Anja Van den Broeck

Dr. Anja Van den Broeck is an Associate Professor at the Department of Work and Organization Studies within KU Leuven's Faculty of Economics and Business (Campus Brussels). She earned her Ph.D. in Work and Motivational Psychology from KU Leuven in 2010, with her doctoral research focused on the Job Demands-Resources Model and Self-Determination Theory. Her academic trajectory includes positions as lecturer at University College Brussels (2010) and Assistant Professor at KU Leuven (2014) before her promotion to Associate Professor in 2016.

Her research examines how work design impacts employee motivation, well-being, and performance. Core interests include:

• Self-Determination Theory applications in workplace contexts
• Job characteristics and psychosocial aspects of work
• Employee engagement, burnout, and sustainable careers
• Organizational design during technological and societal shifts (e.g., COVID-19, robotization)

Her publications frequently appear in premier journals like Academy of Management Annals and Journal of Management, with research cited over 7,987 times (H-index: 36).

Honors include:

• 2017 Top Article in Journal of Management
• 2018 Publons Best Reviewer Award (Psychology)
• 2014 Academy of Management Best Reviewer Award
• 2008 Schelstraete & Desmedt HR Award

She secured €1.5 million in research grants (FWO, BOF, Vlir-Uos) and has supervised 14 PhD students (8 completed, 6 ongoing). She maintains global collaborations with scholars from Michigan State, University of Western Australia, and Erasmus University.

Her service includes membership in KU Leuven's campus council, contributions to prevention advisor training programs, and development of open-source tools for HR practices (langerwerken.be, kankerenwerk.be). She regularly advises organizations like Fortis Colruyt and governmental bodies on evidence-based work design.