Prof. Dr. Oliver Rack,

Teaching relating to training

Oliver Rack is a lecturer for various modules associated with the bachelor's and master's course in Applied Psychology:

• Teams and Groups in Organisations
• Cooperation and New Media

Teaching relating to continuing education

Oliver Rack is a lecturer for various modules (e.g. Incentive Systems for Improving Team Performance, Decision-making Processes in Teams) associated with the following continuing education degree programmes:

• CAS Digitale Transformation in der Arbeitswelt – Psychologische Perspektiven
• CAS Leadership und Change in der flexiblen Arbeitswelt – Psychologische Perspektiven
• MAS Business Psychology
  

The main focus of Oliver Rack's research activities is the area concerned with the design of group processes in the context of virtual and global cooperation. These include processes associated with the exchange of information and knowledge in computer-supported groups as well as issues concerned with the management of virtual teamwork.

Career to date

since 01/2026 Professor of Applied Psychology, University of Applied Psychology, Patient Safety Team. Core focus: AI-based analytical methods in teamwork.

since 09/2012 
Professor at the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland,
School of Applied Psychology, Institute for Research and Development of Collaborative Processes.
Main focus: 'Virtual Cooperation and Communication'

09/2010–08/2012
Lecturer at the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland,
School of Applied Psychology, Institute for Research and Development of Collaborative Processes.
Main focus: 'Virtual and Global Cooperation'

since 11/2008
Project management for the SNF-DoRe project 'EMVT – Effectiveness Management for Virtual Teams', FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Applied Psychology, Institute for Research and Development of Collaborative Processes 

06/2007–08/2010
Member of academic staff at FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Applied Psychology, Institute for Research and Development of Collaborative Processes

03/2009–12/2009
Project management for 'Relaying Information on Errors in Virtual Teams', Suzanne and Hans Biäsch Foundation for Applied Psychology

06/2007
Doctorate (PhD) at the University of Kiel
Dissertation title: 'Motivational and Incentive Systems in Computer-supported Groups'

08/2004–05/2007
Member of academic staff at the University of Kiel, Germany, Institute of Psychology, Chair for Occupational, Organisational, and Market Psychology (Professor Udo Konradt)

08/2004–05/2007
Doctoral scholarship from the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of the postgraduate programme 'Loosely Coupled Systems and Electronic Business' (Professor Sönke Albers), University of Kiel

07/2006–10/2006
Research posting (Visiting Scholar) at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
(cooperation partner: Professor Andrea Hollingshead)

11/2002–07/2004
Member of academic staff at the University of Göttingen, Germany, Chair for Social and Communication Psychology (Professor Margarete Boos, University of Göttingen)

10/2002
Awarded Diploma in Psychology at the University of Göttingen

10/1997–10/2002
Degree for Diploma in Psychology at the University of Göttingen.
Main specialism: Occupational, industrial, and organisational psychology