Centre for Good Work

Professor Sanna Malinen is an expert in organisational psychology specialising in workplace wellbeing, organisational resilience, and the psychosocial factors that shape healthy, high‑performing work environments. Her research examines how leadership, team dynamics, and organisational systems influence employee wellbeing, psychological safety, and the capacity of organisations to adapt to disruption and change.

Sanna’s work brings together organisational psychology, resilience research, and applied psychology to understand how people and systems respond under pressure. She has a particular focus on how supportive cultures and evidence‑based practices enhance wellbeing and performance.

Sanna collaborates widely with industry, government, and community partners to translate research into practical tools that strengthen organisational resilience, improve workplace wellbeing, and support effective leadership and team functioning. Her recent projects explore resilience in the public sector, wellbeing in high‑stress environments, and the role of leaders in shaping positive team climates and organisational outcomes.

Katharina Näswall's research focuses on creating psychologically healthy workplaces that support employee performance and wellbeing. She collaborates with organisations in diagnosing levels stress and wellbeing, and to develop and implement initiatives aimed at increasing wellbeing and productivity at work. Throughout all collaborations she applies psychological principles and evidence-based knowledge about human behaviour and emotions. She has worked on several projects on psychosocial recovery after disasters, and investigated how organisations and managers can support employee mental health and achievement. She is director of the Postgraduate Diploma in Organisational Psychology. 

I am an Industrial-Organisational Psychology academic. I study the role of workplaces--or organised groups of individuals within a system--in cultivating human and societal wellbeing. In my research, wellbeing involves the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of how people function, thrive, and adapt to change together.

I am currently interested/conducting active research in:

• Work design and social capital that support innovation in workplaces
• Adult learning, development, and capacity building
• The contribution of workplaces to environmental sustainability

I am open to exploring collaborative opportunities with other researchers and organisations that involve:

• Mixed or multi methods research
• Participatory design research or consulting projects
• Community knowledge sharing and science outreach related to my research or Industrial-Organisational Psychology

I coordinate three postgraduate courses in the Industrial-Organisational Psychology Master of Science programme (Recruitment & Selection; Training, Learning, & Development; Thesis), and teach into undergraduate research methods courses within the School.