Astrid Homan is a member of the Work and Organisational Psychology department. Her research focuses on teams, especially diverse teams. She investigates how organisations can stimulate positive and prevent negative outcomes of diversity. Astrid has a background in communication science, finished her PhD in 2006 and has been a full professor at the UvA since 2016. Let’s have a look at her office and three items that accompanied her during her academic and personal journey.
Astrid Homan is a member of the Work and Organisational Psychology department. Her research focuses on teams, especially diverse teams. She investigates how organisations can stimulate positive and prevent negative outcomes of diversity. Astrid has a background in communication science, finished her PhD in 2006 and has been a full professor at the UvA since 2016. Let’s have a look at her office and three items that accompanied her during her academic and personal journey.
Roeterseiland campus sketch
‘For my inaugural lecture11, my previous and current PhD students gifted me this sketch of the Roeterseiland campus. One of my PhD students had worked with this art company before. You can send them a picture of a building and they draw a sketch for you. She had been doing this for several other houses in Amsterdam, and then also for the Roeterseiland campus. It is a unique sketch and a nice reminder of that special day.’
Painting of an orange tree in Seville
‘I love going on vacation, it is one of my favourite things to do. I usually go someplace warm during Christmas. However, because of the pandemic, the last time we went away for Christmas was to Seville22 two years ago. Someone on the street was painting these orange trees and I thought this would be a cute souvenir. I was planning to have multiple of those paintings but for now there is only one on the wall. The plant behind it used to be on the floor before but the cleaners put it up which makes for a nice background during zoom meetings.’
Award for the LEAD theory
‘I am not meaning to brag but this award means a lot to me as it commemorates the years spent on developing the LEAD theory33. Usually, you receive the award at a conference in the United States but it was mailed to me this year because of the pandemic. The next conference will be held in Seattle and I hope to be part of that if next year allows it. The award is especially meaningful since I worked on the paper for nearly 14 years. The model was rather basic in the beginning and got rejected by journals. I put it aside for a couple of years, slightly doubtful and disappointed. However, as more and more papers about diversity and leadership were published, I was able to further develop the model. A prominent finding within the new papers was that certain leadership styles are beneficial in some but not other situations. The LEAD theory can explain this inconsistency and has been well-received. It is amazing to know that people read your work and come up to you to say they enjoyed reading it. That almost feels like making an album, which is why this award means a lot to me.’
Roeterseiland campus sketch
‘For my inaugural lecture41, my previous and current PhD students gifted me this sketch of the Roeterseiland campus. One of my PhD students had worked with this art company before. You can send them a picture of a building and they draw a sketch for you. She had been doing this for several other houses in Amsterdam, and then also for the Roeterseiland campus. It is a unique sketch and a nice reminder of that special day.’
Painting of an orange tree in Seville
‘I love going on vacation, it is one of my favourite things to do. I usually go someplace warm during Christmas. However, because of the pandemic, the last time we went away for Christmas was to Seville52 two years ago. Someone on the street was painting these orange trees and I thought this would be a cute souvenir. I was planning to have multiple of those paintings but for now there is only one on the wall. The plant behind it used to be on the floor before but the cleaners put it up which makes for a nice background during zoom meetings.’
Award for the LEAD theory
‘I am not meaning to brag but this award means a lot to me as it commemorates the years spent on developing the LEAD theory63. Usually, you receive the award at a conference in the United States but it was mailed to me this year because of the pandemic. The next conference will be held in Seattle and I hope to be part of that if next year allows it. The award is especially meaningful since I worked on the paper for nearly 14 years. The model was rather basic in the beginning and got rejected by journals. I put it aside for a couple of years, slightly doubtful and disappointed. However, as more and more papers about diversity and leadership were published, I was able to further develop the model. A prominent finding within the new papers was that certain leadership styles are beneficial in some but not other situations. The LEAD theory can explain this inconsistency and has been well-received. It is amazing to know that people read your work and come up to you to say they enjoyed reading it. That almost feels like making an album, which is why this award means a lot to me.’
Footnotes
- An inaugural lecture is given when an associate professor becomes a newly appointed full professor. For 45 minutes, the professor can talk about their research, vision, and ideas for the field without being interrupted. The UvA holds this formal event at the Oude Lutherse Kerk in the centre of Amsterdam and most of the full professors attending wear their academic regalia i.e., their cap and gown.
- Seville is the capital and largest city in Andalusia. It is known for its architectural design, flamenco dancing, and orange trees.
- The conceptual theoretical paper integrates research on leadership and team diversity. It aims to explain how leadership can be utilised to benefit diversity in teams. Leaders need to be flexible and adapt their leadership style depending on the needs of the diverse teams to benefit from diversity.
Footnotes
- An inaugural lecture is given when an associate professor becomes a newly appointed full professor. For 45 minutes, the professor can talk about their research, vision, and ideas for the field without being interrupted. The UvA holds this formal event at the Oude Lutherse Kerk in the centre of Amsterdam and most of the full professors attending wear their academic regalia i.e., their cap and gown.
- Seville is the capital and largest city in Andalusia. It is known for its architectural design, flamenco dancing, and orange trees.
- The conceptual theoretical paper integrates research on leadership and team diversity. It aims to explain how leadership can be utilised to benefit diversity in teams. Leaders need to be flexible and adapt their leadership style depending on the needs of the diverse teams to benefit from diversity.
