Dr. Julian Decius
Senior Researcher (tenured)
Head of the field of work Organizational Psychology
Contact:
University of Bremen
Faculty of Business Studies and Economics
WiWi1, Room A2390 (2. Floor)
Enrique-Schmidt-Straße 1
28359 Bremen
Tel: +49 421 218-66590
E-mail: julian.deciusprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
Office hours: by appointment (currently via Zoom)
Dr. Julian Decius heads the field of Organizational Psychology in the Faculty of Business Studies and Economics at the University of Bremen, where he is employed as a tenured Senior Researcher. Within the BMBF-funded Competence Center for Labor Research “Resource Development in Service Work – RessourcE”, he coordinates the thematic hub “Qualification in Logistics.”
He earned his doctorate in Work and Organizational Psychology at Paderborn University with a dissertation on informal workplace learning among blue-collar workers.
His research interests include in particular:
- Self-regulated and informal learning processes in the world of work (across the entire career span)
- Learning under work-related stress
- Working and learning with artificial intelligence
- Work-related learning for ecological sustainability
In connection with these focal areas, he also examines topics such as learning culture, learning-oriented work design, strategic competence development in small and medium-sized enterprises, New Work and New Learning, job crafting, employability, gig work, and psychological research in football.
His internationally and interdisciplinarily oriented research has been published in journals such as Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Human Resource Development Review, Journal of Technology Transfer, Scientometrics, and the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology.
Academic positions
Since 2021
University of Bremen
Senior Researcher (tenured), head of the field of work Organizational Psychology
2022
Maastricht University, NL
Research stay with Prof. Dr. Simon Beausaert, School of Business and Economics
2019
University of Antwerp, BE
Research stay with Prof. Dr. Eva Kyndt, Antwerp School of Education
2015 – 2021
University of Paderborn
Research assistant at the Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology (Prof. Dr. Niclas Schaper)
2013
University of East Anglia, UK
Research stay with Prof. Dr. Karina Nielsen and Prof. Dr. Kevin Daniels, Norwich Business School
Education
2020
Doctor philosophiae (Dr. phil. ≙ PhD)
University of Paderborn
Dissertation thesis: "Informal learning within the context of industrial work – Conceptualization, operationalization, antecedents, and learning outcomes"
2014
Master of Science (M.Sc) Psychology (Organizational Consulting / Business Psychology)
Ruhr University Bochum
Master thesis: "Dimensions of Success Personality in Professional Soccer – An Investigation with BIP-6F"
2012
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Business Psychology
Ruhr University Bochum
Bachelor thesis: "Only foot or also brain? – Performance potential of soccer players in the German Junior National League"
2011
Study abroad
Lindenwood University, St. Charles (Missouri), USA
Practical experience
2014/2015
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Football GmbH
Human resources development, career orientation of junior soccer players
2012
eligo Psychological Personnel Software GmbH, Bochum
Development and optimization of (self-)assessment tools on a scientific basis
2009
Civilian service
Housekeeping, assistance and driving service in a retirement home
2008
Jahdiel A.C., Salinas Victoria (Monterrey), Mexico
Voluntary service in a social project
Awards
2022
„Best Poster Prize“ of the 15th European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP) Conference, Bordeaux
2022
Dissertation Award of the University of Paderborn
2021
Academy of Management Careers Division Best Overall Paper Award Finalist (Top 3)
Grants
2025
Funding by the DAAD Congress Travel Program (EAWOP Conference, Prague, CZ)
2024
Funding by the DAAD Congress Travel Program (EAOHP Conference, Granada, ES)
2023
BMBF joint project “Resource Development in Service Work” (RessourcE), project duration: 2023-2028
2022
Research and development project “NewLearning@DB” in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn AG, project duration: 2022-2024
2022
Funding by the DAAD Congress Travel Program (AOM Conference, Seattle, USA)
2022
Grant of the Tandem Junior Research Program of the DPGs Division "Work, Organizational and Business Psychology", together with Laura Creon
2022
EARLI Mentoring Grant for a research stay at Maastricht University, NL
2021
Funding from the DAAD Congress Travel Program (EAWOP Conference, Glasgow, UK, cancelled due to pandemic).
2018
Funding by the DAAD Congress Travel Program (EARLI SIG14 Conference, Geneva, CH)
2017
Funding by the DAAD Congress Travel Program (EAWOP Conference, Dublin, IRL)
2011/2012
Scholarship of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
2011
Scholarship from Lindenwood University (Missouri, USA) for a semester abroad
A full list of Dr. Julian Decius' publications can be found here.
Selected scholarly articles:
First authorship is highlighted in bold. An asterisk (*) indicates joint first authorship.
Lorber, A.*, & Decius, J.* (in press). The double-edged sword of informal learning: Catalyzing or undermining sustainability? Industrial and Organizational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2025.10039
Decius, J.*, & Schilbach, M.* (2025). Fair credit? The impact of shared first authorship on academic career evaluation. Scientometrics, 130(3), 1731-1750. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-025-05262-w
Decius, J., Decius, L, & Beausaert, S. (2025). Integrating multiple theoretical perspectives on informal field-based learning: The Self-regulated Informal Learning Cycle (SILC). Human Resource Development Review, 24(3), 247-278. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843241310631
Decius, J., Knappstein, M., & Klug, K. (2024). Which way of learning benefits your career? The role of different forms of work-related learning for different types of perceived employability. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 33(1), 24–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2191846
Decius, J., Schaper, N., Klug, K., & Seifert, A. (2023). Active learning, active shaping, or both? A cross-lagged panel analysis of reciprocal effects between work design and informal workplace learning, and the mediating role of job crafting. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 144, 103893.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103893
Hilkenmeier, F., Fechtelpeter, C., & Decius, J. (2021). How to foster innovation in SMEs: evidence of the effectiveness of a project-based technology transfer approach. The Journal of Technology Transfer. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-021-09913-x
Decius, J., Schaper, N., & Seifert, A. (2019). Informal workplace learning: Development and validation of a measure. Human Resource Development Quarterly,30(4), 495–535. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21368
Memberships in Professional Associations
- Academy of Management (AOM)
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
- European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP)
- European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI): Special Interest Group 14 “Learning and Professional Development”
- Junior Researcher Network der EARLI (JURE)
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs): Special Interest Group "Work, Organizational and Business Psychology"
- Berufsverband Deutscher Psychologinnen und Psychologen (BDP): Section “Business Psychology”
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft Betriebliche Weiterbildungsforschung (ABWF) e. V.
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Sportpsychologie in Deutschland (asp)
Reviewer Activities
- Applied Psychology: An International Review
- Behaviour & Information Technology
- Career Development International
- Current Psychology
- Education + Training
- European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology
- Frontiers in Psychology - Organizational Psychology
- Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation.
- Human Resource Development Quarterly
- Human Resource Development Review
- Human Resource Management Journal
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology
- Journal of Vocational Behavior
- Learning and Instruction
- Plos One
- Research for People in Organizations
- Technological Forecasting & Social Change
- Vocations and Learning
- Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie