Nicholas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Leadership and Human Resource Management (LHRM) in the Faculty of Business and Law.  Located in the 'Organization and Ethics' subject group, Nicholas is currently Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange and Convenor/Director of the Responsible Business hub (.Responsible Business)  

Research interests

Nicholas's research interests intersect strategic management, corporate responsibility, sustainability and ethics and current projects centre around the role of traditions and legacy in firms and how these entwine with familness, meaningful work and wellbeing. Nicholas publishes widely in top-tier journals including the Journal of Business Ethics, Industrial & Corporate Change, International Small Business Journal, Management Learning, Journal of Business Research, European Management Review, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, and others.  

Nicholas also supervises both PhD and DBA students across the corporate responsibility, sustasinability and business ethics fields. He is currently interested in attracting further students to work on projects in the areas of tradition, legacy, meaningful work, and wellbeing, and is open to discussing projects connected to these themes.  

Funding

Nicholas has received funding for collaborative and contract research from a number of external institutions, and is currently working on funded projects that explore how meaningful work and wellbeing is experienced across a number of intersectionalities, including disdability, ethnicity and gender.   

Esteem

Nicholas has held important academic leadership roles, elected by peers as co-chair of the Strategy SIG at the British Academy of Management (2016-18) and currently as Chair of the Academy of Management (MSR Division). Nicholas has also served recently as a trustee for the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, chaired the Investment Committee, and served as trustee on the Power and Accountability grant committee. Nicholas is regularly invited to consult with organizations and speak at public events. 

Teaching & Learning

Nicholas contributes to the undergraduate and postgradute teaching portfolio in the Department of Leadership and Human Resource Manasgement, in particular to modules and programmes with responsible business and business ethics emphasis. Nicholas also leads the Faculty Continuing Professional Development (CPD) offer, and contributes to executive education co-delivery. 

Engagement with business 

Nicholas has held director positions in the private and charitable sectors and, combined with research interests in corporate responsibility and ethics, is well-placed to discuss projects that address business needs. Nicholas is currently working with firms to address how the corporate responsibility commitments drive enhanced wellbeing, embedding the sustainable development goals into strategy processes, and creating inclusive decision-making apparatus.