Rate My Professor Jan Wynen

Jan Wynen is an associate research professor of strategy and organization in the Department of Management within the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Antwerp. He holds a Doctor in Social Sciences (Public Administration) from KU Leuven, defended in 2014, with a thesis titled "Comparing and explaining the effects of organizational autonomy in the public sector." His earlier degrees include an Advanced Master in International Business Economics (Cum Laude, 2010) and a Licentiate in Commercial Sciences (Cum Laude, 2007) from KU Leuven and Ehsal, respectively. Wynen's career trajectory encompasses postdoctoral fellowships funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, 2015 onwards) at KU Leuven and the University of Antwerp, a postdoctoral position at KU Leuven's Public Governance Institute (2014-2015), PhD research at the same institute (2011-2014), and an assistant professorship at Tilburg University School of Economics and Management (2018-2019). He has also held roles such as teaching assistant, research assistant, and analyst at KU Leuven and IDEA Consult.

His research specializes at the intersection of public management and organizational behavior, examining how employees and managers respond to organizational pressure, change, and uncertainty, particularly in public sector contexts. Key themes include the impact of reforms, structures, and leadership on well-being, motivation, innovation, and performance. Wynen leads multiple research projects, such as GOVTRUST (2026-2031) on trust in governance of societal transitions, STRATEGO (2023-2026) on sustainability and trust in EU multilevel governance, and investigations into repetitive reform injury using biomarkers like hair cortisol. His scholarly output features publications in leading journals including Public Management Review, Review of Public Personnel Administration, and Public Performance & Management Review. Highly cited works encompass "Innovation-oriented culture in the public sector: do managerial autonomy and result control lead to innovation?" (2014; 245 citations), "Linking turnover to organizational performance: the role of process conformance" (2019; 134 citations), "How multiple organizational changes shape managerial support for innovative work behavior" (2020; 105 citations), and recent papers like "Overqualified civil servants, a bargain or a risk in a turbulent public sector?" (2026). Wynen teaches courses on strategy and organization, including "Organisation and Strategy: Special Issues" and bachelor projects in business economics. He has earned recognition such as the Best Conference Paper Award at the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM, 2013) and FWO postdoctoral funding. Additionally, he serves on the Departmental Council of Management and contributes to policy research for the Flemish Government.