of analysis, the focus of ERIM’s internationally recognised Organisation programme is on the development and testing of fundamental theory in the area of applied organisational research.

Taking the perspective that people shape the internal organisation of companies, help define the relationships organisations have with their stakeholders and society at large, and are crucial to successful, ethical, and sustainable organisational performance, these aspects are at the very heart of the Organisation programme’s activities, which takes a behavioural approach towards most research questions.

Publications

2023

Hendrikse, G., Cliquet, G., Hajdini, I., Raha, A., & Windsperger, J. (2023). Networks in International Business Managing Cooperatives, Franchises and Alliances. Springer-Verlag.
Wei, A., & Hendrikse, G. (2023). Cognition and Incentives in Cooperatives. In G. Hendrikse, G. Cliquet, I. Hajdini, A. Raha, & J. Windsperger (Eds.), Cognition and Incentives in Cooperatives (pp. 43-62)
Hendrikse, G., & Nilsson, J. (2023). Board Structure Variety in Cooperatives. In G. Hendrikse, G. Cliquet, I. Hajdini, A. Raha, & J. Windsperger (Eds.), Board Structure Variety in Cooperatives (pp. 13-23). Springer-Verlag.
Hendrikse, G., Cliquet, G., Hajdini, I., Raha, A., & Windsperger, J. (2023). Managing Cooperatives, Franchises, and Alliances in International Business. In G. Hendrikse, G. Cliquet, I. Hajdini, A. Raha, & J. Windsperger (Eds.), Managing Cooperatives, Franchises, and Alliances in International Business (pp. 1-9). Springer-Verlag.
Deng, W., & Hendrikse, G. (2023). On the Evolution of Product Portfolio of Cooperatives versus IOFs: An Agent-Based Analysis of the Single Origin Constraint. In G. Hendrikse, G. Cliquet, I. Hajdini, A. Raha, & J. Windsperger (Eds.), On the Evolution of Product Portfolio of Cooperatives versus IOFs: An Agent-Based Analysis of the Single Origin Constraint (pp. 25-42).
Vongswasdi, P., Leroy, H., Shemla, M., Hoever, I., & Khattab, J. (2023). Influencing diversity beliefs through a personal testimonial, promotion-focused approach. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 44(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2664
Hoever, I., & Zhou, J. (2023). Understanding the dynamic interplay between actor and context for creativity: Progress and Desirable Directions. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 109-135. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-055457
Hewett, R. (2023). Dissonance, reflection and reframing: Unpacking the black box of motivation internalization. Journal of Management Studies, 60(2), 285-312. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12878

2022

Sahlmuller, B. (Author), van Knippenberg, D. (Author), van Quaquebeke, N. (Author), & Giessner, S. (Author). (2022). Two in the lead: The importance of relationships when there are two bosses. Web publication/site, California Management Review Insights. https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2022/09/two-in-the-lead-the-importance-of-relationships-when-there-are-two-bosses/
Waltré, E. (2022). Leading for Performance in Adversity: Managing Failure, Negative Emotions, and Self-Threats. [Doctoral Thesis, Erasmus University Rotterdam]. Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR).
van der Giessen, M. (2022). Co-creating Safety and Security: Essays on bridging disparate needs and requirements to foster safety and security. [Doctoral Thesis, Erasmus University Rotterdam]. Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR).
Alkema, J. (2022). Ready, set, go(al)! New Directions in Goal-Setting Research. [Doctoral Thesis, Erasmus University Rotterdam]. Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR).
Simons, T., Leroy, H., & Nishii, L. (2022). Revisiting Behavioral Integrity: Progress and New Directions after 20 Years. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9, 365-389. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-062016
Rodríguez‑Carvajal, R., Herrero, M., van Dierendonck, D., de Rivas, S., & Moreno‑Jiménez, B. (2022). Correction to: Servant Leadership and Goal Attainment Through Meaningful Life and Vitality: A Diary Study: Servant Leadership and Goal Attainment Through Meaningful Life and Vitality: A Diary Study (Journal of Happiness Studies, (2019), 20, 2, (499-521), 10.1007/s10902-017-9954-y). Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(3), 1313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00432-y
Zhang, J. W., Howell, R. T., Chen, S., Goold, A. R., Bilgin, B., Chai, W. J., & Ramis, T. (2022). ‘I have high self-compassion’: A face-valid single-item self-compassion scale for resource-limited research contexts. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 29(4), 1463-1474. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2714
Wong, S. I., Berntzen, M., Warner-Søderholm, G., & Giessner, S. R. (2022). The negative impact of individual perceived isolation in distributed teams and its possible remedies. Human Resource Management Journal, 32(4), 906-927. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12447
Wechtler, H. M., Lee, C. I. S. G., Heyden, M. L. M., Felps, WA., & Lee, T. W. (2022). The Nonlinear Relationship Between Atypical Applicant Experience and Hiring: The Red Flags Perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(5), 776-794. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000953
Sergeeva, A., Bhardwaj, A., & Dimov, D. (2022). Mutable reality and unknowable future: Revealing the broader potential of pragmatism. Academy of Management Review, 47(4), 692-696. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2021.0488
Sahlmueller, B., Van Quaquebeke, N., Giessner, S. R., & van Knippenberg, D. (2022). Dual Leadership in the Matrix: Effects of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and Dual-Leader Exchange (DLX) on Role Conflict and Dual Leadership Effectiveness. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 29(3), 270-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/15480518221096547
Rutishauser, L., & Giessner, S. (2022). Dynamic perspective of leader-member exchange and empowerment-enhancing practices in organizational change. Die Unternehmung - Swiss Journal of Business Research and Practice, 76(4), 492-510. https://doi.org/10.5771/0042-059x-2022-4-492
Ruesch, L., Tarakci, M., Besiou, M., & Van Quaquebeke, N. (2022). Orchestrating coordination among humanitarian organizations. Production and Operations Management, 31(5), 1977-1996. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13660, https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13660
Reh, S., Van Quaquebeke, N., Tröster, C., & Giessner, S. R. (2022). When and why does status threat at work bring out the best and the worst in us? A temporal social comparison theory. Organizational Psychology Review, 12(3), 241-267. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866221100200
Miedtank, T. (2022). Suddenly I Felt Like a Migrant: Identity and Mobility Threats Facing European Self-Initiated Expatriates in the UK under Brexit. Academy of Management Discoveries. https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2020.0162
Mell, J. N., van Knippenberg, D., van Ginkel, W. P., & Heugens, P. P. M. A. R. (2022). From Boundary Spanning to Intergroup Knowledge Integration: The Role of Boundary Spanners’ Metaknowledge and Proactivity. Journal of Management Studies, 59(7), 1723-1755. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12797
Manouchehrabadi, B., Letizia, P., & Hendrikse, G. (2022). Democratic versus elite governance for project selection decisions in executive committees. European Journal of Operational Research, 297(3), 1126-1138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2021.06.038
Li, J., Liao, Z., Quaedvlieg, R., & Li, J. (2022). Conditional Superior Predictive Ability. Review of Economic Studies, 89(2), 843-875. https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdab039
Leroy, H., Buengeler, C., Veestraeten, M., Shemla, M., & J. Hoever, I. (2022). Fostering Team Creativity Through Team-Focused Inclusion: The Role of Leader Harvesting the Benefits of Diversity and Cultivating Value-In-Diversity Beliefs. Group and Organization Management, 47(4), 798-839. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011211009683
Leroy, H. L., Anisman-Razin, M., Avolio, B. J., Bresman, H., Stuart Bunderson, J., Burris, E. R., Claeys, J., Detert, J. R., Dragoni, L., Giessner, S. R., Kniffin, K. M., Kolditz, T., Petriglieri, G., Pettit, N. C., Sitkin, S. B., Van Quaquebeke, N., & Vongswasdi, P. (2022). Walking Our Evidence-Based Talk: The Case of Leadership Development in Business Schools. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 29(1), 5-32. https://doi.org/10.1177/15480518211062563
Kowalzick, M., & Appels, M. (2022). To Change or Not to Change? Evidence on the Steadiness of More Hubristic CEOs. Journal of Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221104398
Kanitz, R., Gonzalez, K., Berger, S., Reinwald, M., Huettermann, H., & Franczak, J. (2022). Am I the Only One? Consequences of Change Championing (A)symmetry on Group- and Individual-Level Change Outcomes. Journal of Organizational Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2683
Hirschi, A., von Allmen, N., Burmeister, A., & Zacher, H. (2022). Action Regulation at the Work–Family Interface: Nomological Network and Work–Family Consequences. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(2), 369-387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-021-09751-6
Gochmann, V., Stam, D., & Shemla, M. (2022). The boundaries of vision communication—The effects of vision-task goal-alignment on leaders' effectiveness. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 52(5), 263-276. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12855
Gochmann, V., Stam, D., & Shemla, M. (2022). The boundaries of vision communication—The effects of vision-task goal-alignment on leaders' effectiveness. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 52(5), 263-276. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12855
Giessner, S., Dawson, J. F., Horton, K. E., & West, M. (2022). The Impact of Supportive Leadership on Employee Outcomes During Organizational Mergers: An Organizational-Level Field Study. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001042, https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001042
Du, H., Li, J., Yang, W., Bos, D., Zheng, L., Wong, L. K. S., Leung, T. W., & Chen, X. (2022). Intracranial Arterial Calcification and Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Close but Different. Frontiers in Neurology, 13, [799429]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.799429
Derfler-Rozin, R., Isaakyan, S., & Park, H. (2022). Swiftly judging whom to bring on board: How person perception (accurate or not) influences selection of prospective team members. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 173, [104206]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2022.104206
Bracht, E. M., Monzani, L., Boer, D., Haslam, S. A., Kerschreiter, R., Lemoine, J. E., Steffens, N. K., Akfirat, S. A., Avanzi, L., Barghi, B., Dumont, K., Edelmann, C. M., Epitropaki, O., Fransen, K., Giessner, S., Gleibs, I. H., González, R., Laguía González, A., Lipponen, J., ... van Dick, R. (2022). Innovation across cultures: Connecting leadership, identification, and creative behavior in organizations. Applied Psychology, 72(1), 348-388. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12381
Bhardwaj, A., & Sergeeva, A. (2022). Values-based Trust as a Shift Parameter for Collective Organizing: The Case of Magnum Photos. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12820
Appels, M. (2022). CEO Sociopolitical Activism as a Signal of Authentic Leadership to Prospective Employees. Journal of Management, 0. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221110207
Sergeeva, A. (2022). Interplay Between Organisational Culture and Strategy: The Case of Magnum Photos (1947-1996). RSM Case Development Centre. https://www.thecasecentre.org/products/view?id=184563

Faculty

Our international faculty members are focused on high-quality and impactful research on the dynamics of the organisational change, of organisations’ interrelationships, and of people within organisations. Find out who they are here.