Professor Arnold Bakker stands as a preeminent scholar in the field of work and organizational psychology, currently serving as Professor and Chair of the Research Group Work and Organizational Psychology at the Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Following his doctoral studies in social psychology at the University of Groningen completed in 1995, he established a distinguished academic trajectory through postdoctoral research at both Groningen and Utrecht Universities. His career progression included appointment as University Lecturer at Utrecht University in 1998, promotion to Professor of Positive Organizational Behavior at Utrecht University in 2006, and assumption of his current professorship at Erasmus University Rotterdam since 2008. His academic leadership extends beyond his institutional role through his position as adjunct professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong and his previous tenure as President of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology from 2009 to 2013.
Professor Bakker has achieved international recognition as the co-developer of Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory alongside Evangelia Demerouti, a framework that has become one of the most influential and widely cited theoretical contributions in occupational health psychology literature. His groundbreaking research on work engagement led to the development of the Utrecht Engagement Scale (UBES), now implemented across numerous languages and cultural contexts as the standard instrument for measuring positive work attitudes and employee wellbeing. His scholarly contributions have fundamentally reshaped organizational approaches to understanding burnout, job crafting, and the dynamics of workplace happiness, with his publications appearing in premier journals including Journal of Applied Psychology and Journal of Organizational Behavior. His exceptional research impact is evidenced by his inclusion in Thomson Reuters' list of 'Most Influential Scientific Minds' since 2013, reflecting his status among the world's most highly cited researchers in his field.
Beyond his theoretical contributions, Professor Bakker currently serves as Secretary General of the Alliance for Organizational Psychology and maintains his role as a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, demonstrating his ongoing influence in shaping the discipline's direction. His leadership extends to the development of innovative digital applications including the Job Demands-Resources monitor, the Happiness Indicator, and the Engagement App, which translate psychological research into practical workplace tools. As a dedicated mentor, he has guided numerous doctoral candidates and early-career researchers who have gone on to establish themselves as independent scholars in organizational psychology. His current research program continues to advance understanding of positive organizational phenomena, work-life balance, and the crossover of emotions in workplace contexts, ensuring his continued contribution to both theoretical development and practical applications in organizational psychology worldwide.
