Professor Karen Niven

BSc, MSc, PhD

Management School

Associate Dean for One University

Professor of Organisational Psychology

Karen Niven wearing a black and white patterned top.
Profile picture of Karen Niven wearing a black and white patterned top.
K.R.Niven@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0987
B030, Sheffield University Management School

Full contact details

Professor Karen Niven
Management School
B030
Sheffield University Management School
Conduit Road
Sheffield
S10 1FL
Profile

I am a Professor of Organisational Psychology and the Associate Dean for One University. My leadership role oversees Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), staff wellbeing and development, and sustainability.

I joined Sheffield University Management School in March 2022 and served as Head of the Work Psychology Group before taking on my current role. Prior to this, I was a Professor and Head of the Organisational Psychology Group at Alliance Manchester Business School. 

My research focuses on social relationships in the workplace, particularly how people influence the emotions of those around them and the 'darker' side of relationships (e.g. bullying, aggression). I have published in a range of organisational psychology, management and social psychology journals and co-edited two popular science books. I currently serve on the Editorial Review Boards of Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Human Relations, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Organizational Psychology Review, and Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

Qualifications
  • PhD Psychology - University of Sheffield
  • MSc Work Psychology - University of Sheffield
  • BSc Psychology - University of Leeds
Research interests

My research focuses on social relationships in the workplace. I have two key research areas:

  1. Interpersonal emotion regulation
  2. Workplace mistreatment

My research on interpersonal emotion regulation focuses on understanding how and why we try to manage other people's emotions. Current projects include studying how organisations monitor and manager worker emotions via AI, and exploring the role of factors like personality and age in shaping people's ability to manage others' feelings.

In the area of mistreatment, my current research focuses on understanding how bystanders behave when they witness acts of mistreatment.

I use a variety of methods, including diary studies, social network analysis, longitudinal and dyadic surveys, experimental designs and interventions.

My research has been funded by the ESRC, UKRI, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the Richard Benjamin Trust. I collaborate with colleagues in the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Chile, Canada, USA and Australia.

Publications

Books

  • Totterdell PA & Niven K (2014) Workplace Moods and Emotions: A Review of Research. Charleston, SC: Createspace Independent Publishing.
  • Totterdell P & Niven K (2012) Should I Strap a Battery to My Head? (And Other Questions ¾Ã²Ý¸£Àû Emotion). CreateSpace.

Edited books

  • Niven K, Lewis S & Kagan C (Eds.) (2017) Making a difference with psychology. Richard Benjamin Trust.

Journal articles

  • Ng K & Niven K (2025) . Journal of Organizational Behavior.
  • Farley S, Niven K, Hughes DJ & Booth T (2025) . Work & Stress.
  • Niven K & López-Pérez B (2025) . Emotion, 25(2), 277-286.
  • MacCann C, Double KS, Olderbak S, Austin EJ, Pinkus RT, Walker SA, Kunst H & Niven K (2025) . Emotion, 25(2), 410-429.
  • Michaelides G, Niven K, Wood S & Inceoglu I (2024) . Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97(4), 1502-1525.
  • Niven K, Hughes DJ, Tan JK & Wickett R (2024) . Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 18(4).
  • Ibaceta M, Holman D & Niven K (2024) . European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 33(4), 503-516.
  • Wickett R, Muhlert N & Niven K (2023) . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4).
  • Farley S, Mokhtar D, Ng K & Niven K (2023) . Work & Stress, 37(3), 345-372.
  • Wood S, Michaelides G, Inceoglu I, Niven K, Kelleher A, Hurren E & Daniels K (2022) . Applied Psychology.
  • Wood S, Michaelides G, Daniels K & Niven K (2022) . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16).
  • Ng K, Niven K & Notelaers G (2022) . Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 27(1), 119-135.
  • Niven K, Connolly C, Stride C & Farley S (2021) . Work and Stress, 36(2), 147-163.
  • Vasquez CA, Madrid HP & Niven K (2021) . Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(9), 1168-1185.
  • Reich T, Hershcovis S, Lyubykh Z, Niven K, Parker S & Stride C (2021) . Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 26(5), 374-392.
  • Wood SJ, Michaelides G, Inceoglu I, Hurren ET, Daniels K & Niven K (2021) . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14).
  • Niven K (2021) . Human Resource Management Review.
  • Vasquez CA, Niven K & Madrid HP (2020) . Journal of Personnel Psychology, 19(2), 97-101.
  • Hughes DJ, Kratsiotis IK, Niven K & Holman D (2020) . Emotion, 20(1), 63-67.
  • Niven K & Armitage C (2020) Christine Sprigg 1968-2019. PSYCHOLOGIST, 33, 6-6.
  • Ng K, Niven K & Hoel H (2020) . Human Relations, 73(12), 1718-1746.
  • Holman D & Niven K (2019) . European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28(6), 820-830.
  • Madrid HP, Niven K & Vasquez CA (2019) . Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(4), 787-805.
  • Niven K, Troth AC & Holman D (2019) . Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(4), 1020-1026.
  • Yang W-N, Niven K & Johnson S (2019) . Journal of Vocational Behavior, 110, 286-302.
  • Niven K, Henkel AP & Hanratty J (2019) . Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology, 3(2), 85-96.
  • Sprigg CA, Niven K, Dawson J, Farley S & Christopher A (2018) . Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 24(2), 286-296.
  • Madrid HP, Totterdell P, Niven K & Vasquez CA (2018) . European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 27(5), 642-656.
  • Lopez-Kidwell V, Niven K & Labianca G (2018) . Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(9), 1129-1141.
  • Yang W-N, Johnson S & Niven K (2018) . Journal of Vocational Behavior, 107, 71-85.
  • Niven K (2017) . Current Opinion in Psychology, 17, 89-93.
  • Niven K & Boorman L (2016) . Journal of Organizational Behavior, 37(8), 1150-1177.
  • Madrid HP, Totterdell P & Niven K (2016) . Emotion, 16(6), 798-802.
  • Parkinson B, Simons G & Niven K (2016) . Emotion, 16(4), 449-458.
  • Wood S, Niven K & Braeken J (2016) . Work, Employment and Society, 30(5), 783-801.
  • Madrid HP, Totterdell P, Niven K & Barros E (2016) . Journal of Applied Psychology.
  • Niven K (2016) . Organizational Psychology Review, 6(4), 305-323.
  • Niven K & Healy C (2016) . Journal of Business Ethics, 137(1), 115-127.
  • Hislop D, Axtell C, Collins A, Daniels K, Glover J & Niven K (2015) . Information and Organization, 25(4), 222-232.
  • Niven K, Garcia D, van der Löwe I, Holman D & Mansell W (2015) . Frontiers in Psychology, 6.
  • Niven K & Ciborowska N (2015) . International Journal of Stress Management, 22(2), 207-221.
  • Strauss K, Niven K, R. McClelland C & Cheung BKT (2015) . Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(4), 733-745.
  • Niven K (2015) . Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45(3), 132-138.
  • Hallam GP, Webb TL, Sheeran P, Miles E, Niven K, Wilkinson ID, Hunter MD, Woodruff PW, Totterdell P & Farrow TF (2014) . Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8.
  • Kleinsorge T, Diestel S, Scheil J & Niven K (2014) . Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28(2), 274-278.
  • Berrios R, Totterdell P & Niven K (2013) . European Journal of Personality, 29(1), 72-82.
  • Niven K, Sprigg CA & Armitage CJ (2013) . European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(1), 88-106.
  • Niven K, Sprigg CA, Armitage CJ & Satchwell A (2013) . Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(1), 67-84.
  • Wood S, Braeken J & Niven K (2013) . Journal of Business Ethics, 115(3), 617-634.
  • Niven K, Totterdell P, Miles E, Webb TL & Sheeran P (2013) . Cognition & Emotion, 27(1), 133-140.
  • Niven K, Macdonald I & Holman D (2012) . Frontiers in Psychology, 3.
  • Totterdell P, Hershcovis S, Niven K, Reich T & Stride CB (2012) . Work & Stress, 26(2), 112-129.
  • Niven K, Holman D & Totterdell P (2012) . Human Relations, 65(6), 777-805.
  • Niven K, Totterdell P, Holman D & Headley T (2012) . The Journal of Social Psychology, 152(2), 246-260.
  • Niven K, Totterdell P, Stride CB & Holman D (2011) . Current Psychology, 30(1), 53-73.
  • Totterdell P, Niven K & Holman D (2010) Our emotional neighbourhoods. The Psychologist, 23(6), 474-477.
  • Niven K, Totterdell P & Holman D (2009) . Emotion, 9(4), 498-509.
  • Niven K, Totterdell P & Holman D (2007) Changing moods and influencing people: The use and effects of emotional influence behaviours at HMP Grendon. Prison Service Journal, 173, 39-45.

Book chapters

  • Niven K, Ng K & Hoel H (2020) The bystanders of workplace bullying In Einarsen S, Hoel H, Zapf D & Cooper CL (Ed.), Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace Theory, Research and Practice CRC Press
  • Totterdell P, Holman D & Niven K (2013) Research Agenda, DAY IN THE LIFE OF A HAPPY WORKER (pp. 150-169).
  • (2012) , A Day in the Life of a Happy Worker (pp. 158-177). Psychology Press
  • Niven K, Totterdell PA, Holman D & Cameron D (2012) Emotional labor at the unit-level In Grandey A, Diefendorff J & Rupp DE (Ed.), Emotional Labor in the 21st Century: Diverse Perspectives on Emotion Regulation at Work Routledge Academic
  • Niven K, Holman D & Totterdell P (2010) In Shuker R & Sullivan E (Ed.), Grendon and the emergence of forensic therapeutic communities: Developments in research and practice (pp. 233-246). Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Niven K, Totterdell P & Holman D (2009) Affect regulation and well-being in the workplace: An interpersonal perspective In Antoniou A-SG, Cooper CL, Chrousos GP, Spielberger CD & Eysenck MW (Ed.), Handbook of Managerial Behavior and Occupational Health (pp. 218-228). Edward Elgar

Reports

  • Hershcovis MS, Reich TC & Niven K (2015) Workplace bullying : causes, consequences, and intervention strategies
Research group

Institute of Work Psychology

PhD Supervision

Professor Karen Niven supervises:

Aishwarya Verma

Doctoral Researcher (Work Psychology)
Management School

Thesis title: Breaking Stereotypes, Harnessing Strengths: Exploring Age Dynamics in Interpersonal Emotion Regulation at Work
Email
averma5@sheffield.ac.uk
Aishwarya Verma wearing a white top.
Profile picture of Aishwarya Verma wearing a white top.

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