Asst. Professor Roman Briker
Assistant Professor
Tel.: +49 (0)211 44709 811
Email: roman.briker[at]whu.edu
Assistant Professor
Tel.: +49 (0)211 44709 811
Email: roman.briker[at]whu.edu
Short Biography
Roman Briker has been Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management since February 2026. He studied psychology, business and economics, and sociology at Justus Liebig University Giessen and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, earning an M.Sc. in Psychology. During his studies, he completed an international internship at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Lyon, France. He received his doctorate in Organization & HRM from Justus Liebig University Giessen under the supervision of Professor Frank Walter. His research focused on leaders’ time perception and time pressure. He graduated summa cum laude and received an award for the best dissertation.
Prior to joining WHU, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at Justus Liebig University Giessen and, from 2021 to 2026, as Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior & HRM at Maastricht University (School of Business and Economics) in the Netherlands. He has also been a visiting researcher at TCU (Texas Christian University; working with Professor Michael Cole) and the University of Cologne (Professor Anne Burmeister). Over the course of his academic career, he has worked in the Netherlands, Australia, France, and the United States. Roman Briker lives in Cologne with his wife and two children.
Research
Roman’s research has been published in leading international academic journals, including Nature, Science Advances, Personnel Psychology, and Organizational Research Methods. In addition to his substantive research focus, he contributes to the advancement of research methods and is strongly engaged in the field of Open Science. His work combines laboratory experiments, field studies, and innovative AI-based methods.
Roman has received numerous awards for his research, including the Innovation Award of the German Psychological Society, the Hustinx Award for Science (endowed with €15,000), the Best Junior Researcher Award (Maastricht University), and first place for Best Paper from the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management.
He was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow of the European Union, and his research has been funded by competitive grants from the EU, the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the Center for Open Science.
He serves as a member of the Editorial Board of The Leadership Quarterly and regularly reviews for journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Personnel Psychology.
His research is regularly featured in regional and international media outlets, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Stern, Handelsblatt, and Deutsche Welle.
In addition to his domain research focus, he has extensive international teaching experience and teaches courses such as Managing AI, Leadership, Experimental Psychology, Management Methods, and Organizational Change at the bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, and (Executive) MBA levels.
He collaborates closely with large international corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and start-ups, as well as with professional athletes and teams (including German Bundesliga football clubs and Olympic medalists) in both research and consulting. For more than ten years, he has delivered keynotes, consulting projects, and coaching.
Key Research Areas
AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude have become part of everyday working life. Yet amid both the hype and the fears surrounding AI, there is often little room for evidence that is both scientifically rigorous and practically relevant.
How do AI systems, robots, and other intelligent technologies actually shape interactions in the workplace? How does our trust shift when colleagues, employees, or leaders rely on AI in their work? And does sustained use of AI make us more considerate — or perhaps more impatient and critical — in our interactions with others?
Effective leadership in politics, sports, and business has fascinated people for centuries — yet it remains widely misunderstood. What drives sustainable leadership success over the long term? How can leaders project charisma while fostering both employee well-being and high performance? At the same time, leadership is not limited to formal roles. Differences in power and status within teams strongly shape group dynamics. How do high status or perceptions of power influence the way individuals think, feel, and behave within a team or group?
Sustainability has become a defining issue of our time worldwide. In my research, I explore the (social) decision-making processes that shape environmental awareness. What motivates people to adopt more environmentally responsible behavior? At the same time, sustainability increasingly refers to long-term human success and well-being in the workplace. How can stress be reduced and employees’ health be safeguarded over the long term?