Douglas Renwick

Role

Dr. Douglas W.S. Renwick, BA Hons, MSc Econ. (London School of Economics), PhD (University of Sheffield), Grad CIPD, Chartered Fellow FCIPD, PGCE, Fellow Advance HE, CMBE, is Associate Professor of Sustainable Work in the People, Work and Organisations (PWO) Department at Nottingham Business School (NBS). He is Visiting Professor at Nova Business School in Ghana, Africa, and previously Senior Fellow at Rennes Business School, France, EU, and Visiting Professor at WU Vienna, Austria, EU. Doug provides support to the PWO Department line manager by observing colleagues’ teaching, and formerly in his leadership role as the PWO Department Research Co-ordinator (DRC), where he coordinated the individual pathways review process for over 75 academic PWO colleagues. Then, he advised and guided PWO staff on journal publications, funding applications, impact case production, doctoral supervision and supranational policy influence. He represented the PWO department at the NBS School-wide Research Innovation Committee (RIC), where he undertook monthly PWO research reporting to the Associate Dean for Research on the Research Excellence Framework (REF).

Doug has supervised over 200 Undergraduate, Master's, MBA, Executive MBA, DBA and PhD student theses to completion, has been a Fellow of Advance HE since 2007 and is a fully qualified teacher with 30 years of experience. Dr. Renwick attained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with a Distinction grade, and was nominated for the Inspirational Teacher Award at Sheffield Business School. He is the module leader for the Business Research Project (BRP) which strategically identifies Masters-level scholars suitable to study at PhD and DBA levels. Doug is a research mentor to several rising and aspiring Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in environmental sustainability. His teaching at NBS involves PWO, management and sustainable workforce topics, to both undergraduate and postgraduate audiences, including the NBS flagship master’s in management (MiM) module which is one of NTU's largest postgraduate classes.

Research

Doug shows leadership in directing his research agenda in sustainable work, green jobs, decent work and green HRM - a concept he coined in 2005; sustainable workforces - a concept he coined in 2018; and HR as a green business partner – a concept he coined in 2026. His most recent global research focuses on factors which support decent, green jobs (see his recent book and article). Previously, he has published on the PWO hot topics of involving line managers in HRM, employee well-being, and expatriate management, which he continues to research. Dr. Renwick has published over 115 works (such as journal articles, books, edited collections, chapters, cases, conferences and miscellanea), including 25 chapters, 7 books and 8 journal collections, while his line managers and green HRM research has been published in 41 esteemed double and triple-blind peer-reviewed journals. Green HRM-related works, which Doug has helped stimulate as a thought leader, research founder and research leader, now total nearly 3.5 million outputs worldwide (Memon, Ting, Ringle, Cheah & Muenjohn, 2022). Further, esteemed researchers state: "It is important to note that the current period of growth was only made possible by the seminal paper by Renwick et al., (2013)" (Paille, 2022). Dr. Renwick's influential (IJMR) journal article on green HRM has been cited over 4,467 times, and his overall citation count is over 11,601, both on Google Scholar. He is one of an elite group of academics to achieve a global treble – of being included in the Top 2% of Global Scientists on three indicators: by Elsevier from 2022 onwards (also known as the Stanford list); by Scholar GPS from 2024 (where he is ranked top 4% for HRM research productivity, top 0.4% for HR research impact, top 2% for HR research quality, top 7% in all fields, and top 1% in HR); and by Scopus from 2026 onwards too.

His key works are included in regular as well as special issues of the:

• Annals of Operations Research (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 4.854);
• Business & Society (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 5.3);
• Business Strategy and the Environment (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor, 10.801 Ranked #16/226 in Management, #19/155 in Business and #7/127 in Environmental Studies on Journal Citation Reports (JCR);
• British Journal of Management (ABDC grade A, CABS 4, Impact Factor 6.567, Ranked #60/152 in Business and #88/226 Management on JCR);
• European Management Review (ABDC grade C, CABS 3, Impact Factor  3.000, Ranked #165/228 in Management on JCR);
• Industrial Relations Journal (ABDC grade A, CABS 3);
• International Journal of Management Reviews (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 13.419, Ranked #28/155 in Business and #31/228 in Management on JCR);
• Journal of Business Research (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 7.55, Ranked #29/152 in Business on JCR);
• Journal of Environmental Management (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 6.789);
• Organization & Environment, USA (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 5.299, Ranked #30/127 in Environment Studies on 2-year JCR and #52/226 in Management on 5-year JCR, plus #12/213 in OB/HRM and #23/228 in General Environmental Science on Scopus Cite Score);
• The International Journal of Human Resource Management (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 5.546, Ranked #87/226 in Management on JCR).

Doug has won numerous honours, awards and prizes, including best paper (twice), top downloaded article (twice), citation of excellence, a UK ESRC scholarship and recognition for a most downloaded HRM case study, with 8,596 downloads. His green HRM research is recognised in the sustainable HRM field as: having a predominant focus for the top 20 most highly cited authors; the leading conceptual foci; the second-highest number of Scopus documents; and being ranked number one in the 20 most highly-cited and overlapping documents with greatest influence (Sustainability, 2019). His green HRM work was viewed by The International Journal of Human Resource Management in 2020 as: number 4 of 11 clusters of research hotspots; an area of strong research interest that will matter to the HR community in the future; and one where his research addresses the fundamental human challenge of climate change. In 2026, he was recognised as the most cited author in sustainable HRM studies over the last thirty years by Management Research: The Official Journal of the Ibero-American Academy of Management (AOM).

As of 20^th August 2026, Dr. Renwick's:

• lead-author article on green HRM in the International Journal of Management Reviews (IJMR) has over 4,467 citations on Google Scholar, over 1,000 citations on Scopus and over 47,312 reads on ResearchGate.
• lead-author article on green HRM in The International Journal of Human Resource Management has over 3,405 reads on ResearchGate.
• lead-author article in the University of Sheffield Management School White Paper Discussion Series has over 5,681 reads on ResearchGate.
• overall citation count is over 11,601 on Google Scholar, including eight journal articles and chapters with over 100 citations each, and total works which include over 6,917 mentions on Academia.edu.
• solo-authored article on involving line managers in HRM has over 44,260 reads on ResearchGate; solo-authored article on HR managers and employee well-being has over 10,468 reads; and edited (2020) book on green HRM has over 6,318 reads on ResearchGate.
• body of research work is one that others regularly interact with, with over 8,372 citations and over 193,960 total reads on ResearchGate.
• research dissemination has a global reach, as his top research-led LinkedIn posts have been viewed over 2,032, 2,001, 3,005, 3,634, 3,734, 4,001, 4,005, 4,012, 4,372, 5,123, 5,243, 5,772, 6,002, 6,001, 6,051, 7,001, 9,941 and 10,433 times worldwide.

He has edited eight journal collections, for Employee Relations (2003 and 2009), the German Journal of HRM (2011), The International Journal of Human Resource Management (2016), the International Journal of Manpower (2020), the Journal of Organisational Effectiveness: People and Performance (2025), International Studies of Management & Organization (2027) and Business & Society (2027). He has published two solo-author research monographs, on Line Managers and HRM (Omniscriptum, 2010), and on UK Green Jobs (Palgrave MacMillan (2024), plus a solo-author edited research volume with Routledge in 2018 hardback, and in 2020 paperback. This latter green HRM research volume (2018 & 2020) was nominated by Routledge Publishing for the best book award in the Organizations and Natural Environment (ONE) division at the USA-based Academy of Management (AOM) conference. An external, independent review of this book by Choudhary and Datta (2021) in the Australasian Journal of Management states: "Its contextual influences provide a new perspective... [as it] is a useful guidebook with a remarkable collection of HRM practices and environmental management literature. It provides practical and insightful recommendations for managers". In the book's Foreword, Distinguished Professor of HRM Susan E. Jackson of Rutgers University, USA adds that it is a: "collection of cutting-edge scholarship... a stimulating edited volume...[and one where] Renwick provides specific suggestions concerning research questions worthy of attention". Doug has also edited three other research books: on green HRM in the global south countries, employee green behaviour (both with Springer Nature, 2024), and sustainability and technology (including artificial intelligence, AI) (ISI Global, 2024). He continues to supervise PhD students researching sustainable work, green jobs, decent work and green behaviours and welcomes detailed, fully-formed PhD application proposals on these leading sustainability themes.

Leadership, Management and Administration

Dr. Renwick’s leadership, management and administration activities have progressed on an upward trajectory. Initially, at The University of Strathclyde, Doug was Course Director of the Diploma in HRM (1996-1998) and Course Director of the Certificate in Personnel Programmes (1998-2000). Then at the University of Sheffield, he was a: Selector of Undergraduate Admissions for Management Degrees (2001-2003); Senior Selector of Undergraduate Admissions for Management Degrees (2003-2004); Dissertations Officer for the MSc. in HR Strategy (2001-2004); Course Director of the MSc. in HR Strategy (2004-2005); Acting Course Director of the MSc. in HRM (2007-2008); Local CIPD Branch Liaison Officer (2006-2010); Course Director of Dual Degrees in Management (2010-2013); and Programme Director of the MSc. in HRM (2015-2016). Here at Nottingham he was the Departmental Research Co-ordinator (DRC) (2000-2005).

As Course Director of the MSc. in HRM at the University of Sheffield, Dr. Renwick led and maintained a new student income stream of over £350,000, which enabled research-led HRM teaching to flourish. Then as Dual Degrees Director, Doug led a larger student income stream of over £760,000 and undertook more extensive duties, such as liaising with thirteen other Faculty departments and inputting into the Faculty-wide review of all Dual Degree operations. At the University of Sheffield, he led key departmental processes, managed combined student income streams of over £1 million pounds, delivered over five years of senior academic leadership and showed line management skills by managing relevant professional service staff. At Sheffield Business School, Doug was briefly Director of the DBA programme (2017), Research Leader of the HRM subject group (2016-2017), where he acted as research leader, mentor and line manager to several HRM scholars.

Most recently at Nottingham, Dr. Renwick’s leadership roles are: as the PWO Departmental Research Co-ordinator (DRC) (detailed above); and as the PWO Department's School and University adviser on Research Ethics. Doug regularly contributes to NBS Departmental, School and University administration by attending important meetings and events such as those of the PWO Department, Research Innovation Committee, Ethics Committee, Exam Boards, and CIPD, AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB Accreditations. In acquiring and volunteering for more influential roles, he increased his knowledge and experience of, and ability to contribute to, University operations, management and governance.

Career overview

Prior to entering academia, Doug gained industry experience at Motorola Limited in the early 1990s. There, his Corporate Administration work included managing the accounts of the Rank Organisation (films, cinemas, leisure & travel), Forte Group (hotels), and members of the UK Royal Family, e.g. the late Lady Diana Spencer, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Second. Before joining Nottingham, Dr. Renwick was previously on the faculties of Sheffield Business School, the University of Sheffield (where he gained his PhD on HR and line manager inter-management work relationships), and the University of Strathclyde. He published his first journal article before he started his PhD in the Industrial Relations Journal (CABS 3 and ABDC grade A) in 1998. He has since published eight journal articles, one book, five chapters, and six case studies from his PhD, some 20 outputs in total.

External activity

Doug has generated over £660,000 (€732,000 Euros) worth of internal and external grant funding and various types of sponsorships and awards. In particular, he was co-grantee of the empirical study on voluntary staff green behaviors and paradoxes in green HRM, funded by £408,000 (€452,000 Euros / $519,338 US Dollars) from the German DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and Austrian FWF (Der Wissenschaftsfonds), plus three PhD studentships of £77,000 (€85,000 Euros / $93,235 US Dollars) each. He has also held grants, scholarships, and awards from the ESRC, Johnston Press, Prospect Union, Scottish Power, Strathclyde University, UNESP University (Brazil), and the University of Sheffield. Dr. Renwick has recently supervised four PhD students to completion (in 2020-2024) and has mentored five external colleagues to the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) 3 rank, and Australian Dean's List (ABDC) grade A, publication levels. Doug has conducted empirical research on involving line managers in HRM and green HRM with global and local organizations such as Balfour Beatty; Cafcass; Honeywell Controls; Motorola; NHS; OVO Energy; Produce World; Sage Publications; Scottish Power; Tesco; UBS Banking; Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey County Councils; Glasgow and Sheffield City Councils; and in Brazil with Tilibra (stationery); Plajax (auto parts); Cart (logistics) and TGM (steam turbines).

Dr. Renwick's external examiner appointments include the UK and Irish HRM professional body, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), where he was one of an elite group of academics that the CIPD invited to serve two terms as Assistant National Examiner for their HRM modules over one decade (1998-2008). More recently, he has been an external examiner for HRM modules at the Business School connected to the select C9 (Ivy) League Xi'an Jiaotong University in China (2015-2018). Doug is regularly invited to present his research work inside and outside the UK, and has presented his solo-authored research at the Academy of International Business (AIB), Academy of Management (AoM), British Academy of Management (BAM) and European Academy of Management (EURAM). His consultancy engagements include the Johnston Press, Scottish Power and the Prospect Union. Doug co-founded the Special  Interest Group (SIG) on Research Methods and Research Practice (RMRP) academic track at both the British Academy of Management (BAM) in 2005, and at the European Academy of Management (EURM) in 2009, which continue today.

Dr. Renwick has been invited to present his research at the highly prestigious Academy of Management (AoM) conferences in Chicago (2009), Boston, USA (2019), and as an AoM Symposium Chair in Vancouver, Canada (2020) and an AOM Symposium Chair in Denmark (2025). He has been an ESRC grant reviewer (rapporteur), and an international assessor for academic staff promotions to the rank of Associate Professor for Middlesex University, UK (2016), the New York Institute of Technology, USA (2020) and the Australian Catholic University, ACU (2022). Doug was invited to be a Session Chair of the HRM Track at the Academy of International Business Asia Pacific Chapter (AIB AP) Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2025, and invited to be a Senior Mentor to PhD students attending the Doctoral Colloquium at the European Academy of Management (EURAM) conference in Kristiansand, Norway in 2026.

Dr. Renwick shows inter-disciplinary expertise in being honoured to provide his expert opinion to the UK government as part of their response to the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate Change & Land, and his green HRM work appears in the UK Parliament Post number 711 in 2024. His work also impacts HR practice, in being featured in the UK-based HR magazine on green jobs in 2024, and in the USA-based Inc. on HR as a green business partner in 2026.

Doug is an active, regular referee invited to review for fifteen globally leading, well-ranked and reputable CABS and ABDC journals in HRM, Business & Management, including the:

• Academy of Management Perspectives, USA (ABDC grade A, CABS 4, Impact Factor 8.069);
• Applied Psychology (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 2.808);
• British Journal of Management (ABDC grade A, CABS 4, Impact Factor 6.567);
• European Management Review (ABDC grade C, CABS 3, Impact Factor 3.000);
• Human Resource Management Journal (ABDC grade A, CABS 4, Impact Factor 5.039);
• Human Resource Management, USA, Wiley (ABDC grade A*, CABS 4, Impact Factor 5.078);
• International Journal of Management Reviews (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 13.419);
• Journal of Management Studies (ABDC grade A*, CABS 4, Impact Factor 9.720);
• Organization & Environment, USA (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 6.116); and
• The International Journal of Human Resource Management (ABDC grade A, CABS 3, Impact Factor 5.546).

Dr. Renwick is a Visiting Professor at Nova Business School in Ghana, Africa, and previously Senior Fellow at Rennes Business School in France, EU, and Visiting Professor at WU, the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria, EU for over seven years. He is now advising the German government on green skills (from 2024 onwards), and is an Advisory Council Member for Harvard Business Review. Doug is an external academic advisor to the OB/HRM division at ISEG The Lisbon School of Economics & Management in Portugal, EU, and a member of the Development Studies Association at University College London, UK. Dr. Renwick is also a member of the International Humanistic Management Association at the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University, New York, USA, and the Innovating for Sustainability Salon, Ivey Business School at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

He has been an Editorial Board Member of Employee Relations: The International Journal (ABDC grade B & CABS 2) for over thirteen years, and an Editorial Board member for The International Journal of Human Resource Management (ABDC grade A & CABS 3) for over ten years. He is a new Editorial Board Member of, and Associate Editor for, the German Journal of HRM (Sage) (ABDC grade B & CABS 2), and is HRM Section Editor for Sustainability Letters at Maastricht University, EU. Dr. Renwick is a regular academic reviewer/referee for Human Resource Management Journal (ABDC grade A & CABS 4-star), Human Resource Management, US (Wiley) (ABDC grade A-star & CABS 4), and an Editorial Board Member of the International Journal of Environment, Workplace & Employment, plus the Journal of Human Resource & Sustainability Studies - for over seven years.