Leadership is at the heart of my research identity. What attracts me to leadership is the seeking of direction as people relate and work together. My research moves away from single instances towards the leadership process across time, conceptualizing the individual as relational being.  In this way, my work explores how participants come together, on the one hand, to define a space for action and, on the other, to achieve action through different ways of relating.

In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, I set out to develop social and psychological understanding of the ways our lives are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. My interest is in identifying the multitude of voices in dialogue with the current crisis; not only as representations of individual opinions but also as portraying cultural norms and worldviews. Examining these voices can shed light into how daily practices have been disrupted, sustained and transformed in the copying with the crisis. From this outlook, my aim is to provide relief from the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, by helping decisions-makers comprehend the worries and troubles of various societal groups, thus informing their interventions accordingly.

Learning is at the core of human existence; inside and outside of a classroom, life is filled with learning experiences. My interest in processes of learning spans throughout an individual’s lifetime, from early childhood to adult education and is guided by the saying of Solon the Athenian “I grow old always learning something new”. In this manner, I regard learning as a way of being; of being constantly inquisitive, reflexive, open-minded and in movement. From here, I focus on two aspects of learning. First is the lived experience of learning, where my desire is to contribute to the quality of education. Second is the inclusive nature of learning, where I seek to create learning environments that promote a synergetic relationship between learner and educator, and that encompass pluralistic values and beliefs. I approach both with a keen interest in the impact of digitalisation on education.

My basic interest is to explore how digitization and technological integration in the workplace transform the ways in which work is organised, conducted and controlled. Following a dialogical approach between the social and the technical, I focus on the interaction between people-organisation-technology across levels of analysis: on the level of the organisation, I address work processes; on the level of the group/collective, I address relational processes such as coordination and conflict management; and on the level of the individual, I address career prospects and struggles. Furthermore, I turn to the ethical and social implications of these transformations, changing established distributions of power in and around organisations. Along these lines, I wish to contribute to the enhancement of work life, bridging dilemmas of work and personal life balance.

The pursuit and practice of professional careers are based on masculinist norms, allowing little room for diversity and improvisation. With my research, I follow critical perspectives and challenge stereotypes in career trajectories, by surfacing struggles and contradictions, confronting power relations and imagining ways of doing work differently. From here, I wish to disrupt dominant discourses, voice hidden narratives, raise awareness about them and foster necessary changes for sustainable career trajectories.

I am passionate about social initiatives, giving rise to collective forms of identity, and I am an enthusiastic supporter of open forums, realizing the sharing economy. Currently, I turn attention to the use of social media and digital technologies in non-profit and community-based initiatives.