Frederik Anseel

Professor and Senior Deputy Dean (Academic)

School of Management & Governance - PhD, Organisational Psychology | M.A Organisational Psychology | B.A Psychology

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I'm a Professor of Management and Senior Deputy Dean (Research & Enterprise) at UNSW Business School, Sydney. Previously, I was Vice-Dean Research at King's College London, Head of Department at Ghent University (Belgium) and I held visiting positions at ESSEC Business School (France), Bocconi University (Italy) and University of Groningen (The Netherlands). I currently serve as the President of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology and am an elected Fellow of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP).

I study the motivational micro-foundations of why and how people contribute to organizational success. Recent work focuses on how individuals can overcome motivational obstacles during the innovation and entrepreneurial process to “keep their fire burning”. My research has been published in leading journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Research Policy, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes and Psychological Science. My work has also been featured in media such as Harvard Business Review, BBC, Science, Nature, Psychology Today, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and The Guardian.

Apart from my work in academia, I have several years of industry experience by founding and managing two consulting firms, including one university spin-off, The Vigor Unit. Through keynotes, executive education and consultancy, I contributed to leadership development and performance management initiatives in a variety of industries such as banking, healthcare, consulting, government, energy management, and manufacturing. I have worked with executives in some of the leading business capitals in the world (London, Milan, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Sydney). Consulting clients include Ageas, AG Insurance, Ahold, KBC, BNP Paribas, Deloitte, KPMG, RICS, Gallup, Econocom, Engie, Philips, Volvo, VPK Packaging Group.

From This Author

Why the ability to write well is the most underrated skill

Artificial intelligence will not spell the end of writing skills; rather, the career advantage for the gifted writer only increases, writes UNSW Business School's Frederik Anseel

Why it’s so important to make people feel like they matter

With the shift to hybrid work, people have become alienated from their work because they feel anonymous and invisible, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

What's behind the rise and return of the middle manager?

It’s time to re-evaluate the middle manager because the empirical evidence for their added value is overwhelming, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

Why it’s unwise to make long-term labour market forecasts

Pundits make long-term forecasts about global labour market trends at their own peril, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

Does ‘quiet quitting’ really deserve our attention?

The trend of 'quiet quitting' probably hasn’t much substance, but its media popularity suggests it captures the zeitgeist, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

Does nudging really work? Let's look at the evidence.

The effects of nudging are probably much smaller and more situational than is often claimed, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

Behavioural economics: how nudge turned into sludge

Is it ill-will, arrogance or just incompetence? Sludge – the reverse of nudge – is everywhere, writes UNSW Business School's Frederik Anseel

Why learning ability is the skill that trumps all other skills

Businesses need to change how they approach skills in order to recruit or develop the talent they need, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

What’s really behind the sputtering supply of talent?

If every country faces the same record tight labor market, then local policy failure may not be the cause, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

How to successfully onboard new hires in the world of hybrid work

A new job sounds tempting. But in a hybrid world, starting over is damn hard, writes UNSW Business School’s Frederik Anseel

How did COVID really impact the mental health of CEOs? (part 2)

With COVID-19 still causing significant levels of disruption, CEOs need to look after their own mental health – and board directors should play an important role in the process

How did COVID really impact the mental health of CEOs? (part 1)

Many CEOs have struggled with mental health issues through COVID-19, and they need additional skills to lead themselves and their organisations safely into the future

Three useful things to know about mentally healthy workplaces 

Prevention is a crucial aspect of addressing mental health in the workplace, and it starts with organisational culture, says UNSW Business School's Frederik Anseel

The Business of Mental Health

Evidence of the physical toll of COVID-19 is everywhere. Illness, isolation and loss of income are just some of the examples of how we have been impacted by COVID-19

Lucy Brogden on how leaders can support their own mental health

Frederik Anseel, Professor of Management and Senior Deputy Dean (Research & Enterprise) at UNSW Business School, interviews Lucinda Brogden, National Mental Health Commission Chair and Commissioner, about the importance of leaders looking after their own mental health

Lucinda Brogden: how leaders can improve workplace mental health

As Australia adapts to living with COVID-19, leaders must move away from yoga and fruit bowls and focus on job design to genuinely support workplace mental health, says National Mental Health Commission Chair Lucinda Brogden

Do individualised work arrangements benefit firms? Yes, but not without strong HR practices

Individualised work arrangements will not only persuade individuals to come and work for an employer, but will also lead to better firm performance, writes UNSW Business School's Frederik Anseel

Behind Macquarie Telecom Group's industry-leading net promoter score

Frederik Anseel, Professor of Management and Associate Dean Research for UNSW Business School, interviews David Tudehope, co-founder and CEO at Macquarie Telecom, about the company's industry-leading NPS and award-winning customer engagement strategy

How has COVID changed the way we should collaborate and innovate?

Organisations need to adopt a specific approach to hybrid working in order to improve collaboration, communication, productivity and innovation

Are hybrid work models good for diversity and inclusion? Not necessarily

A hybrid work model isn’t automatically better for the purposes of diversity and inclusion. That's up to management to determine, say UNSW Business School academics

What was the real impact of COVID-19 on our mental health?

A new research review suggests people’s psychological immune system is strong enough to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

How Macquarie Telecom Group creates the world's best customer experience

David Tudehope, co-founder and CEO at Macquarie Telecom Group, says a completely transparent and brutally honest approach to customer service has been critical to its industry-leading net promoter scores and award-winning customer experience

How investors and entrepreneurs can successfully play the forecasting game

Entrepreneurs are not the naïve dreamers that investors assume them to be, according to new research which has important implications for both entrepreneurs and venture capitalists

How COVID-19 could accelerate the rise of smart cities

The dramatic changes to the workforce brought about by organisational responses to COVID-19 will likely accelerate the shift to smart cities, according to UNSW Sydney

How big tech companies are adapting their workforces for the future

There are a number of important lessons for leaders who are looking to maximise productivity and engagement with employees who work from home in the long-term

Four essential elements for higher education's future success

COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of continued education – researchers and business must now work together to embrace the opportunities the pandemic presents and generate growth for the future

Six important ways COVID-19 has changed the workplace for good

A new study sheds light on exactly how workplaces are changing during COVID-19, and the steps business leaders can take to ensure employees adapt effectively

How can organisations improve employees' psychological safety?

Employees' psychological safety is under threat in times of crisis such as COVID-19, but there are steps leaders can take to help their employees feel safe again, according to UNSW Business School's Professor Frederik Anseel

Rebuilding psychological safety in the workplace post-coronavirus

Employee mental health and organisational outcomes are at risk but there are steps business leaders can take to reinforce psychological safety in the workplace, according to UNSW Business School's Frederik Anseel

Coronavirus mental health crisis: 5 ways leaders can help

There are five ways business leaders can help those struggling with mental health through the coronavirus pandemic, according to UNSW Business School experts

How can leaders improve employee wellbeing through a crisis?

There are a number of ways business leaders can help improve psychological resilience and employee wellbeing post-coronavirus, according to Professor Frederik Anseel, Associate Dean of Research at UNSW Business School

4 ways to improve employee wellbeing post-coronavirus

Business leaders should do these four things to help improve psychological resilience and employee wellbeing post-coronavirus, according to UNSW Business School

5 keys to working from home effectively through coronavirus

Maintaining productivity, health and wellbeing during the coronavirus lockdown has been a tricky task for many, but past research into adapting positively to working from home offers some reassurance, according to UNSW remote working experts

3 lessons from the GFC in how to lead through the coronavirus crisis

There are three lessons to be learned from the GFC that will help leaders in managing through the coronavirus crisis, according to a UNSW Business School expert.

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