Dr Karen Cripps

PhD

Senior Lecturer in Leadership

Oxford Brookes Business School

Role

Karen is a Senior Lecturer in Leadership at the Business School, a Subject Coordinator for the Business and Management undergraduate programme, and an advisor for the Senior People Professional Apprenticeship. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). With a long-established academic and teaching profile in sustainability leadership and management, Karen is committed to supporting student success and developing links to business networks and practice. Her practice is deeply aligned with the United Nations 'Principles of Responsible Management Education' (PRME), for which she is the Secretary for PRME UK and Ireland Chapter Steering Committee, a Co-Lead for the London and South East regional network, and an ambassador for PRME Global Sustainability Mindset Working Group. 

Teaching and supervision

Courses

Modules taught

  • Leadership Skills and Employability - co Module Leader (BMGT7076)
  • Client Project - Module Leader (BMGT7028) 
  • Placement supervision (BMGT5027)

Karen has a vast range of teaching experience across a large number of subject areas embracing leadership, responsible management, sustainability, HRM, international business and research methods. She has led module delivery and dissertation supervision across undergraduate and postgraduate (MSc and Executive MBA) modules. 

She is currently an academic tutor for the Senior People Professional Apprenticeships and has previously acted as academic advisor on the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship.

Supervision

Client Project Supervision (BMGT7028)

Doctoral supervision 

  • 2019- Sustainability Management Tools and Knowledge Networks (PhD, PT University of Winchester)

Doctoral examinations

  • How do relational dynamics influence public sector partnerships? A study of the Oxford Brookes Associated College Partnership (2023)
  • Corporate Social Responsibility in the Food Industry (2022) University of Winchester 
  • Democratisation and Employee Ownership (2021) University of Winchester

Research

With a PhD in Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Karen has been committed to the study of sustainable business practice her entire career.  Currently, her research focuses on pedagogic approaches to responsible management education through the sustainability mindset, soft skills development for sustainability, embedding the Sustainable Development Goals in learning, and the nexus of employability and sustainability.

Research impact

Recent Funded Projects

  • Lead Investigator: Oxford Brookes University – Oxford Centre for Academic Enhancement and Development ‘Academic Collaboration and Transformation’ Fund:  “Business, Management and Placement student engagement in sustainability-related roles and responsibilities” £1200 (2024) 
  • Lead Investigator: Association of Commonwealth Universities: SDG Challenge Grants, partnered with Amity University, India - “Food waste and behaviour change competition” £2500 (2023)
  • Lead Investigator: PRME SEED Funding PRME UK and Ireland Seed Funding Competition for Innovative Pedagogic Approaches and Teaching Practices (2022) - "Career Building for the Sustainable Development Goals: a co-created masterclass" (£1500).
  • Lead Investigator: University of Winchester Research Informed Teaching Fund – “Sustainability Mindset – a tool for integrating sustainability into the curriculum” - £2000 (2022). Leading students as co-researchers.
  • Co-Investigator: University of Winchester Higher Education Innovation Fund – “Sustainable Development Goals for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” - £2000 (2021). Project PI Dr Simon Smith.
  • Co-Investigator: The UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) Mobility Programme. University of Winchester and Amity University – Virtual Exchange Programme - £6000 (2021). Project PI Dr Simon Smith.

Projects as Principal Investigator, or Lead Academic if project is led by another Institution

  • Collaborative Community for Sustainability Mindset Education (led by Université de Neuchâtel) (01/10/2023 - 30/09/2025), funded by: Movetia, funding amount received by Brookes: £8,759
  • 'Food waste and behaviour change competition' (05/09/2023 - 05/05/2024), funded by: The Association of Commonwealth Universities, funding amount received by Brookes: £1,250

Publications

slide 1 of 6

Professional information

Memberships of professional bodies

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2019-)
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2023-)

Conferences

  • Cripps, K., d’Abreu,C. and Bobeva, M. (2023) ‘Career development for sustainability: a co-created masterclass’. PRME UK and Ireland 9th Annual Conference
  • Cripps, K. and Louw, J. (2023) ‘Workshop – Sustainability, employability and jobs of the future’. PRME UK and Ireland 9th Annual Conference
  • Cripps, K. and Velasquez-Hoque, S. (forthcoming 2023) ‘Career development for sustainability: an employability masterclass’. Oxford Brookes Teaching and Learning Conference
  • D’Abreu, C. and Cripps, K. (2023) From the inside out: orienting the world of work to the work of the world. Advance HE Sustainability Symposium 2023
  • Cripps, K., Rimanoczy, I. and Beres, L. (2022) ‘Sustainability Mindset: Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours for Responsible Leadership’. The 9th Annual Conference of the UK and Ireland Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME): University of Hull
  • Cripps, K. and Beres, L. (2022) ‘Education for Sustainable Development: Embedding a Sustainable Mindset’. IncludEd Higher Education for All - University of Winchester Teaching and Learning Conference
  • Cripps, K. and Hewlett, D. (2022) ‘Applying the sustainability mindset indicator tool through research-based teaching: a tool for student-centred and planetary success’. Paper presentation and asynchronous presentation for the 16th annual International Technology, Education and Development (INTED) Conference (online). publication:INTED2022 - IATED Digital Library

Consultancy

Providing (unfunded) consultancy services to Climate Change Coaches through impact evaluation of training programme delivery and collaborative research to support business development 

Further details

PRME Engagement:

Karen is an active member of the United Nations-backed 'Principles of Responsible Management Education' (PRME), having acted as PRME Champion in her previous institution and continuing in roles as:

  • Steering Committee member for PRME UK and Ireland
  • Co-lead for the London and South East Regional Network Group
  • Ambassador for the Sustainability Mindset Working Group (in which she also holds the Action Lab Diploma)
  • Newsletter co-lead for the Climate Change and Environment Working Group (2021-22)
  • June 2022/Feb 23: Invited to deliver a workshop to PRME Global Students on behalf of the Climate Change and Environment Working Group

UK and Ireland

10th anniversary – Lead on developing a student Instagram cooking competition based on reduced food waste for the South East and London network. Hosted a research presentation on hospitality food waste by a consultant partner and a hybrid panel discussion of 8 local community food waste experts.

Press and Publicity 

Oxford Brookes (2023) New research study launched by Oxford Brookes University (linked to PRME 10th anniversary events) Featured on BBC Radio Oxford and Heart FM (January 2023) on the Oxford Brookes (20023) new research study press release above

Invited Speaker:

  • Beyond the Water Cooler podcast by Lisa Lloyd (2023) ‘A PRME approach to Sustainability Mindset’
  • PRME Global (2023) ‘Sustainability Mindset: Applications and Experiences’. Delivery alongside the PRME Sustainability Mindset Working Group convenor, Isabel Rimanoczy to share insights
  • De Montfort University (2023) ‘Sustainability Mindset: An Introduction’. Delivery to the sustainability team to share insights for module and curriculum development.
  • University of Bedfordshire (2023) ‘Sustainability Mindset for SDG 13’. Embedding the UN SDGS in Curriculum and Research Event. Workshop for faculty.
  • British Universities’ International Liaison Association (BUILA) (2023) ‘Leadership Styles and Values’. Workshop delivered to experienced professionals as part of the International Recruitment Programme
  • The Inspiration Space (2023) ‘The Sustainability Mindset: Unlocking Talent Engagement and Purpose-Drive’. Session screened live on LinkedIn as part of a series on engaging business professionals in sustainability
  • PRME Global Students (2022/23) ‘(2022, 2023) – ‘Climate Literacy’ delivery of workshop for ambassador global students on behalf of the ‘PRME Working Group on Climate Change and the Environment’
  • PRME Leap Working Group on the Sustainability Mindset (2022) ‘The Sustainability Mindset: An exploratory study of teaching and learning perceptions’. Presentation to the international community.
  • Amity University (India) 7th Global Leadership conference (2022) Session Co-Chair for the General Management Track and opening presentation. Academic attendees from several Indian Universities.
  • Amity University (India) Mega International Lecture Series (2021) ‘Competencies and mindset in responsible management education - how to add value?’. 400+ attendees from Amity’s faculty, students, and alumni.
  • The IC Global Partnership (2021) ‘Leadership Styles and Values’. Academic attendees from several British Universities.
  • Université Savoie Mont Blanc PhD Summer School (2020) ‘Sustainable Supply Chain Management in UK Tour Operations – longitudinal research’. International PGR student attendees.