(Life) Lessons Without Borders

Isabella Krysa, Associate Professor of Management, Vancouver Campus

A woman wearing a trench coat takes in her surroundings in British Columbia, Canada.

(Photo: Martin Dee)

By Rebecca Maxon

Isabella Krysa’s all-time favorite class to teach is Organizational Behavior. “This course is applicable to many situations in life, regardless of an individual’s professional career. Organization begins the moment a relationship is formed,” Krysa says. “Topics covered in that course, such as motivation, stress and perception, are relevant to all of us.”

Born in Poland, Krysa, who still speaks Polish at home today, attended college in Canada, completing her undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees. She chose to stay in Canada, taking a job as assistant professor of management at FDU’s Vancouver Campus in 2016.

“I am excited for the new campus at Oakridge Park, with the modern and spacious classrooms. Teaching has become much more interactive, and there is often movement as students shift into different groups for the collaborative work of brainstorming sessions. Oakridge will support this kind of interactive and inspiring classroom experience.”

Krysa’s research spans a broad range of topics including sustainability; diversity and inclusive workplaces; how workplace norms, government policies and socioeconomic conditions influence mental well-being; and work-life balance among female academics and entrepreneurs across different cultures.

“Having a healthy balance between work and life is crucial for both personal happiness and to the ability to perform well at work,” she says. Class discussions about work-life balance, the various ways that balance matters and how it can be achieved, consistently point to “doing your best at work, but at the same time not neglecting friends, family and passions outside of work.”

Research across different cultures “suggests that better work-life balance leads to better mental health and, ultimately, better work outcomes.” Her research, done with a Finnish co-author, showed that “in the Scandinavian context, time spent outside of work — especially with family — has high priority.” In Finland, around five weeks of government-mandated paid vacation per year, along with holidays, are observed.

For her own work-life balance, Krysa says, “I love spending time with my family, reading books or going to a Zumba class.” She also hopes to travel to the Fiji Islands, where “the 180th meridian divides Taveuni Island into yesterday and today.”