Dr Karoline Strauss
Lecturer
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Areas of Expertise
Employee proactivity
Leadership
Positive organizational scholarship
Careers
Self-concept/identity
Well-being
See website for full research statement
Current Areas of Research
Karoline's research centers around two broad themes that evolve from her fascination with how individuals deal with the uncertainty of the future. Her research on Future Work Selves explores how individuals create their future in their mind and will. In her research on proactive behaviour she investigates individuals’ agentic attempts to influence both their own future, and the future of their organisation. Her current research focuses on the intersection of these two themes and explores how Future Selves can serve as a source of meaning, hope, and optimism, and motivate individuals to engage in proactive behaviour in relation to their job or their career. Click here to find out more about her research and its practical applications for organizations.
Qualifications
Mag.rer.nat, University of Vienna
Ph.D., University of Sheffield
Professional Affiliations
Member, US Academy of Management
Member, European Association of Work and Organisational Psychology
Website
http://www.strauss.staff.shef.ac.uk
Teaching
Drawing on her own research, Karoline emphasises students’ self-determination and sense of autonomy. Her teaching is strongly research-led. For example, in her sessions on leadership and teamwork, students develop their “Future Work Self” as a leader through self-reflection and experiential exercises. In her lectures on Positive Organizational Behavior, students take part in training exercises designed to boost their optimism which have been developed in field experimental studies in organisations.
Karoline is committed to facilitate the development of transferable skills. "I would like my students to leave university with more than an in-depth understanding of established and cutting-edge theories", she says, "I aim to teach them to question and evaluate what is presented to them, to ask for evidence and be able to critically assess it".
Karoline teaches on a range of modules on the MSc in Occupational Psychology, as well as on undergraduate modules in the Management School and the Department of Psychology. She is heavily involved in MGT6068 (Leadership for Organisational Performance) on the MBA course, and is module leader on MGT6230 (Foundations of Leadership and Teamwork) on the new MSc in Leadership and Management. This module provides a historic overview of prominent leadership theories and incorporates current cutting-edge research, including research on authentic and ethical leadership, positive organisational behaviour, and implicit leader- and followership theories. It covers the foundations of team leadership, team building and performance, and topics of high practical relevance to future leaders, including emergent leadership, diversity, cross-cultural leadership and the management of conflict in teams. The module incorporates a self-reflective element aimed at developing students’ awareness of their leadership style, and developing their leadership skills.
Example Publications
Strauss, K., & Parker, S. K. (forthcoming). Effective and sustained proactivity in the workplace: A self-determination theory perspective. In M. Gagné (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of work engagement, motivation, and self-determination theory.
Example conference presentations
Strauss, K. & Parker, S. K. (2011). The will and the way: Hope facilitates individual task adaptivity. In van Dam, K., & Niessen, C. Adaptive behavior at work. Paper presented at the 15th European Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology.
Strauss, K. & Parker, S. K. (2011). Proactive and happy? The relationship of proactive work behavior with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Paper presented at the 15th European Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology.
Strauss, K. & Hershcovis, S. (2010). Ideal and feared Future Work Selves: The influence of hope on future-oriented identities. In Strauss, K., & Wu, C. The will and the way: New insights into the workings of hope in organizations. Paper presented at the 2010 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Montreal.
Strauss, K. (2009). “Don’t know what I want, but I know how to get it”: The role of uncertainty and elaboration in possible self narratives. Paper presented at the 2009 BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference at the University of Sheffield.
Strauss, K., Griffin, M., & Parker, S. (2009). Motivating proactive behavior to achieve a sustainable career: The power of the future work self. In Wresniewski, A. Creating sustainable jobs: Research insights and strategies for action. Paper presented at the 2009 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. (click here to access the podcast via the AOM Learning Center)
Strauss, K. & Griffin, M. (2009). Anticipation and identity: Future selves as a source of proactive goals. In Ghitulescu, B., & Khazanchi, S. New theoretical perspectives and empirical insights on proactivity at work. Paper presented at the 2009 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois.
Strauss, K., Griffin, M., & Parker, S. (2009). Solving the Initiative Paradox: Leader vision and the Collective Future Self. In Den Hartog, D. Stimulating employees’ proactive behavior: The role of leadership. Paper presented at at the 14th European Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology.
Strauss, K., Griffin, M., & Mason, C. (2009). It takes two: Exploring the relationship between adaptivity and proactivity in organizations. In Niessen, C.. & Lang, J. W. B. Adaptive performance at work. Paper presented at the 14th European Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology.