Dr. Marian Thunnissen works (part-time) as an Endowed Professor Lifelong Learning with and in Higher Education at the Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 of School of Governance. She also works as a professor (lector) at the school of HRM and Applied Psychology of Fontys 木瓜福利影视 of Applied Sciences in Eindhoven (The Netherlands) and is the chair of the Fontys Knowledge Centre on Lifelong Learning. She holds a MSc in psychology (1995) and a PhD (2015) in public administration and organizational science, both from Utrecht 木瓜福利影视. The topic of her dissertation was talent management in Dutch academia.
Marian Thunnissen has over 20 years of experience in research (CNV, IVA Tilburg, Hogeschool Utrecht, Fontys, Utrecht 木瓜福利影视), teaching (Hogeschool Utrecht, Fontys, Utrecht 木瓜福利影视) and consulting (Syntens). Throughout her whole career her research has focused on the topic of professional development, careers and HRM. Her current research is centered around the identification, attraction and development of talent, in particular in the public sector and in higher education. Her recent interests concern a ‘teambased’ talent management approach, the impact of contextual factors on talent management, and the dilemma’s and tensions organizations experience in implementing a talent approach. Marian finds it important to share her knowledge with organizations and HR practitioners, in order to support them in a evidence based talent management approach. She has been invited to give key note speeches and workshops at several international and national seminars for HR-practitioners and managers.
Her academic work has been published in Human Resource Management Review, International Journal of HRM, Personnel Review, Public Personnel Management and Employee Relations. She has also published the book ‘Talent management in practice’ (2017) together with Eva Gallardo-Gallardo, and recently a Dutch book on talent mobilization (Thunnissen & Bos, 2019). She has (co-)authored several book chapters on talent management, e.g. on talent management in the public sector (Boselie & Thunnissen, 2017; Boselie, Thunnissen & Monster, in press), in academia (Thunnissen, Van den Brink & Van Arensbergen, in press) and in knowledge intensive organizations (Thunnissen, 2015). Marian is the editor-in-chief of the Dutch Journal of HRM, which aims to build a bridge between theory and practice.
The aim of the Endowed Chair of Lifelong Learning with and in higher education is twofold. First, research is conducted on the role of higher education in shaping and achieving lifelong learning (LLL) of the workforce, and the organizational issues higher education institutes face in the organization and implementation of LLL. Current research on the topic mainly focuses on secondary vocational education and much less on higher (vocational and academic) education, even though these institutes are important partners in continuous development for the increasingly higher educated workforce. Higher education institutes need more knowledge about LLL and evidence-informed tools to strengthen their own role and contribution in LLO.
The above refers to LLL with higher education. Second, research is conducted on LLL ín higher education. In addition to being a provider of LLO activities, higher education institutions are also an employer itself, and higher education institutions have a role to contribute to the sustainable and continuous development of their own employees. These employees are also confronted with the constant changes in their work and other developments on the labour market that require them to keep up to date and, now and in the future. Current research on Human Resource Management and the attraction, development and retention of talent in higher education is scarce. In addition, the extent to what this research finds its way into application in HRM practice within institutions (evidence-based practice) and has an impact on practice and society calls for attention.