Bianca Beersma

Biographical Sketch

In my research, I am very much interested in group functioning and performance. For team members, collaborating means they have to find a balance between their own interests and those of the group. The way in which they achieve this (or fail to achieve it), fascinates me. My research therefore often focuses on (aspects of) this general question.

Currently, I am especially interested how informal evaluative communication, or gossip, affects groups and organizations. Findings of two studies (Beersma & Van Kleef, 2011, in SPPS; and Beersma & Van Kleef, in press, in JASP) demonstrated that notwithstanding its negative reputation, gossip can fulfill important functions for groups. It can, for instance, serve as a mechanism to protect groups against norm violators. I am currently involved in additional workexamining this "bright side" of gossip.

Furthermore, I am interested in other factors that affect teamprocesses and performance, such as regulatory focus, information processing tendencies, and adaptation in teams.

My earlier research centers on motivational influences on small-group negotiation processes and outcomes and the effects of cultural and individual differences on conflict management in teams.

I received my Ph.D. from the Department of Work and Organizational Psychology of the University of Amsterdam in 2002, for my dissertation entitled: "Small group negotiation and team performance".

From 2001 until 2005 I worked at this department as a postdoctoral researcher on the NWO "aandachtsgebied" (research area) "Motivated information processing and group decision making". In 2005 I received an NWO VENI-grant for a research project about "The aftermath of group negotiation". I currently work in the Department of Work and Organizational Psychology of the University of Amsterdam as an associate professor.

I have taught courses on conflict management and cooperation in organizations. I currently teach a master level course on designing research, analyzing data, scientific writing and presenting, together with Femke ten Velden. I will also teach the first-year course on work- and organizational psychology. Finally, I am involved in several seminars on conflict management and team coaching for practitioners.

Research interests

• Gossip in groups and organizations (with Gerben van Kleef, Myriam Bectoldt, Maria Dijkstra and Femke ten Velden)
• Team performance (with John Hollenbeck, Dan Ilgen, Donald Conlon, Stephen Humphrey, Henry Moon, Carsten de Dreu, Gerben van Kleef, Astrid Homan, and Myriam Bechtoldt)
• Workplace coaching (with Annelies van Vianen and Tim Theeboom)
  
• Motivational influences on negotiation processes and outcomes (with Carsten de Dreu, Femke ten Velden, Job van der Schalk and Gerben van Kleef)
• Effects of cultural and individual differences on conflict management (with Fieke Harinck, Naomi Ellemers, and Said Shafa)
• Effects of conflict (management) on health and well-being (with Maria Dijkstra)
  

Selected publications (Some of my publications can be downloaded via the "publications" page. However, because this page is not regularly updated by the university, and it is not possible to update it by hand, I advise you to take a look at my CV in case you are interested in my most recent publications. The CV contains a complete list of publications (last updated at 9-2-2012).