Henrico van Roekel

Dr. Henrico van Roekel serves as an Assistant Professor at the Utrecht University School of Governance (USG), within the Public Governance and Management department of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance. His research focuses on applying behavioral science to public administration challenges, with particular expertise in leadership dynamics, employee well-being, and behavioral interventions in organizational settings. Committed to Open Science principles, his work has been published in leading journals including Public Management Review, Applied Psychology, and Leadership, and has received media coverage in outlets such as Behavioral Scientist, NRC, and BNR Nieuwsradio.

Van Roekel's research expertise spans Behavioral Public Administration, Leadership, Well-Being, Behavioral Interventions, Experimental Research, and Open Science methodologies. His work primarily investigates the Future of Work, examining how behavioral insights can improve leadership practices and organizational effectiveness, particularly in healthcare contexts. He has conducted numerous experimental studies on nudges, shared leadership, and well-being interventions, with a distinctive focus on autonomy-preserving approaches that maintain employee agency while improving outcomes. His research often bridges academic theory with practical applications for public sector organizations.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory of high-impact research, with recent articles showing increasing influence in both academic and policy circles. The thematic progression reveals a deepening focus on healthcare settings, crisis leadership (particularly during the pandemic), and the intersection of behavioral science with public administration. His methodological approach combines survey experiments, quasi-field experiments, and text mining techniques to generate robust evidence for organizational interventions.

• Board member of the Dutch Association for Public Administration
• Member of the selection committee for Government Organization of the Year
• Member of the Organizing Committee of the International Behavioural Public Policy Conference (IBPPC) 2025 in London

Van Roekel regularly provides expert commentary through media appearances and delivers guest lectures on behavioral science applications, leadership, and well-being measurement. His research has practical implications for public sector organizations seeking to improve employee well-being and organizational effectiveness through evidence-based interventions. He maintains active collaborations with researchers across institutions, including notable work with Tummers, Schott, Bakker, and Giurge on behavioral interventions in public organizations.