Michael Josef Burtscher

PD Dr. Michael Josef Burtscher serves as Co-Leader of the Center for Organizational Behavior at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) within the Department of Applied Psychology. His academic roles include coordinating the doctoral program in "Applied Psychological and Communication Sciences" and teaching methodology, diagnostics, and team psychology across degree and continuing education programs.

His educational background features a Psychology Diploma from University of Trier (2006), PhD in Work and Organizational Psychology from ETH Zurich (2010), and Habilitation (Venia Legendi) from University of Zurich (2019). Additional qualifications include CAS Higher Education Didactics (2018) and upcoming CAS Leadership & Governance in Higher Education (2025).

Burtscher's research centers on team dynamics in high-stakes environments, examining leadership effects on team innovation, occupational stress in surgical settings, and voice behavior in healthcare. His work bridges psychological theory with practical applications through digital diagnostics and coaching tools, particularly focusing on resource-oriented interventions for stress reduction.

Publication trends (2020-2025) reveal concentrated investigation into healthcare team performance (especially robot-assisted surgery), systematic analysis of coaching behaviors, and incentive structures in scientific collaboration. His work consistently applies observational and multi-modal assessment methods to real-world organizational challenges.

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

As coordinator of ZHAW's doctoral program, Burtscher supervises PhD candidates in applied psychological sciences. His externally funded projects include the ongoing "Participatory Design of Resource-Oriented Self-Help Application" and "Multi-Modal Online Assessment for Co-Leadership Development," alongside completed initiatives like the Zurich Team Diagnostics Inventory and digital HR tools for SMEs.

Burtscher operates within ZHAW's Center for Organizational Behavior, collaborating with healthcare institutions on surgical team research and industry partners on digital assessment solutions. His network includes INGRoup, Swiss Psychological Society, and editorial roles at Swiss Psychology Open.