Biography
“Meaningful work is where skill meets purpose”
Dr. Lars van Tuin is an Associate Professor at the Center for Strategy, Organization & Leadership. His research centers on the psychology of leadership, motivation, meaning and identity, and sustainable engagement. He is passionate about empowering leaders and professionals to recognize how small shifts in self-awareness, behavior, and work context can significantly enhance motivation, engagement, and a sense of purpose and meaning at work.
Van Tuin obtained his PhD in Psychology from Utrecht University with a dissertation on motivation at work, examining how engaging leadership and a clear corporate purpose can foster work engagement by satisfying employees’ basic psychological needs and intrinsic values. His research has been published in international journals such as Human Resource Development Quarterly, Journal of Leadership Studies, Frontiers in Psychology, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and PLOS One. He also publishes in Dutch academic journals, including Gedrag & Organisatie, Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken, and Boom Management.
Alongside his academic career, Van Tuin worked as an ICF-accredited coach and consultant in personal and executive leadership development. He was associated with the Center for Creative Leadership and other top-level global coaching organizations. Currently, he is associated with the Knowledge Institute of Work and Health at Arbo Unie, a leading Dutch occupational health provider.
Nyenrode’s mission to shape responsible leaders aligns with Van Tuin’s focus on engaging leadership, motivation, and meaning. Through his teaching and research, he encourages students and executives to reflect on their values and impact, translating these insights into concrete leadership actions.
International activities
Van Tuin collaborates with international colleagues on research into engaging leadership, basic psychological needs, work engagement, and meaning, and presents his work at international conferences in the fields of work, positive organizational psychology, and human resource development.
Other interests
Outside work, Van Tuin enjoys family, sailing, cooking, yoga & meditation, and cross-fit
Relevant publications
- Van Tuin, L., Schaufeli, W. B., Van den Broeck, A., & van Rhenen, W. (2020). A corporate purpose as an antecedent to employee motivation and work engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 572343. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572343
- Van Tuin, L., Schaufeli, W. B., & Van den Broeck, A. (2021). Engaging leadership: Enhancing work engagement through intrinsic values and need satisfaction. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 32(4), 483–505. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21430
- Van Tuin, L., Schaufeli, W.B. , & van Rhenen, W. (2020). The Satisfaction and Frustration of Basic Psychological Needs in Engaging Leadership. Journal of Leadership Studies, 14(2), 6–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21695
- Van Tuin, L., Schaufeli, W. B., van Rhenen, W., & Kuipers R. M.. (2020). Business Results and Well-Being: An Engaging Leadership Intervention Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4515. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124515
- Van Tuin, L. (2021). Navigating motivation at work: About leadership, purpose, values, and basic psychological needs. Universiteit van Utrecht. https://doi.org/10.33540/270
- Van Tuin, L., Schaufeli, W. B., & van Rhenen, W. (2022). Zicht op motivatie: Over leiderschap, ondernemingsdoelen, waarden en psychologische basisbehoeften. Gedrag & Organisatie, 35(2), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.5117/go2022.2.001.tuin
- Van Tuin, L. (2022). Op zoek naar betekenis: Leiderschap, organisatiedoelen en individuele betekenisgeving. Tijdschrift Voor Arbeidsvraagstukken, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.5117/tva2022.1.008.tuin
- Van Tuin, L. & Soffer, I. (2024), De wil tot betekenis [Victor Frankl]. In Ruijters, M., Schut, R., & Simons, R-J. (Eds.) Canon van leren en ontwikkelen, Boom
- Tuin, L. van, Peeters, M. C. W., Rhenen, W. van, Arends, I., & Hollander, J. den. (2025). As at home, so at work? The dynamic of relationship quality, work engagement, and burnout through the lens of basic psychological needs. PLOS One, 20(11), e0335404. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335404