Avraham (Avi) Natan Kluger is a full professor of Organizational Behavior at the Hebrew University Business School. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science and a member of the by-invitation-only Society for Organizational Behavior.
Kluger is an expert in Organizational Behavior, and his area of research focuses on the dangers of feedback and the benefits of listening in relationships and at work. In his papers, Prof. Kluger has shown that even positive feedback from a supervisor to an employee can diminish employee performance. His research suggests the remedy to the harmful effects of feedback is listening and asking questions. He proposes that good listeners are often perceived as good supervisors with high performance.
Prof. Kluger’s research has been published in leading outlets such as Psychological Bulletin, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and the Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior. He also published in the Harvard Business Review, Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Molecular Psychiatry, Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, Management Research: Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Organizational Dynamics, International Journal of Listening, European Journal of Social Psychology, Human Resource Management Review, Medical Education, Journal of Constructivist Psychology, and Journal of Business and Psychology. His book Commuting Stress (Springer) was published in 1995.
Prof. Kluger won the 2019 Outstanding Reviewer Award from the Academy of Management Discoveries; the 1996 Outstanding Paper in Organizational Behavior from the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management (with Angelo DeNisi), and the first William A. Owens Scholarly Achievement Award for Best Publication in Industrial and Organizational Psychology during 1996 by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, also with Angelo DeNisi. Additionally, he has been the recipient of several academic grants, including from the Israel Science Foundation, the Bi-National Science Foundation, Nidersachesen, US Army Institute, the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace, the Middle East Regional Cooperation (US government), the European Commission, the German Israeli Fund, Bank Leumi, and the Foundations Trustees. His work has been cited by New Yorker, Forbes, Inc, Haaretz, the Chicago Tribune, and Globes.
Prof. Kluger earned his Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from the Stevens Institute of Technology. He holds an MA in Social and Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Bar-Ilan University and a BA in Psychology and the Humanities from Tel Aviv University.
In addition to his academic experience, Prof. Kluger has served in consulting positions for various companies and organizations, including the Israeli Prime Minister’s Bureau, the Israeli Police, the Israeli Defense Forces, AT&T, Philips Lighting Company, Ericson, Previa, Achmea, the Umbrella Organization of Community Centers [Chevra LeMatnasim], Intel, Bank Leumi, ORT schools, and SodaStream.
Prof. Kluger teaches the courses Managerial Listening Skills, Theoretical Dimensions in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, and various Research Methods for Ph.D. Students.
- Research Summary
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Prof. Avi Kluger inquires into the mechanisms allowing listening to create the fleeting magic of connection, facilitating creativity and building relationships. He also probes into what prevents people from listening well, including concerns with status, second-hand trauma, and fear of change. He applies statistical tools such as meta-analyses and social relations models to provide greater confidence in findings and greater complexity in understanding processes transpiring in listener-speaker dyads, at work, and in life in general.
- Publications
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Kluger, A. N., Ackerman, P. L., Kenny, D. A., Malloy, T. E., & Eastwick, P. W. (in press). The Social Relations Model for Asymmetric-Block-Design data: A tutorial with R. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science (AMPPS).
Kluger, A. N., Lehmann, M., Aguinis, H., Itzchakov, G., Gordoni, G., Zyberaj, J., & Bakaç, C. (2024). A Meta-analytic Systematic Review and Theory of the Effects of Perceived Listening on Work Outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39(2), 295-344.
Borut, L., Kluger, A. N., Reis, H. T., & Shapiro, D. L. (2024). How (if at All) do Perceptions of Supervisor’s Listening Differ from General Relationship Quality?: Psychometric Analysis. Journal of Business and Psychology.
Weis-Rappaport, H., & Kluger, A. N. (2024). The effects of listening with "time-sharing" on psychological safety and social anxiety: the moderating role of narcissism and depression. Journal of Social Psychology, 164(2), 218-229.
Kluger, A. N., & Mizrahi, M. (2023). Defining listening: Can we get rid of the adjectives? Current Opinion in Psychology, 52, 101639.
Lehmann, M., Pery, S., Kluger, A. N., Hekman, D. R., Owens, B. P., & Malloy, T. E. (2023). Relationship-specific (dyadic) humility: How your humility predicts my psychological safety and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(5), 809-825.
Malloy, T. E., Bond, C. F., Pery, S., & Kluger, A. N. (2023). Key person designs Logic and statistical modeling. Methods in Psychology, 8.
London, M., Volmer, J., Zyberaj, J., & Kluger, A. N. (2023). Attachment style and quality listening: Keys to meaningful feedback and stronger leader-member connections. Organizational Dynamics.
London, M., Volmer, J., Zyberaj, J., & Kluger, A. N. (2023). Gaining feedback acceptance: Leader-member attachment style and psychological safety. Human Resource Management Review, Advanced online publication.
Shafran Tikva, S., Gabay, G., Asraf, L., Kluger, A. N., & Lerman, Y. (2023). Experiencing and witnessing disruptive behaviors toward nurses in COVID-19 teams, patient safety, and errors in care. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 55(1), 253-261.
Michelson, T., & Kluger, A. (2023). Can listening hurt you? A meta-analysis of the effects of exposure to trauma on listener’s stress. International Journal of Listening, 37(1), 1-11.
Kluger, A. N., Malloy, T. E., Pery, S., Itzchakov, G., Castro, D. R., Lipetz, L., Sela, Y., Turjeman‐Levi, Y., Lehmann, M., New, M., & Borut, L. (2020). Dyadic listening in teams: Social relations model. Applied Psychology: An International Review.
Kluger, A. N., & Malloy, T. E. (2019). Question asking as a dyadic behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 117, 1127-1138.
Shafran-Tikva, S., Kluger, A. N., & Lerman, Y. (2019). Disruptive behaviors among nurses in Israel - association with listening, wellbeing and feeling as a victim: a cross-sectional study. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 8, 76.
Lipetz, L., Kluger, A. N., & Bodie, G. D. (2018).Listening is listening is listening: Employees’ perception of listening as a holistic phenomenon. International Journal of Listening, 34, 71-96.
Kluger, A. N., & Lehmann, M. (2018). Listening first, feedback later. Management Research: Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, 16, 343-352. [Invited commentary, reviewed by Editor].
Itzchakov, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2018). The power of listening in helping people change. Harvard Business Review (May 17) [Invited review, reviewed by editors].
Schödl, M. M., Raz, A., & Kluger, A. N. (2018). On the Positive Side of Avoidance Motivation: An Increase in Avoidance Motivation Reduces Procrastination among Students. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 67, 655–685.
Castro, D. R., Anseel, F., Kluger, A. N., Lloyd, K. J., & Turjeman-Levi, Y. (2018). Mere listening effect on creativity and the mediating role of psychological safety. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 12, 489-502.
Itzchakov, G., DeMarree, K. G., Kluger, A. N., & Turjeman-Levi, Y. (2018). The listener sets the tone: High-quality listening increases attitude clarity and behavior-intention consequences. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(5), 762-778.
Itzchakov, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2017). Can holding a stick improve listening at work? The effect of Listening Circles on employees’ emotions and cognitions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(5), 663-676.
Itzchakov, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2017). The listening circle: A simple tool to enhance listening and reduce extremism among employees. Organizational Dynamics, 46(4), 220-226.
Itzchakov, G., Kluger, A. N., & Castro, D. R. (2017). I am aware of my inconsistencies but can tolerate them: The effect of high quality listening on speakers' attitude ambivalence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(1), 105–120.
Shafran-Tikva, S., & Kluger, A. N. (2017). Physician’s listening and adherence to medical recommendations among persons with diabetes. International Journal of Listening, 1-10.
Castro, D. R., Kluger, A. N., & Itzchakov, G. (2016). Does avoidance-attachment style attenuate the benefits of being listened to? European Journal of Social Psychology, 46(6), 762-775.
Itzchakov, G., Castro, D. R., & Kluger, A. N. (2016). If you want people to listen to you, tell a story. International Journal of Listening, 30(3), 120-133.
Lloyd, K. J., Boer, D., Kluger, A. N., & Voelpel, S. C. (2014). Building Trust and Feeling Well: Examining Intraindividual and Interpersonal Outcomes and Underlying Mechanisms of Listening. International Journal of Listening, 29(1), 12-29.
Itzchakov, G., Kluger, A. N., Emanuel-Tor, M., & Koren Gizbar, H. (2014). How Do You Like Me to Listen to You? International Journal of Listening, 28, 177-185.
Castro, D. R., Alex, C., Tohar, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2013). The Role of Active Listening in Teacher–Parent Relations and the Moderating Role of Attachment Style. International Journal of Listening, 27(3), 136-145.
Kluger, A. N., & Zaidel, K. (2013). Are Listeners Perceived as Leaders? International Journal of Listening, 27, 73-84.
Van Dijk, D., & Kluger, A. N. (2011). Task type as a moderator of positive/negative feedback effects on motivation and performance: A regulatory focus perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(8), 1084-1105.
Bouskila-Yam, O., & Kluger, A. N. (2011). Strength-based performance appraisal and goal setting. Human Resource Management Review, 21(2), 137-147.
Kluger, A. N., & Nir, D. (2010). The feedforward interview. Human Resource Management Review, 20(3), 235-246.
Davidson, O. B., Eden, D., Westman, M., Cohen-Charash, Y., Hammer, L. B., Kluger, A. N., Krausz, M., Maslach, C., O'Driscoll, M., Perrewé, P. L., Quick, J. C., Rosenblatt, Z., & Spector, P. E. (2010). Sabbatical Leave: Who Gains and How Much? Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(5), 953-964.
Kluger, A. N., & Van Dijk, D. (2010). Feedback, the various tasks of the doctor, and the feedforward alternative. Medical Education, 44(12), 1166-1174.
Kluger, A. N., Nir, D., & Kluger, Y. (2008). Personal Position Repertoire (PPR) from a bird's eye view. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 21, 223-238.
Kluger, A. N., Stephan, E., Ganzach, Y., & Hershkovitz, M. (2004). The effect of regulatory focus on the shape of probability-weighting function: Evidence from a cross-modality matching method. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 95(1), 20-39.
Van-Dijk, D., & Kluger, A. N. (2004). Feedback sign effect on motivation: Is it moderated by regulatory focus? Applied Psychology: An International Review, 53(1), 113-135.
Kluger, A. N., Siegfried, Z., & Ebstein, R. P. (2002). A meta-analysis of the association between DRD4 polymorphism and novelty seeking. Molecular Psychiatry, 7(7), 712-717.
Kluger, A. N., & Tikochinsky, J. (2001). The Error of Accepting the “Theoretical” Null Hypothesis: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Commonsense Hypotheses in Psychology, Psychological Bulletin, 127(3), 408–423.
Ganzach, Y., Kluger, A.N., & Klaynman, N. (2000). Making Decisions from an Interview: Expert Measurement and Mechanical Combination, Personnel Psychology, 53, 1-20.
DeNisi, A., & Kluger, A.N. (2000). Feedback Effectiveness: Can 360-Degree Appraisals be Improved?, Academy of Management Executive, 14, 129-139.
Bamberger P., Kluger, A.N., & Suchard, R. (1999). Antecedents and Consequences of Union Commitment: A Meta-analysis. Academy of Management Journal, 42, 304-318.
Kluger, A.N. (1999). “The Psychology of Resistance to Change” by S. Fox (1998): A book review, Megamot (Hebrew), Mem(1), 172-174.
Kluger, A. N. (1998). Commute Variability and Strain. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19, 147-165.
Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (1998). Feedback interventions: Toward the understanding of a double-edged sword. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 7, 67-72.
Judge, T. A., Locke, E. A., Durham, C. C., & Kluger A. N. (1998). Dispositional effects on job and life satisfaction: The role of core evaluations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 17-34.
Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (1996). The Effects of Feedback Interventions on Performance: Historical Review, a Meta-Analysis and a Preliminary Feedback Intervention Theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 254-284.
Kluger, A. N., Lewinshon, S. & Aiello, J. (1994). The influence of feedback on mood: Linear effects on pleasantness and curvilinear effects on arousal. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 60, 276-299.
Kluger, A. N., & Rothstein, H. (1993). The influence of selection test type on applicant reactions to employment testing. Journal of Business and Psychology, 8, 3-25.
Kluger, A. N., & Colella, A. (1993). Beyond the mean bias: The effect of warning against faking on biodata item variances. Personnel Psychology, 46, 763-780.
Kluger, A. N., & Adler, S. (1993). Person- versus computer-mediated feedback, Computers in Human Behavior, 9, 1-16.
Kluger, A. N., Reilly, R. R., & Russell, C. (1991). Faking biodata tests: Are option-keyed instruments more resistant? Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 889-896.
Kluger, A. N., & Koslowsky, M. (1988). Commitment and academic success. Social Behavior and Personality, 16, 121-125.
Koslowsky, M., Kluger, A. N., & Yinon, Y. (1988). Predicting behavior: Combining intentions with investment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 102-106.
Koslowsky, M., & Kluger, A. N. (1986). Commitment to participation in musical activities: An extension and application of the investment model. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 16, 831-844.
BOOKS
Koslowsky, M., Kluger, A. N., Reich, M. (1995). Commuting Stress. Plenum: NY.
BOOK CHAPTERS
Pery, S., Doytch, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2020). Management and Leadership (Chapter 10). In D. L. Worthington & G. D. Bodie (Eds.), Handbook of Listening (pp. 163-179). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119554189.ch10
Itzchakov, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2019). Changing the Other Party’s Attitude with High Quality Listening (Chapter 20). In A. Schneider (Ed.), Negotiation Essentials for Lawyer (pp. 129-134). American Bar Association.
Kluger, A., N. (2018). Foreward. In T. E. Malloy (Ed.), Social Relations Modeling of Behavior in Dyads and Groups. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Kluger, A. N., & Bouskila-Yam, O. (2018). Facilitating Listening Scale. In D. L. Worthington & G. D. Bodie (Eds.), The sourcebook of listening research: Methodology and measures (pp. 272-280). Hoboken, NJ John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Itzchakov, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2017). The Role of Listening-with-Understanding in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. In A. K. Schneider & C. Honeyman (Eds.), The Negotiator's Desk Reference. St. Paul, MN: NDR Books (on line); DRI Press of Mitchell Hamline Law School. https://www.ndrweb.com/
Kluger, A. N., & Sagiv, L. (2005). The influence of values on willingness to cooperate among Israeli and Jordanian businesspersons [in Hebrew]. In S. Shamir (Ed.), Academic Research on Regional Cooperation (pp. 53-81). Tel Aviv: Ramot - Tel Aviv University.
Kluger, A. N., & Ganzach, Y. (2004). Two Faces of Excellence: Perfection versus Eminence. In G. B. Graen (Ed.), New Frontiers of Leadership (pp. 67-97). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing
A REPRINT OF A 1998 PAPER – SEE ARTICLES ABOVE. Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (2004). Feedback Interventions: Towards the Understanding of a Double-Edged Sword. Reprinted. In T. F. Oltmanns & R. E. Emery (Eds.), Current Directions in Abnormal Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Ebstein, R. P., Kluger, A. N., & Siegfried, Z. (2003). DRD4 Box score. In D. Cooper (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Human Genome. London: Macmillan Reference Books.
Kluger, A. N. (2001). Feedback-expectation discrepancy, arousal and locus of cognition. In M. Erez, U. Kleinbeck, & Hk. Thierry (Eds.) Work Motivation in the Context of a Globalizing Economy. Lawrence Erlbaum.
Wasserman, V., Rafaeli, A., & Kluger, A. N. (2000). Symbols as Emotional Cues, in S. Fineman (Ed.) Emotion in Organizations (2nd Edition). SAGE: London.
Kluger, A. N., & Rafaeli, A. (2000). Affective Reactions to Physical Appearance. In N. Ashkanasy, C.E.J. Hartel, & W.J. Zerbe (Eds.). Emotions and organizational life. Greenwood Publishing Group: Westport, CT.
Kluger, A. N., Adler, S., & Fay, C. (1992). Computerized Feedback Effects on Feedback Seeking, Performance and Motivation. In M. I. Nurminen & G. R. S. Weir (Eds.). Human Jobs and Computer Interfaces. pp. 131-145. Amsterdam: North Holland. {Best proceedings papers selected for the book - see below}.
Kluger, A. N., Adler, S. & Fay, C. (June, 1991). Computerized Feedback Effects on Feedback Seeking, Performance and Motivation. Preceding of the Conference on Human Jobs and Computer Interfaces, Tampere, Finland: University of Tampere, 359-372.
- In the News
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https://www.haaretz.co.il/wellbeing/health-blogs/psychology/judithkatz/BLOG-1.3425727
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/careers/ct-huppke-work-advice-0727-biz-20150726-column.html
https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-push-against-performance-reviews?mbid=social_twitter
https://www.lahav.ac.il/article/listen-become-better-managers
- Awards & Honors
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The 1996 Outstanding Paper in Organizational Behavior awarded by the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management (presented August 1997 in Boston) with Angelo DeNisi.
The first William A. Owens Scholarly Achievement Award for the best publication in field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology during 1996 by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (presented April 1998 in Dallas) with Angelo DeNisi.
Finalist. 2000 Academy of Management Executive Best Paper with Angelo DeNisi.
Fellow. 2002. Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Fellow. 2002. American Psychological Association.
Fellow. 2002. American Psychological Society.
Outstanding teaching evaluations: Research Method class 2004/5 rated 2nd out of 85 classes;
The 2009 Award for Best Competitive Paper by the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management with Dina Van-Dijk.
2012 Citation of the Hebrew University's Rector for outstanding teaching evaluations.
Fellow. 2014. The International Association of Applied Psychology.
2018 Citation of the Hebrew University's Rector for outstanding teaching evaluations.
2020 Outstanding Reviewer award recipient, Academy of Management Discoveries.
Grants
The Foundations Trustees, $25,000, 1996-1998
The Israel Science Foundation, $35,000, 1994-1997
Bank Leumi, $25,000, 1995-1997
German Israeli Fund, DM 285,000, 1999-2001
European Commission, ECU 115,000, 2001-2003
Middle East Regional Cooperation (US government), $328,000, 2001-2005
Tami Steinmetz center for peace, NIS 25,000, 2003
US Army Institute, $385,483,2003-2008
Nidersachesen, 100,000 €, 2004-2005
The Israel Science Foundation, NIS 330,000, 2012-2014
The Israel Science Foundation, NIS 558,000, 2017-2022
Bi-National Science Foundation, $300,000, 2019-2023