“It is too simplistic to label women's part-time jobs and men's full-time jobs as a free choice.”

Research focus: Stereotyping, Queen Bee effect, Stigma, Gender inequality, Work-Family conflict, Work Climate and Inclusion in Academia

Belle Derks is a professor at the Department of Social, Health and Organisational Psychology at Utrecht University. She holds the chair 'Psychological Perspectives on Organisational Behaviour within Institutions'. Derks was member (2016-2021) and president (2018-2020) of De Jonge Akademie (KNAW). Derks is currently chairperson of the national gaduate school of social psychology, the Kurt Lewin Institute. 

Focus on the psychology of (in)equality

Derks' expertise lies in the psychology of (in)equality, examining the impact of stereotypes based on characteristics like gender and ethnicity on decision-making across various life domains. She investigates responses to group-based exclusion and their role in either mitigating or perpetuating inequality. Her primary aim is to foster sustainable behavior change within institutions, promoting inclusive and equitable societies. While much of her research focuses on gender disparities, her research also encompasses other groups, such as ethnic minorities and individuals with disabilities. She employs a versatile approach, combining lab experiments, field studies, and interviews, and specializes in physiological methods like cardiovascular measures and EEG. Her belief in team science and multidisciplinary research has led to successful collaborations with colleagues from sociology, economics, law, and gender studies.

Derks is recognized for her work on the Queen Bee phenomenon. With her collaborators, she has dispelled the notion that QB behavior is inherently "female," uncovering it as a survival tactic in organizations where women are devalued. In more inclusive settings, QB responses diminish, aiding women in attaining executive positions without distancing themselves from othr women.

Another focus is the impact of societal gender norms on decision-making, particularly in work and family domains. With her team Derks uncovered mechanisms reinforcing unequal task divisions, including work-family guilt in mothers, strain in relationships when women surpass their male partners in career status, and implicit organizational communication that tells men that they are expected to prioritize work over their family. In  an NWA-funded Living Lab, interventions are designed to empower first-time parents to divide tasks based on personal values rather than perceived social norms.

Derks has also examined inequality in academia, exploring the QB phenomenon among female professors, exposing gender pay gaps and work condition disparities between women and men at Dutch universities, and scrutinizing the impact of the competitive "superhero" image of academic success on junior academics. Her insights are shared in academic and governmental settings, contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive academia.

• Belle Derks in podcast WOLF over het wankele koord waar vrouwen in leidinggevende posities op moeten balanceren, maar ook over mannen en de vraag in hoeverre zij vrij zijn om zichzelf te zijn.
• Inaugural lecture Belle Derks (in Dutch)
• Lecture recognition and rewards at opening of academic year UU 2019 (in Dutch)
• Belle Derks in podcast 'omdat ik het verdien' over de hardnekkigheid van de loonkloof
• Gender and Diversity Hub
• Opinie: Met succesvolle vrouwen hebben we in Nederland nog steeds niet veel op
• Opinie: Rolbevestigende speelgoedmarketing houdt meisjes weg van techniek
• Opinie: De keuze van vrouwen voor deeltijd is minder vrij dan we denken
• Queen bee probeert te overleven in mannenomgeving