Dr. Jan Luca Pletzer
Research
I am passionate about understanding how personality and daily workplace experiences shape behavior, well-being, and leadership processes in organizations. My work combines rigorous quantitative methods with a strong theoretical foundation to generate insights that are both scientifically robust and practically relevant. I am committed to open science practices to promote transparency and replicability in research. I frequently collaborate with organizations to collect field data and examine questions that matter to both science and practice.
In my research, I investigate how enduring personality traits—such as the Big Five, HEXACO, and Dark Triad—and day-to-day dynamics shape employee well-being, leadership processes, job performance, and their interactions. I employ methods, such as meta-analyses and daily diary studies, to test, extend, and refine theory, identify boundary conditions, and clarify when and why certain processes are beneficial or detrimental.
My research is broadly organized into three connected areas:
Personality & Work Outcomes
My first research area examines how broad and narrow personality traits predict well-being and workplace behaviors. I am particularly interested in comparing and integrating evidence across personality models (e.g., Big Five, HEXACO, Dark Triad) to identify which traits are most predictive for which outcomes.
Leadership & Follower Experiences
My second research area focuses on how leaders’ stable traits and daily situational experiences shape their behavior, and how this, in turn, affects followers’ well-being and job performance. This includes studying both constructive and destructive leadership.
A Multilevel Understanding of Workplace Behavior
My third research area centers on integrating between-person and within-person perspectives to better understand workplace behavior. This includes examining how stable dispositions and short-term situational factors interact across levels to shape well-being and performance. By bridging these levels, I aim to refine theory and provide a more complete picture of how workplace behaviors emerge and change over time.
If you are interested in discussing collaboration opportunities, please feel free to reach out via email.