Nicholas Turner

Biography

I am the Future Fund Chair in Leadership and a Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, where I also chair the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources area. I joined the University of Calgary in 2015, after holding faculty positions at the University of Sheffield, Queen’s University, and the University of Manitoba. Originally from Toronto, I’m a UK-Canadian dual citizen and have lived and worked in Germany, the UK, and across Canada.

My research explores how work is designed, how leadership is practiced, and how organizations can create safer, healthier environments for employees. I study the psychological factors that shape employee well-being and safety, often in high-risk or high-pressure settings. I’ve partnered with organizations in industries ranging from petrochemicals and steel to railways and the Royal Marine Commandos. My current work focuses on how HRM and safety systems influence injury rates in small- and medium-sized businesses across Alberta. From 2017 to 2020, I served as Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Human Relations.