Professor Karina Nielsen

PhD

Management School

Chair in Work Psychology

Karina Nielsen wearing a colourful patterned top and sandy brown jacket.
Profile picture of Karina Nielsen wearing a colourful patterned top and sandy brown jacket.
k.m.nielsen@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0983

Full contact details

Professor Karina Nielsen
Management School
Room B028
Sheffield University Management School
Conduit Road
Sheffield
S10 1FL
Profile

Karina joined the Institute of Work Psychology at the Sheffield University Management School in October 2016. Prior to this, Karina was Professor of Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of East Anglia, UK.

Karina completed her PhD in Applied Psychology at the University of Nottingham, UK in 2003 and then returned to her native Denmark to work as a researcher, senior researcher and professor at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment in Copenhagen.

Since 2003, Karina has been Principal or Co-investigator on more than 20 externally funded research projects, and has published over 90 refereed journal articles.

Research interests

Karina's research interests fall in the category of changing organisations. Her main strand of research is that of participatory, organisational interventions.

She has developed and tested models for how organisations can design, implement and evaluate organisational intervention that aim to promote employee well-being through changing the way work is organised, designed and managed.

Karina is particularly interested in evaluation design. She has developed evaluation methods that may help researchers and organisations understand what works for whom in which circumstances.

Karina's second strand of research involves understanding how restructuring influences employee well-being.

Restructuring often has a negative impact on employee well-being and she studies how restructuring can be implemented such that it achieves its objectives and at the same does not have detrimental effects on employee well-being.

Finally, Karina's third strand of research focuses on leadership and well-being.

She explores how the leadership of line managers can help create a good environment for their employees giving them the opportunity to develop and thrive in their jobs. She is particularly interested in exploring the conditions for "good" leadership.

In her research, Karina uses qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research designs.

Publications

Books

  • Nielsen K & Noblet A (2018) ORGANIZATIONAL INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH AND WELL BEING A Handbook for Evidence-Based Practice. RIS download Bibtex download

Edited books

  • Kelloway K, Nielsen KM & Dimoff J (Eds.) (2017) Leading to Occupational Health and Safety: How Leadership Behaviours Impact Organizational Safety and Well-Being. Wiley-Blackwell. RIS download Bibtex download

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Pelzer V, Nielsen K, Zuberbühler JP, Muschalla B, Kubik R, Heber E & De Angelis M (2024) Managing well-being at work: multi-level interventions to promote productive and health workplaces In Thakre N & Uday Kumar Reddy B (Ed.), Stress, Wellness, and Performance Optimization Promoting Sustainable Performance in the Workplace (pp. 21-52). Apple Academic Press, Inc, CRC Press View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pelzer V, Nielsen K, Zuberbühler JP, Muschalla B, Kubík R, Heber E & De Angelis M (2023) Managing Well-Being at Work: MultiLevel Interventions to Promote Productive and Healthy Workplaces, Stress, Wellness, and Performance Optimization (pp. 21-51). Apple Academic Press RIS download Bibtex download
  • Løkling T, Nielsen K, Christensen M & Valstad SJ (2023) Managing Conflict at Work, The Routledge Companion to Mental Health at Work (pp. 372-392). Routledge RIS download Bibtex download
  • Giusino D, De Angelis M, Mazzetti G, Faiulo IR, Innstrand ST, Christensen M & Nielsen K (2022) Mentally Healthy Healthcare, Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies (pp. 143-171). IGI Global RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Yarker J, Munir F & Bültmann U (2020) IGLOO: A Framework for Return to Work Among Workers with Mental Health Problems View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K & Noblet A (2018) Introduction: Organizational interventions: Where we are, where we go from here? In Nielsen K & Noblet A (Ed.), Organizational Interventions for Health and Well-being: A Handbook for Evidence-Based Practice (pp. 1-21). Routledge RIS download Bibtex download
  • Axtell CM & Holman D (2018) Participatory Interventions in Call Centres In Nielsen K & Noblet A (Ed.), Organizational Interventions for Health and Well-being: A Handbook for Evidence-Based Practice Routledge View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM & Noblet A (2018) Organizational interventions: where we are, where we go from here? In Nielsen K & Noblet A (Ed.), ORGANIZATIONAL INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH AND WELL‑BEING: A Handbook for Evidence-Based Practice (pp. 1-22). London: Routledge. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Noblet A & Nielsen KM (2018) Epilogue: Critical reflections and the way forward In Nielsen K & Noblet A (Ed.), ORGANIZATIONAL INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH AND WELL BEING A Handbook for Evidence-Based Practice (pp. 262-274). London: Routledge. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ogbonnaya C, Daniels K, Connolly S, van Veldhoven M & Nielsen KM (2016) Employees, managers and high performance work practices: A 'win-win' or the transformational leader's exploitative approach to organizational performance. In Ashkanasy N, Bennett R & Martinko M (Ed.), Understanding the High Performance Workplace The Line Between Motivation and Abuse Routledge RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM & Randall R (2015) Addressing the fit of planned interventions to the organizational context. In Karanika-Murray M & Biron C (Ed.), Derailed Organizational Interventions for Stress and Well-Being Confessions of Failure and Solutions for Success (pp. 107-118). Dordrecht: Springer. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nabe-Nielsen K, Persson R, Nielsen K, Olsen O, Carneiro IG & Garde AH (2015) Perspectives on Randomization and Readiness for Change in a Workplace Intervention Study, Derailed Organizational Interventions for Stress and Well-Being (pp. 201-208). Springer Netherlands RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K & Randall R (2015) Assessing and Addressing the Fit of Planned Interventions to the Organizational Context, Derailed Organizational Interventions for Stress and Well-Being (pp. 107-113). Springer Netherlands RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM (2014) Leadership and Climate in a Pschologically Healthy Workplace. In Day A, Kelloway EK & Hurrell Jr. JJ (Ed.), Workplace Well-being How to Build Psychologically Healthy Workplaces (pp. 218-236). John Wiley & Sons RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gottlieb JV & Toye R (2013) Introduction, The Aftermath of Suffrage (pp. 1-18). Palgrave Macmillan UK RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K (2013) Work engagement in transformational leaders: A multi-level, multi-source study, Perspectives in Leadership (pp. 29-50). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Stage M, Abildgaard JS & Brauer CV (2013) Participatory Intervention from an Organizational Perspective: Employees as Active Agents in Creating a Healthy Work Environment, Salutogenic organizations and change (pp. 327-350). Springer Netherlands RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM (2013) Perspectives in Psychology In Vanvactor JD (Ed.), Work engagement in transformational leaders: A multi-level, multi-source study. (pp. 29-50). New York: Nova Science Publications. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM (2013) Managing psychosocial risks in Denmark: research and policy initiatives. In Peiro JM & Molina C (Ed.), International yearbook of psychosocial risk prevention and quality of life at work. Evaluation development of pyschosocial risks in Europe. The state of scientific research and institutional experienc Spain, Jaen: Secretary of Labour Health and Environment UGT-CEC. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM, Stage M, Abildgaard JS & Brauer CV (2013) Participatory intervention from an organizational perspective: Employees as active agents in creating a healthy work environment. In Bauer G & Jenny G (Ed.), Salutongenic organizations and change: The concepts behind organizational intervention research. (pp. 327-350). Dordrecht: Springer Publications. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Randall R & Nielsen KM (2012) Does the intervention fit?: An explanatory model of intervention success and failure in complex organizational environments, Improving Organizational Interventions For Stress and Well-Being: Addressing Process and Context (pp. 120-134). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Randall R, Nielsen KM, Yarker J & Brenner S-O (2011) The effects of transformational leadership on followers' working conditions and well-being. In Cooper C (Ed.), Organizational Health and Well-Being SAGE Publications Limited RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM & Randall R (2010) Interventions to Promote Well-Being at Work. In Leka S & Houdmont J (Ed.), Occupational Health Psychology: A Key Text (pp. 88-123). John Wiley & Sons RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K & González ER (2010) Engaging middle managers: Activities and resources which enhance middle manager engagement, Handbook of Employee Engagement: Perspectives, Issues, Research and Practice (pp. 139-148). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Randall R, Brenner SO & Albertsen K (2009) Developing a framework for the "why" in change outcomes: The importance of employees' appraisal of changes, Prerequisites for Healthy Organizational Change (pp. 76-86). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM, Randall R, Brenner SO & Albertsen K (2009) The impact of participants' appraisals of change processes on the effects of organizational stress management interventions. In Saksvik PO (Ed.), Prerequisites for Healthy Organizational Change Bentham Science Publishers RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM & Randall R (2008) The importance of middle management support for change: A case study from the financial sector in Denmark. In Unknown (Ed.), Different perspectives on work changes (pp. 95-102). Quebec: Les Presss de l'Universite de Laval. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Oeij PRA, Wiezer NM, Elo A-L, Nielsen KM, Vega S, Wetzstein A & Zolnierczyk D (2006) Combating Psychosocial Risks in Work Organisations: Practice of Interventions in Europe. In Houdmont J & McIntyre S (Ed.), Occupational Health Psychology: European Perspectives on Research, Education and Practice (Vol. 1). European Academy of Occuptional Health Psychology. Castelo de Maia: ISMAI Publishing. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM, Fredslund H & Christensen KB (2004) Using process evaluation to understand the impact of interventions. In Houdmont J & McIntyre S (Ed.), Occupational Health Psychology: Key papers of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology. Oporto, Portugal, 24-26 November 2004. (pp. 311-320). Maia: PUBLISMAI. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Albertsen K, Nielsen KM, Brenner S-O, Smith-Hansen L & Roepsdorff C (2004) Women in the workplace: Design and results from the first stage of an intervention project to improve women's working conditions. In Houdmont J & McIntyre S (Ed.), Occupational Health Psychology: Key papers of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology. Oporto, Portugal, 24-26 November 2004. (pp. 28-37). Maia: PUBLISMAI. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM, Cox T & Griffiths A (2002) Developing interventions for risk management: The Action Innovation Process. In Weikert IC, Torkelson E & Pryce J (Ed.), Occupational Health Psychology: Empowerment, Participation & Health at Work. (pp. 135-140). Wien: Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt (AUVA). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM, Cox T & Griffiths A (2001) Opportunities for skills use and employee well-being in self-managing work teams. In Weikert E, Torkelson E & Pryce J (Ed.), Occupational Health Psychology: Europe 2001 (pp. 139-144). Barcelona. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Di Tecco C, Yarner J & Vignoli M () An integrated approach to managing wellbeing in the workplace In Brough P & Kinman G (Ed.), Wellbeing at Work in a Turbulent Era Edward Elgar RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K () Understanding the outcomes of work transformations: Evaluation of organizational interventions In Parkers S, Klonek F, Knight C & Zhang F (Ed.), Transformative Work Design: Synthesis and New Directions: A Prospectus SIOP Frontier Series RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Christensen M, Fladmark SF, Zuberbuhler JP & Innstrand ST () The ARK programme – A Participatory Organizational Health Intervention and Development of Meaning at Work and Work to Home Conflict over Time for Academics in Norway In Edwards M, Martin A & Ashkanasy N (Ed.), Handbook of Academic Mental Health RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K () Organizational Interventions In Nielsen K (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Abildgaard JS & Olsen EL () Developing Change Competencies: An Examination of Sensemaking Processes in a Change Management Competency Intervention In Oreg S, Michel A & Todnem By R (Ed.), The Psychology of Organizational Change: New Insights on the Antecedents and Consequences of Individuals’ Responses to Change - Part II Cambridge University Press RIS download Bibtex download
  • Giusino D, De Angelis M, Mazzetti G, Faiulo IR, Innstrand ST, Christensen M & Nielsen K () Mentally Healthy Healthcare: Main Findings and Lessons Learned from a Needs Assessment Exercise at Multiple Workplace Levels In Bowers C (Ed.), Mental Health and Wellness in Healthcare Workers: Identifying Risks, Prevention, and Treatment RIS download Bibtex download
  • () Organizational Change Routledge RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Randall R & Bang Christensen K () Developing New Ways of Evaluating Organizational-Level Interventions, Contemporary Occupational Health Psychology (pp. 21-45). Wiley-Blackwell RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pahkin K, Mattila-Holappa P, Nielsen K, Widerszal-Bazyl M & Wiezer N () A Sound Change, Contemporary Occupational Health Psychology (pp. 165-180). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd RIS download Bibtex download
  • () Improving Organizational Interventions For Stress and Well-Being Routledge RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Axtell C & Sorensen G () Organizational interventions – fitting the intervention to the context to ensure the participatory process In Kelloway K & Cooper C (Ed.), Research Agenda for Workplace Stress and Wellbeing RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K, Axtell C & Taylor S () National approaches to wellbeing interventions: The UK Management Standards as an example In Wall T, Cooper C & Brough P (Ed.), The Sage Handbook of Organisational Wellbeing View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen K & Bültmann U () An integrative framework for return to work after common mental disorders In Bültmann U (Ed.), Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences. Handbook of Disability, Work and Health View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM () How workers’ cognitive appraisals of organizational change influence employee well-being In Vakola M & Petrou P (Ed.), Organizational Change: Psychological effects and strategies for coping Routledge RIS download Bibtex download

Reports

  • Nielsen K, Yarker J & Evans H (2019) Thriving at Work: The resources required to support employees returning to work following mental ill-health absence View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nielsen KM, Birk Jørgensen M, Milczarek M & Lorenzo M (2019) Healthy workers, thriving companies - a practical guide to wellbeing at work Tackling psychosocial risks and musculoskeletal disorders in small businesses View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wiezer N, Nielsen KM, Pahkin K, Widerszal-Bazyl M, de Jong T, Mattila-Holappa P & Mockallo Z (2011) Exploring the link between restructuring and employee well-being. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pahkin K, Mattila-Holappa P, Nielsen KM, Wiezer N, Widerszal-Bazyl M, de Jong T & Mockallo Z (2011) Steps towards sound change - initiatives for ensuring employee well-being during restructuring. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kieselbach T, Nielsen K & Triomphe CE (2010) Psychosocial risks and health effects of restructuring. Background Document for the High Level Conference of the European Commission and the Belgian EU Presidency "Investing in well-being at work: Addressing psychosocial risks in times of change". RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kieselbach T, Armgarth E, Bagnara S, Elo AL, Jefferys S, Joling C, Kuhn K, Nielsen KM, Popma J, Rogovsky N , Sahler B et al (2009) Health in Restructuring: Innovative Approaches and Policy Recommendations. RIS download Bibtex download
  • () TemaNord RIS download Bibtex download

Dictionary/encyclopaedia entries

  • Nielsen K & Vasquez C Organizational Interventions Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. RIS download Bibtex download

Presentations

  • Zhang H, Yarker J, Palmer N, Grozev V, Nielsen K & Axtell C Digital Attitudes: A review of the literature and a research agenda. Katowice, Poland. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Grozev V, Zhang H, Yarker J, Palmer N, Axtell C & Nielsen K Development and validation of a new measure of digital attitudes in organisations. Katowice, Poland. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Research group

The Institute of Work Psychology (IWP)

Grants

Title: New challenges to the management of psychosocial risks at work in times of rapid economic and technological changes in Italy and Europe. A comparative multilevel approach.

  • Awarding body: BRIC
  • Amount: €501,601
  • Role: Co-investigator and Work package leader
  • Date: 2020-2022

Title: H-WORK – multilevel intervention to promote mental health in SMEs and public workplaces

  • Awarding body: H-2020
  • Amount: €3,987,000
  • Role: Co-investigator and Work package leader
  • Date: 2020-2023

Title: Materials Made Smarter Centre

  • Awarding body: EPSRC
  • Amount: £2,661,138
  • Role: Co-investigator
  • Date: 2021-2024

Title: The Improvements in Organizations Network:Understanding the demands for designing, implementing and evaluating changes in organisations from a multi-disciplinary perspective

  • Awarding body:FORTE
  • Amount: SEK 448,200
  • Role: Co-investigator
  • Date: 2019-2021

Title: Solving the productivity puzzle: Ensuring sustainable return to work for workers with common mental disorders

  • Awarding body: ESRC Productivity Insight Network
  • Amount: £49,356
  • Role: Principal Investigator
  • Date: 2018-2019

Title: ESTEEM - European Safety Training and Evaluation supporting European Mobility

  • Awarding body: ERASMUS+
  • Amount: €442.000
  • Role: Principal investigator
  • Date: 2017-2020

Title: Psychosocial work environment during organisational changes - an intervention project

  • Awarding body: National Research Fund for the Working Environment
  • Amount: DKK 3.800.000.
  • Role: Co-investigator
  • Date: 2017-2019

Title: Are we in the same boat? Leader and employee perceptions in connection with health promoting

  • Awarding body: AFA Insurance
  • Amount: SEK 3.448.000.
  • Role: Co-investigator
  • Date: 2017-2019

Title: New developments in organizational interventions, new evaluation models – a Nordic multi-disciplinary approach.

  • Awarding body: NOH-HS (Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences)
  • Amount: SEK: 437.000
  • Role: Senior expert
  • Date: 2017-2018

Title: Qualitative research study on organisational-level interventions reducing the negative effects of restructuring on employees in large company establishments

  • Awarding body: Eurofound
  • Amount: €79,000
  • Role: Senior expert
  • Date: 2017-2018

Previous Key Principal Investigator Grants:
  • Out of mind, out of sight? OSH leadership for distributed workers. Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. £103,293.
  • Resource: Good management, employee participation, work environment, well-being, and productivity/readiness for change in Nordic companies. Nordic council of ministers, 900.000 DKK.
  • Participatory interventions from an organisational perspective (PIOP). National Work Environment Research Fund. 3.852.677 DKK.
  • Managing teams. National Work Environment Research Fund, 3.095.616 DKK.
Professional activities and memberships

Awards

  • Work & Stress Top Paper Award 2008. Awarded to Karina Nielsen et al for their paper entitled 'Success or failure? Interpreting and understanding the impact of interventions in four similar worksites' published in Work & Stress, Volume 20, 2006.
  • Best Practices Intervention Competition Awards 2009: Honorable Mention. Awarded to Karina Nielsen & Raymond Randall for their paper: Does participation mediate the effects of team implementation on employee well-being and job satisfaction? A longitudinal field study. Awarded by: American Psychological Association.
  • Early Career Achievement Award 2009. Awarded to Karina Nielsen. Awarded by American Psychological Association.
  • Eusebio Rial-González Innovation & Practice Award in Occupational Health Psychology from the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP) and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).Editorial work

Editorial work

  • Associate Editor: Work & Stress.
  • Editorial board member: Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, The Leadership Quarterly, Human Relations, Journal of Business and Psychology, Occupational Health Science.

Visiting Professorships

  • Deakin University, 2018
  • ISA fellowship University of Bologna, 2019
  • Griffith University, 2019

Current chairs/boards

  • Chair of the Research Forum and member of Executive Committee. European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology
  • Associate member Society of Organizational and Industrial Psychology
  • Member of the programme on Mental health in the workplace. AFA Insurance
  • Research affiliate Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
  • Member of ENOP – the European Network for Work and Organizational Psychology Professors in Europe. Member of the CoCo – coordinating committee of ENOP.
PhD Supervision

Karina is interested in supervising students in topics related job design and well-being.

She supervises in topics related to bottom-up job redesign, e.g. job crafting and top-down job redesign, i.e. the changes we can make to the way work is organised, designed and managed to improve employee health and well-being.

Karina has widespread expertise in supervising PhDs in evaluation.

This includes the evaluation of individual-level interventions such as leader and employee training and how such training can successfully be transferred to daily working life and the evaluation of organisational interventions to understand what works for whom in which circumstances.

Karina also supervises on leadership and well-being and she invites students who are interested in exploring the dark side of leadership.

She is interested in supervising students who want to explore how leaders can ensure high performance at the same time as ensuring employees' well-being.

Many of Karina's PhD students have published their work in high impact journals.