Jordan Nielsen
Associate Professor of Management
Organizational Behavior/Human Resources
Education
Ph.D. Business Administration, The University of Iowa
B.S. Economics, Brigham Young University
Jordan specializes in how organizations and individuals can make work meaningful. He has authored multiple articles on the experience of work as a calling, and the consequences of that calling for employees and organizations. He is currently exploring how people can respond effectively to situations or experiences that threaten the meaning of their work. He has examined this issue in a variety of contexts including the employee-client interface, leadership, and the transition to and from entrepreneurship.
Jordan currently teaches undergraduates at the Daniels School of Business in his Introduction to Organizational Behavior course, where he shares evidence-based insights about how to help people both enjoy their work and do it effectively. Prior to his time in academia, Jordan worked as a full-cycle recruiter in a small start-up team providing executive recruiting, coaching, and organizational culture analysis. He also spent two years as a volunteer missionary doing religious outreach in western Mexico. Jordan has partnered with various organizations in his research including healthcare systems and professional associations.
Journal Articles
- Schabram, K., Nielsen, J., & Thompson, J. (2023). "The dynamics of work orientations: An updated typology and agenda for the study of jobs, careers, and callings." Academy of Management Annals vol. 17 (2), 405-438.
- Nielsen, J., Firth, B., & Crawford, E (2022). "For Better and Worse: How Proactive Personality Alters the Strain Responses to Challenge and Hindrance Stressors." Organization Science forthcoming.
- Liao, H., Su, R., Ptashnik, T., & Nielsen, J. (2022). "Feeling Good, Doing Good, and Getting Ahead: A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Outcomes of Prosocial Motivation at Work." Psychological Bulletin forthcoming.
- Nielsen, J. & Colbert, A. (2021). "It's Not Always Sunny in Relationally Rich Jobs: The Influence of Negative Beneficiary Contact." Academy of Management Journal forthcoming.
- Seibert, S., Nielsen, J., & Kraimer, M. (2021). "Awakening the entrepreneur within: Entrepreneurial identity aspiration and the role of displacing work events." Journal of Applied Psychology vol. 106 (8), 1224-1238.
- Bloom, M., Colbert, A., Nielsen, J. (2021). "Stories of calling: How called professionals construct narrative identities." Administrative Science Quarterly vol. 66 (2), 298-338.
- Nielsen, J., Thompson, J., Wadsworth, L., & Vallett, J. (2020). "The moderating role of calling in the work-family interface: Buffering and substitution effects on employee satisfaction." Journal of Organizational Behavior vol. 41 (7), 622-637.
- Carter, K., Mead, B., Stewart, G., Nielsen, J., & Solimeo, S. (2019). "Reviewing work team design characteristics across industries: Combining meta-analysis and comprehensive synthesis." Small Group Research vol. 50 (1), 138-188.
- Li, C., Kristof-Brown, A., Nielsen, J. (2019). "Fitting in a group: Theoretical development and validation of the Multidimensional Perceived Person-Group Fit scale." Personnel Psychology vol. 72 (1), 139-171.
Forthcoming Publications
- Nielsen, J. & Gish, J. "When old and new selves collide: Identity conflict and entrepreneurial nostalgia among ex-entrepreneurs." Personnel Psychology
Does a Desire to Help Others at Work Make You Better or Worse Off?
Do nice people really finish last? And what exactly does it mean to be “nice” anyway? According to Purdue Assistant Professor Jordan Nielsen, people have long debated whether a desire to help others — prosocial motivation — is an asset in the workplace, or a liability.
Full story: Does a Desire to Help Others at Work Make You Better or Worse Off?
Stay or Go? Research explores the transition from paid employment to entrepreneurship
Leaving a safe and secure job to pursue a business venture as an entrepreneur can be a daunting endeavor. What motivates these people to take the leap of faith? A new study coauthored by Jordan Nielsen, an assistant professor at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management, examines events that may motivate people to leave their employment and pursue entrepreneurship.
Full story: Stay or Go? Research explores the transition from paid employment to entrepreneurship
Kossek, Nielsen recognized by Academy of Management for research influence
Two faculty members from the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business have been listed among the “2023 Most Read and Cited” in the Academy of Management Annals.
Full story: Kossek, Nielsen recognized by Academy of Management for research influence
Contact
jniel@purdue.edu
Phone: (765) 494-3771
Office: YONG 942
Quick links
Area(s) of Expertise
Compensation, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Future of Work, Healthcare, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Management, Motivation, Negotiations, Organizational Culture, Performance Management, Virtual Teams, Work/Family Balance