Marie-Michelle Gouin

Marie-Michelle Gouin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management and Human Resource Management at the School of Management, University of Sherbrooke, where she has been employed since 2017, initially as an Assistant Professor and promoted to Associate Professor in 2022. She also serves as Scientific Director since 2023. Her academic career includes teaching positions at Université Laval from 2008-2016 as both a teaching assistant and course instructor.

Dr. Gouin's educational background includes:

• Postdoctoral training at CAPRIT (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences), University of Sherbrooke (2017)
• PhD in Industrial Relations, Laval University (2015)
• Master's equivalent in Industrial Relations, Laval University (2011)
• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Laval University (2007)

Her research focuses on occupational health and safety, workplace relations and conflicts, and particularly on return-to-work processes following work disability. Dr. Gouin examines the psychosocial aspects of workplace reintegration, collective decision-making among stakeholders, and negotiations during rehabilitation processes. Her work often addresses the challenges faced by workers with musculoskeletal disorders, mental health conditions, and cancer survivors as they navigate the complex return-to-work journey. She employs qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to understand how different stakeholders—including workers, clinicians, employers, and insurance representatives—interact and negotiate during rehabilitation processes.

Analysis of Dr. Gouin's recent publications reveals a strong focus on return-to-work processes across various contexts. Her research spans occupational health, rehabilitation psychology, and human resource management, with particular attention to stakeholder negotiations, trust-building, and decision-making frameworks. She has developed significant expertise in breast cancer survivorship in the workplace, technostress among legal professionals, and the challenges faced by aging workers with disabilities. Her methodological approach often involves co-design methodologies, scoping reviews, and qualitative interpretive descriptions that bridge theoretical frameworks with practical workplace applications.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized through numerous awards:

• Recognition of Teaching Quality - Individual Component (2024)
• Letter of Congratulations - Exceptional Teaching Results (SST302) (2024)
• Letter of Congratulations from First Cycle Management for Course GRH121 (2020)
• Recognition Letter from Second Cycle Management for Excellence in Teaching Evaluations in SST803 (2018)
• Postdoctoral Training Scholarship from IRSST (2017)
• Multiple Excellence Scholarships in Industrial Relations from Laval University (2008-2013)

Dr. Gouin has secured substantial research funding as principal or co-investigator on multiple projects, totaling over $1 million in grants. Her current research focuses on evaluating cost-benefit tools for workplace accommodations, telework as accommodation for mental health conditions, and supporting the return-to-work of breast cancer survivors. She collaborates extensively with the IRSST, FRQS, and SSHRC, and has developed strong partnerships with legal professional organizations to study psychological distress among Canadian legal professionals. As Scientific Director, she leads the Centre Lemaire in responsible management practices, guiding research initiatives that bridge academic scholarship with practical workplace applications.

She is actively involved in knowledge translation, developing practical tools and resources for workplace implementation, including a strategic decision-making program for return-to-work negotiations and a guide for migrating courses to distance education formats.