Kai Krautter

PhD Candidate | Podcaster

Hi! I’m a third-year PhD candidate in the Organizational Behavior Unit at the Harvard Business School. My research explores passion as a key driver of meaningful work—both for individuals and for society at large. I examine what people are passionate about, how they pursue these passions in their daily work, and the benefits and challenges that come with doing so. Ultimately, my work seeks to inform how leaders and organizations can help people maintain existing passions, develop new ones, and make a difference in the world.

Apart from doing research, I'm...

  • Hosting the German podcast Positiv Korreliert on psychological research (together with Luise Hönig)
  • Conducting workshops and giving talks on psychology-related topics
  • A Long-Term Organizer of the German American Conference
  • Sharing my newest ideas and experiences on LinkedIn (Newsletter: Kaizen)

Click Here to See My CV
Go to My Google Scholar

Selected Research Output

Frank, E. L., Krautter, K., Wu, W., Galinsky, A. D., & Jachimowicz, J. M. (2025). Riding the Passion Wave or Fighting to Stay Afloat? A Theory of Differentiated Passion Contagion. Administrative Science Quarterly. Click Here

Bailey, E., Krautter, K., Wu, W., Galinsky, A. D., & Jachimowicz, J. M. (2024). A Potential Pitfall of Passion: Passion Is Associated With Performance Overconfidence. Social Psychological and Personality Science. Click Here

Krautter, K., Büchner, A., & Jachimowicz, J. M. (2023). Extraverts Reap Greater Social Rewards from Passion Because they Express Passion More Frequently and More Diversely. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Click Here

Bredehorst, J., Krautter, K., Meuris, J., & Jachimowicz, J.M. (2023). The Challenge of Maintaining Passion for Work Over Time: A Dynamic Perspective on Passion and Emotional Exhaustion. Organization Science. Click Here

Popular Writing

Research: How Passion Can Backfire at Work. (July 2024). Harvard Business Review. Click Here

Stop Assuming Introverts Aren’t Passionate About Work. (December 2023). Harvard Business Review. Click Here

Don’t Let Passion Lead to Burnout on Your Team. (May 2023). Harvard Business Review. Click Here

‘Follow your passion’ is a recipe for being exploited at work. (May 2023). LA Times. Click Here

Experience

Podcaster

Positiv Korreliert

Together with Luise Hönig, I publish a biweekly German podcast about statistics and psychological research. In each episode, we discuss one psychological research paper including its theory, methods, results, and practical implications.

October 2021 - Present

Organizer

German American Conference

The German American Conference at Harvard Kennedy School is the largest student-led conference in North America. I had the privilege of organizing the conference as Head of Communications in 2022, Co-Chair in 2023, and Head of US Outreach in 2024. Currently, I'm working as the Chief of Staff for the 2025 conference.

March 2022 - Present

Organizer

Journal Club on Organizational Behavior

Together with Jelena Gildehaus, I organized the biweekly Journal Club on Organizational Behavior where early-career researchers met to discuss a new paper in organizational behavior on a regular basis.

March 2023 - May 2025

Education

Harvard Business School

PhD Student (Organizational Behavior)
August 2023 - Present

Harvard University

Master of Arts (Psychology)
September 2023 - May 2025

Harvard University

Visiting Research Fellow (Organizational Behavior)
September 2021 - May 2022

Saarland University

Bachelor of Science (Psychology)
October 2018 - July 2021