About me

Hello! Welcome to my personal website. My name is JJ, it’s nice to e-meet you!

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Organizational Design and Behavior at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business. My research focuses on the intersection of organizational design, ways of working, and employee behavior. I am especially interested in how people can prosper at work and how organizations can align human flourishing with organizational success.

The central question that motivates my research is how we can improve organizations for the sake of employees and, consequently, drive organizational success. Theoretically, I study these problems through lenses of organizational design and organizational behavior at the organizational, group and individual levels. Therefore, my research portfolio revolves around the relationships between organizational design and behavior. I investigate how the organizations we create shape the behavior of people within them and vice versa. For my PhD, I study how the decentralization of organizational structures impacts workers, focusing on; (1) negative outcomes of high worker autonomy, (2) founder ideologies for self-management, (3) strategic exploration and exploitation by workers self-managing organizations, and (4) the relationship between performance management and hierarchies. Beyond my doctoral research, I am involved in a range of research projects all focusing on the problems for workers in organization studying decentralization, feedback, leadership, and research impact.

I am passionate about ensuring that research generates not only academic contributions but also practical impact. As co-founder of People & self-managing organizations-PASMO and a team member of Headquarters in Austria-HiA, I work closely with organizations and practitioners to co-create knowledge and develop insights that support new ways of working. I also teach courses on organizational design and consultancy at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, equipping future leaders with the tools to design more effective and humane workplaces.

Previously, I was a visiting researcher at the Rotterdam School of Management and INSEAD, and I worked as a research assistant at the Rotterdam School of Management, where I also earned my Master of Science in Human Resource Management, graduating with distinction and receiving the HRM Thesis of the Year Award in 2022. Prior to my academic career, I completed the International Management double degree at Avans University of Applied Sciences and NEOMA Business School in Reims. From 2011 to 2020, I worked in industry in roles ranging from frontline employee to middle manager and HR specialist, gaining international experience in the Netherlands, Malta, Bulgaria, France, and Belgium.

For all other web and media, see: Julian Jonathan Markus