CCAL’s New Research Associate: Duygu Gulseren

1. Can you give us an overview of your research? What have been some key developments or findings in your area of focus?

My main research interest is in leading healthy workplaces. I study how leaders can foster health and well-being in organizations and how they can make their employees safer, both physically and psychologically. I conduct multiple projects to examine the benefits and costs of different leadership behaviours such as positive, transformational, abusive, and passive leadership. I am also interested in understanding what makes leaders exhibit abusive behaviours despite all the documented negative consequences of it.

Recently, many researchers turned their attention to understand the personal, interactional, and environmental drivers of negative leadership behaviours. I find this an exciting development because in the past, most of the leadership development initiatives focused on changing leaders behaviour without understanding why they behave the way they behave. There was too much pressure on leaders and the role of context was largely ignored. If you go and talk to organizational leaders, particularly to middle managers, they will say that they don’t enjoy treating their employees poorly, but this is what the job requires. I think understanding the role of contextual characteristics will help us see the bigger picture and offer more effective interventions.

2. Why did you choose to work with CCAL regarding your research?

I chose to work at CCAL for three reasons. First, from students to senior leaders, CCAL has a mission to develop ethical leaders who shape the future of the business world. This mission is greatly aligned with the type of research I do. Secondly, CCAL has a strategy to offer evidence-based programs. This means, as a researcher, I will find an opportunity to inform practice and learn from it. This is the dream of every organizational researcher. Third, the faculty members affiliated with CCAL and Haskayne School of Business are world-class researchers who are very well-known in their respective research areas. Similarly, graduate students and other researchers are very skilled at what they do. Possible collaboration opportunities with them excite me.

3. How do you see your research impacting student leadership development at the Haskayne School of Business?

I can envision my potential contribution to student leadership development in two ways. First, through applied research projects, my collaborators and I can help to improve the existing leadership development programs offered to students. Second, through theoretical and empirical research, my collaborators and I can help leaders from all levels to understand the causes, processes, and consequences of the very complex phenomenon of leadership.

Duygu joined the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership (CCAL) as a research associate in August 2019. She is also a PhD candidate for the Industrial/Organizational Psychology program at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. Duygu's primary research interest is leading healthy workplaces. She also conducts research on chronic pain at work, work-life balance, and career development from a leadership perspective. Duygu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering and a Master of Arts in Social and Organizational Psychology. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked as a human resources consultant in international settings. Below are some insights from Duygu regarding her work.