Steffen R. Giessner

Steffen R. Giessner is a Full Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Change at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM), where he is affiliated with the Department of Organisation and Personnel Management. He holds a visiting researcher position at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business (March–July 2024). His academic background includes an MSc in Psychology from the University of Kent, UK, and a PhD in Psychology from Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany.

• Education: MSc in Psychology (University of Kent), PhD in Psychology (Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena)

Giessner’s research bridges organizational psychology and management, with a focus on leadership dynamics, employee behavior during organizational change, and non-verbal aspects of leadership. He investigates how followers perceive leaders, the antecedents of leader behavior, and how supportive leadership affects employee outcomes during mergers. His recent work also explores leadership loneliness and identity leadership in political contexts.

His recent publications appear in high-impact journals such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management Studies, Leadership Quarterly, and Political Psychology. These works reveal a strong trend toward field-based, interdisciplinary research combining psychological theory with practical management applications. Topics include hubristic pride, social undermining, generative AI and creativity, and civic behavior in political leadership.

Giessner’s scientific contributions have been recognized through media coverage in major outlets including the New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, and Wall Street Journal. He is the author of the book Leading with Presence, which addresses the non-verbal dimension of leadership impact.

• Editorial Roles:
  • Member of Editorial Board, The Leadership Quarterly (2016–present)
  • Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Applied Psychology (2016–present)
  • Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2013–present)
  • Member of Editorial Board, Organizational Psychology Review (2010–present)
  • Former Member, Frontiers in Psychology (2015–2019)

He has contributed to major collaborative research initiatives, notably as a creator of datasets for the Many Labs 2 and Many Labs 5 projects, which focus on replicability in psychological science. Giessner has also engaged in public discourse through press and media contributions on workplace loneliness during the pandemic, collaborating with colleagues to raise awareness about mental health in organizational settings.

There is no indication of advising activities or grant funding in the provided text. No scientific awards are mentioned.