My research in organizational behaviour concerns the person–environment dynamics and has two research streams: Employee Proactivity (i.e., why, when, and how employees can use their proactivity to change and improve the work environment) and Work and Personality Development (i.e., whether and how work experiences shape one’s personality development). Building on these two research streams, I have investigated topics in innovation and voice, leadership, work design, career development, workplace wellbeing, job change, and overqualification. I have published over 100 journal articles and book chapters. My work has appeared in top-tier journals, including Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Management, among others. I take doctoral students who (1) have a psychology background and are interested in research topics in employee proacivity, job design, personality development, overqualification, or workplace ostracism, (2) have experiences or interested in using structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling or fixed effect modeling for survey data, and (3) are keen to have an academic career in organizational behavior.
Who I work for
King's College London, Mar 2023 -
Professor, Human Resource Management & Employment Relations Department
University of Leeds, Mar 2023 – Feb 2026
Visiting professor in Organizational Psychology, Management Department
University of Leeds, Jan 2020 – Feb 2023
Professor in Organizational Psychology, Management Department
Director of Workplace Behavior Research Centre, Sep 2020 – Feb 2023
Head of organizational behaivor group, April 2021- Feb 2023
Durham University, July 2018 - Jan 2020
Associate Professor, Department of Management and Marketing
London School of Economics, Sep 2013- June 2018
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Awards
2023 Annual Award for Research and Development in Sport Science, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) ((中華民國行政院教育部體育署112年度運動科學研究及發展佳作獎勵): Wang, Y., Wu, C-H., & Chen, L H. (2023). A longitudinal investigation of coaches’ autonomy support in reducing athletes’ experiential avoidance: The mediating role of subjective vitality. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 64, 102304.
2023 Joyce and Robert Hogan Award for Personality and Work Performance, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. [Li, W.-D., Li, S., Feng, J. (J.), Wang, M., Zhang, H., Frese, M., & Wu, C. H. (2021). Can becoming a leader change your personality? An investigation with two longitudinal studies from a role-based perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106, 882-901.]
2022 Dean’s Awards for Research Excellence. Leeds University Business School. University of Leeds.
2021 Annual Award for Research and Development in Sport Science, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) ((中華民國行政院教育部體育署109年度運動科學研究及發展甲等獎勵): Chen, L. H., Wu, C.-H., Ni, Y.-L., & Kuo, C.-C. (2021). The differential interaction effect of mastery and performance climate on athletes’ emotional and physical exhaustion: The role of athletes’ gratitude. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 10(3), 394–407.
2020 Annual Award for Research and Development in Sport Science, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) ((中華民國行政院教育部體育署109年度運動科學研究及發展佳作獎勵): Chang, W. H., Chi, L., Wu, C.-H., & Chen, L. H. (2019). Perceived coach autonomy support and athlete burnout: The role of athletes’ experiential avoidance. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 50(6), 503-522. .
2019 Best scientific paper award at the 19th congress of the EAWOP. Wu, C. H., Wang, Y., Parker, S. K., & Griffin, M. A. (2019). Effects of prolonged job insecurity on Big Five personality change. The 19th conference of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, Turin, Italy, 29 May – 1 June.
2019 Annual Award for Research and Development in Sport Science, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) ((中華民國行政院教育部體育署108年度運動科學研究及發展佳作獎勵): Chang, W. H., Wu, C. H., Kuo, C. C., & Chen, L. H. (2018). The role of athletic identity in the development of athlete burnout: The moderating role of psychological flexibility. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 39, 45-51.
2018 Annual Award for Research and Development in Sport Science, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) ((中華民國行政院教育部體育署107年度運動科學研究及發展甲等獎勵): Chen, L. H., Wu, C. H., Lin, S-H., & Ye, Y-C. (2018). Top-down or button-up? The reciprocal longitudinal relationship between athletes’ team satisfaction and life satisfaction. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 7, 1-12.
2018 Academy of Management - Careers Division 2018 Best Overall Paper Award: Zhou, Y., Zou, M., Woods, S. A., M., & Wu, C. H. (2018). The restorative effect of work after unemployment. Academy of Management 2018 Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, US, August 10-14. In Guclu Atinc (Ed.), Proceedings of the Seventy-eighth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. Online ISSN: 2151-6561
2014 Annual Award for Research and Development in Sport Science, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan (R.O.C.)) ((中華民國行政院教育部體育署103年度運動科學研究及發展甲等獎勵): Chen, L. H. & Wu, C. H. (2014). Gratitude enhances change of athlete’s self-esteem: The moderating role of trust in coach. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26, 349-362.
Services
Human Resource Management, Special issue guest editor, 2023
Journal of Organizational Behavior, Special issue guest editor, 2023
Journal of Management, Associate editor, 2020 - 2023
Personnel Psychology, Editorial board member, 2023 -
Human Relations, Editorial board member, 2015 -
Journal of Business and Psychology, Editorial board member, 2016 -
Journal of Business Research, Editorial board member, 2016 –
SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology) Award committee, 2016, 2022
IACRM (International Association for Chinese Management), Research committee, 2021-2023
Grants
2021-2022 Economic and Social Research Council, UK. Adapting offices to support COVID-19 secure workplaces and emerging work patterns. (GBP£406,464). [PI: Matthew Davis, Co-PIs: Helen Hughes, Emma Gritt, Simon Rees, & Chia-Huei Wu].
2021 (Full year) Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C. Decoding and promoting resilient brains: from multivariate profiling to intervention. (GBP£417,810). [International Partner on Subproject #1: “Understanding the Cognitive and Neural Correlates in Psychological Resilience: An Integration of VR Training and tDCS Approach.”]
2019-2021 Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C. Unbeatable Mind: BIG data (brain imaging genetics) and AIR cloud platform (AI, AR/VR) decode resilient brain for success. (NTD$8,779,000). [International Partner on Subproject #1: Neural correlates of individual differences in psychological resilience and cognitive functioning in a sample of normal adults, and elite athletes]
2018-2021 European Research Council: “Individual action through social organizations: The case of poverty” (IATSO) (€1,217,313,76) (PI: Harry Barkema; CO-PIs: Chia-Huei Wu and others).
2018-2020 Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C. Add-on Grant for International Cooperation (NTD$300,000) (with Dr. Lung Hung Chen): Growth trajectories, social network, interpersonal interaction, and enhancing strategy of athlete’s gratitude
2017 ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (AUD$27,250,000) (Centre Director: Dr. John Piggott). Associate Investigator for “Organisations and the mature workforce” Steam (led by Dr. Sharon Parker).
2014 BHP Billiton Distinguished Research Award (AUD$21,624) Understanding Overqualified Employees: A Cross-Cultural Study of When Positive Behaviors and Attitudes Possible (Luksyte, A., Bauer, T. N., Debus, M., Erdogan, B., & Wu, C. H.)
2014 The SIOP International Research and Collaboration (IRC) Small Grant (USD$3,500). Understanding Overqualified Employees: A Cross-Cultural Study of When Positive Behaviors and Attitudes Possible (Luksyte, A., Bauer, T. N., Debus, M., Erdogan, B., & Wu, C. H.)
Key publications
Books
Peng, K. Z., & Wu, C. H. (eds) (2021). Emotion and Proactivity at Work: Prospects and Dialogues. Bristol, UK: Bristol University Press.
Wang Y, Wu C. H. (2021). Work and Personality Change: What You Do Makes Who You Are. Bristol, UK: Bristol University Press.
Wu, C. H. (2019). Employee proactivity in organizations: An attachment perspective. Bristol, UK: Bristol University Press.
Journal articles
Xu, A. J., Jiang, Z., Zhou, Q. & Wu, C-H. (in press). Dare to thrive! How and when do development idiosyncratic deals promote individual thriving at work? Human Resource Management.
Zhou, Y., Zou, M., Wu, C. H., Parker, S. K. & Griffin, M. (2024). A study of new labour market entrants’ job satisfaction trajectories during a series of consecutive job changes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 109(2), 293-306.
Deng, H., Coyle-Shapiro, J., Zhu, Y., Wu, C-H. (2023). Serving the cause when my organization does not: A self-affirmation model of employees’ compensatory responses to ideological contract breach. Personnel psychology, 76, 1161–1186.
Weisman, H., Wu, C.-H., Yoshikawa, K., & Lee, H.-J. (2023). Antecedents of organizational identification: A review and agenda for future research. Journal of Management, 49, 2030–2061.
Xu, L., Liu, Z., Ji, M., Dong, Y, Wu, C. H. (2022). Leader perfectionism—friend or foe of employee creativity? Locus of control as a key contingency. Academy of Management Journal, 65, 2092–2117.
Duan, J., Xia, Y., Xu, Y., Wu, C. H. (2022). The curvilinear effect of perceived overqualification on constructive voice: The moderating role of leader consultation and the mediating role of work engagement. Human Resource Management, 61, 489-510.
Luksyte, A., Bauer, T. N., Debus, M., Erdogan B., & Wu, C. H. (2022). Perceived overqualification and collectivism orientation: Implications for work and non-work outcomes. Journal of Management, 48, 319-349.
Li, W.-D., Li, S., Feng, J. (J.), Wang, M., Zhang, H., Frese, M., & Wu, C.-H. (2021). Can becoming a leader change your personality? An investigation with two longitudinal studies from a role-based perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106, 882-901.
Wu, C. H., Wang, Y., Parker, S. K., & Griffin, M. A. (2020). Effects of chronic job insecurity on Big Five personality change. Journal of Applied Psychology,105(11), 1308-1326.
Wu, C. H., de Jong, J. P. J., Raasch, C. & Poldervaart S. (2020). Work process-related lead userness as an antecedent of innovative behavior and user innovation in organizations. Research Policy, 49, 103986.
Yoshikawa, K., Wu, C. H., & Lee, H. (2020). Generalized Exchange Orientation: Conceptualization and scale development. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105, 294–311.
Zhou, Y., Zou, M., Woods, S. A., & Wu, C. H. (2019). The restorative effect of work after unemployment. Journal of Applied Psychology,104, 1195-1206.
Wu, C. H., Parker, S. K., Wu, L. Z. & Lee, C. (2018). When and why people engage in different forms of proactive behavior: Interactive effects of self-construals and work characteristics. Academy of Management Journal, 61, 293-323.
Deng, H., Guan, Y., Wu, C. H., Erdogan, B, Bauer., T. &, Yao, X. (2018). A relational model of overqualification: The role of interpersonal influence on overqualified employees’ social acceptance and performance. Journal of Management, 44, 3288-3310.
Wu, C. H., & Parker, S. K. (2017). The role of leader support in facilitating proactive work behavior: A perspective from attachment theory. Journal of Management, 43, 1025–1049.
Wu, C. H., Liu, J., Kwan, H. K. & Lee, C. (2016). Why and when workplace ostracism inhibits organizational citizenship behaviors: An organizational identification perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101, 362-378.
Deng, H., Wu, C. H., Leung, K., & Guan, Y. J. (2016). Depletion from self-regulation: A resource-based account of the effect of value incongruence. Personnel Psychology, 69, 431-465.
Wu, C. H., Parker, S. K., De Jong, J. P. J. (2014). Need for cognition as an antecedent of individual innovation behavior. Journal of Management, 40, 1511-1534.
Wu, C. H., & Griffin, M. A. (2012). Longitudinal relationships between core self-evaluations and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 331-342.
Invited presentations
Wu, C. H. (2023). Unleashing potential: Nurturing proactivity in the workplace (keynote speaker). The 13th Division Conference of the Division of Industrial, Organizational and Business Psychology ("Proactive Adaptation to a Changing World of Work"). Kassel, Germany, Sep, 12-15.
Wu, C. H. (2022). Organizational resilience: A human capital perspective (keynote speaker). 2022 Taiwan Psychological Annual Conference, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, Oct, 16.
Wu, C. H. (2022). Work experiences and personality development (featured speaker). 12th Conference for Chinese Psychologists. Academia Sinica, Taiwan, July, 13-15.
Wu, C. H. (2021). The role of work design in shaping employee proactivity (Keynote speaker). The 7th EAWOP Early Career Summer School, Durham University, UK, Sep, 13.
Wu, C. H. (2019). Appreciation that inspires: The impact of leader gratitude on team innovation from an other-praising perspective (Keynote speaker). International Symposium 2019: Fueling the Proactivity by Emotions ‘Energy’: Prospect and Dialogue. Hong Kong Shue Yan University, May, 9.