During our parents’ and grandparents’ era, the world was reasonably stable – for most companies and organizations at least. However, since the digitalization and enhanced speed of communication, as well as the possibilities globalization has created, things have become less predictable. For companies this means they need to find ways in which to deal with new developments and challenges in order to stay in business. I really enjoy the fact that resilience research can help businesses and organizations thrive in this changing, dynamic society.
In my research, I mostly focus on the human, psychological aspects of resilience. Resilience of a company or organization depends on its ability to incorporate new practices, whether that is about something small, like a new computer program, or something invasive, like collaborating with a robot rather than with a human colleague. Of course, this flexibility needs to be fed by technological innovation but it also requires employees who embrace new technologies and will successfully adopt them in their day to day work. I try to provide insight into the circumstances under which employees are open to and comfortable with those types of changes.
As a member of the 4TU RE Centre think tank, I am really excited about working together with people from different disciplines. I want to contribute to building bridges between these different domains so that we can take both human and technological aspects into account when designing resilient systems.