Research Areas
The Junior Professorship’s research programme focuses on the overall topic of ‘Designing virtual work’ and examines two core areas, which partly overlap:
Communication and Teamwork
In this research focus area, the following questions, among others, are explored:
- How are information and communication technologies changing our interactions with others?
- What challenges do we face in virtual meetings?
- How can we feel connected and a sense of belonging in the digital space?
- How can we best capture and analyse group dynamic processes?
Research projects on this topic:
Verhaltensbasiertes Feedback in virtuellen Meetings. Projektförderung durch die Theo und Friedl Schöller-Stiftung (Laufzeit: seit Juni 2024). http://www.schoeller-forschungszentrum.de/fellows/
Stärkung von Verbundenheit und Zugehörigkeit im digitalen Engagement. Projektförderung durch die Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt (Laufzeit: März 2022 – Juli 2023). https://www.ewi-psy.fu-berlin.de/psychologie/arbeitsbereiche/orgpsych/Forschung/dsee-forschungsprojekt/index.html
Work design and communication in virtual teams. Projektförderung durch den Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienst in Kooperation mit dem Center for Transformative Work Design, Perth, Australien (Laufzeit: Januar – Dezember 2018). https://www.transformativeworkdesign.com/work-design-virtuality
Selected publications on this topic:
Handke, L., Costa, P., & Feitosa, J. (2024). How Virtual are We? Introducing the Team Perceived Virtuality Scale. Journal of Business and Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-024-09966-3
Handke, L., & Wesche, J. S. (2024). Virtuelle Teamarbeit: Was sie kennzeichnet, wie sie wirkt und wie man sie gestaltet. Psychologische Rundschau. https://doi.org/10.1026/0033-3042/a000661
Handke, L., Klonek, F.E., Parker, S.K., & Kauffeld, S. (2020). Interactive Effects of Team Virtuality and Work Design on Team Functioning. Small Group Research, 51(1), 3-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496419863490
work design and human resource management
In this research focus area, the following questions, among others, are explored:
- How can mobile or hybrid work best be implemented in organisations?
- What opportunities are offered by digitalisation and automation in human resource development?
- What does effective feedback look like?
- How can individuals organise their own work through flexible working models and technologies?
Selected publications on this topic:
Wesche, J. S., & Handke, L. (2023). Digitisation and automation in training and development: a meta-review of new opportunities and challenges. Personnel Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2022-0660
Wesche, J.S., Handke, L., Pahl, B., Diering, L.E., Junger, A.J., & Gieselmann, L.R. (2023). Digitalisierung und Automatisierung der Weiterbildung in Organisationen: Chancen, Herausforderungen und Praxisbeispiele. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation., 54(3), 335-346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11612-023-00705-5
Handke, L., Klonek, F., O’Neill, T.A., & Kerschreiter, R. (2022). Unpacking the Role of Feedback in Virtual Team Effectiveness. Small Group Research, 53(1), 41-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/10464964211057116