Michaela Knecht

Prof. Dr. Michaela Knecht serves as Co-Director of the Institute for Mental and Organizational Health and Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), School of Applied Psychology. She also directs the CAS Basic Knowledge Psychology program and teaches across multiple domains including apprenticeship training and supervision of Bachelor's and Master's theses.

Dr. Knecht earned her doctorate in Psychology from ETH Zurich (2008-2011) following psychology studies at the University of Zurich (1996-2004). Her academic journey includes research positions at the University of Zurich's Institute of Psychology (2011-2016) and Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (2006-2011) before joining FHNW as a Research Associate (2016-2022) and subsequently becoming Professor (since 2022).

Her research focuses on critical intersections between work and well-being, examining how individuals navigate multiple life domains, manage exhaustion and recovery processes, and respond to indirect control mechanisms in organizations. She has developed significant measurement tools including questionnaires for work-related self-care (SESO), interested self-endangerment (ISG), and indirect performance control quality (ILSO).

Dr. Knecht's recent publications reveal a strong trajectory toward practical applications of psychological research in organizational settings, with increasing emphasis on health-promoting routines in accelerated work environments and sustainable performance management.

• Co-Director, Institute for Mental and Organizational Health
• Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology (since 2022)
• Research Associate at FHNW (2016-2022)
• Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Zurich (2011-2016)

Her work bridges academic research with practical organizational applications, addressing contemporary challenges in workplace psychology amid digital transformation and evolving work forms that present both opportunities and challenges for mental and organizational health.