Summary
Irem Gunay is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Imperial College Business School. Irem received a Ph.D. from University of Cambridge in Psychology, and a B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology from Columbia University. Irem also holds a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from University of Pennsylvania. In her master’s degree, Irem explored different components of psychological well-being, including autonomy, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose and meaning in life, and positive self-regard. Her doctoral research focused on the connection between beliefs, mindsets and behavior. In this research, a particular emphasis was given to the impact of one’s belief systems on persistence, and coping efforts in face of failure. Upon graduation, Irem worked as a consultant and explored the role different cognitive motives (such as cognitive flexibility, ambiguity tolerance and need for structure) play in how people typically approach and experience work. Irem is also interested in exploring the role feelings (in terms of short lived emotions, moods, and dispositional differences) play in workplace, and how mindfulness and emotional intelligence can improve work experience and performance.