Diageo Professor in Organisation Studies
BSc (Queen’s University), MA (University of Oxford), PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Research interests
Organisational and social change processes; organisational culture, identity and routines; business strategies for environmental sustainability; industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis and circular economy; qualitative research methodology.
Jennifer Howard-Grenville contributes to organisation theory through in-depth studies of how people work from within to change organisations, communities, and occupations. By focusing on the processes through which people seek change, her scholarship advances theoretical understanding of organisational routines, culture, identity, and identification. She is engaged empirically in understanding organisational transitions towards environmental sustainability.
Professor Howard-Grenville is recognised as a leading qualitative researcher with a focus on process theorising, and frequently presents on these topics at business schools, conferences and junior scholar academies. Through her research, teaching, and editorial work, she supports the development of management scholarship that considers societal grand challenges.
Subject group: Organisational Theory & Information Systems
Professional experience
Professor Howard-Grenville’s work has been published in Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Academy of Management Annals, Organization Studies, Research Policy, Journal of Industrial Ecology and several other journals. She is the author of Corporate Culture and Environmental Practice (Edward Elgar, 2007), which documents her nine-month ethnography of environmental practice change at the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, and co-author or editor of three other books.
Professor Howard-Grenville teaches on the topics of organisational change, environmental sustainability, and organisational culture to executive audiences, as well on MBA, EMBA, and undergraduate courses. As Director of Cambridge Judge Business School’s PhD Programme, she also mentors and teaches PhD and Research MPhil students.
Professor Howard-Grenville currently serves as Deputy Editor for one of the management field’s top journals (Academy of Management Journal), where she previously served as Associate Editor (2013-2016). She serves as an Editorial Review Board member of the Academy of Management Journal (since 2010), Administrative Science Quarterly (since 2018), Organization Science (2009-2013), and Organization & Environment (since 2011).
Previous appointments
Jennifer Howard-Grenville was previously Associate Professor of Management at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business.
Awards & honours
- IACMR Presidential Award for Responsible Research in Management, 2017
- Best Paper Award, Sustainability, Ethics and Entrepreneurship (SEE) Conference, 2015
- Faculty Excellence Award (14 across the University), University of Oregon, 2013
- Thomas C. Stewart Distinguished Professor, Lundquist College of Business, 2013
- James E. Reinmuth MBA Teaching Excellence Award, 2012
- Extraordinary Service Award (Reviewing), Organization Science, 2012
- Best Reviewer Award, Academy of Management Journal, 2011
- Extraordinary Service Award (Reviewing), Organization Science, 2011
- James E. Reinmuth MBA Teaching Excellence Award, 2010
- Faculty Pioneer Award Finalist, Aspen Institute, 2008
Selected publications
de Rond, M., Holeman, I. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2019) “Sensemaking from the body: an enactive ethnography of rowing the Amazon.” Academy of Management Journal, 62(6): 1961-1988 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2017.1417)
Cornwell, T.B., Howard-Grenville, J. and Hampel, C. (2018) “The company you keep: how an organization’s horizontal partnerships affect employee organizational identification.” Academy of Management Review, 43(4): 772–791 (DOI: 10.5465/amr.2016.0209)
Howard-Grenville, J., Nelson, A.J., Earle, A.G., Haack, J.A. and Young, D.M. (2017) “‘If chemists don’t do it, who is going to?’ Peer-driven occupational change and the emergence of green chemistry.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 62(3): 524–560 (DOI: 10.1177/0001839217690530)
Bertels, S., Howard-Grenville, J. and Pek, S. (2016) “Cultural molding, shielding, and shoring at Oilco: the role of culture in the integration of routines.” Organization Science, 27(3): 573-593 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2016.1052)
Howard-Grenville, J., Metzger, M.L. and Meyer, A.D. (2013) “Rekindling the flame: processes of identity resurrection.” Academy of Management Journal, 56(1): 113-136 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2010.0778)
Howard-Grenville, J., Golden-Biddle, K., Irwin, J. and Mao, J. (2011) “Liminality as cultural process for cultural change.” Organization Science, 22(2): 522-539 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1100.0554)
Journal articles
Howard, J., Nash, J. and Ehrenfeld, J. (1999) “Industry codes as agents of change: responsible care adoption by US chemical companies.” Business Strategy and the Environment, 8(5): 281-295
Howard, J., Nash, J. and Ehrenfeld, J. (2000) “Standard or smokescreen? Implementation of a voluntary environmental code.” California Management Review, 42(2): 63-82 (DOI: 10.2307/41166033)
Howard-Grenville, J.A., Hoffman, A.J. and Wirtenberg, J. (2003) “The importance of cultural framing to the success of social initiatives in business.” Academy of Management Executive, 17(2): 70-86
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2005) “Explaining shades of green: why do companies act differently on similar environmental issues?” Law & Social Inquiry, 30(3): 551-581 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-4469.2005.tb00353.x)
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2005) “The persistence of flexible organizational routines: the role of agency and organizational context.” Organization Science, 16(6): 618-636 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1050.0150)
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2006) “Getting influence: how an organizational group gains action on environmental issues over time.” Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2006: C1-C6 (DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2006.27177879)
Howard-Grenville, J.A. and Carlile, P.R. (2006) “The incompatibility of knowledge regimes: consequences of the material world for cross-domain work.” European Journal of Information Systems, 15(5): 473-485 (DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.ejis.3000635)
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2006) “Inside the “black box”: how organizational culture and subcultures inform interpretations and actions on environmental issues.” Organization and Environment, 19(1): 46-73 (DOI: 10.1177/1086026605285739)
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2007) “Developing issue-selling effectiveness over time: issue selling as resourcing.” Organization Science, 18(4): 560-577 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1070.0266)
Howard-Grenville, J., Nash, J. and Coglianese, C. (2008) “Constructing the license to operate: internal factors and their influence on corporate environmental decisions.” Law & Policy, 30(1): 73-107 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9930.2008.00270.x)
Gutierrez, B., Howard-Grenville, J. and Scully, M.A. (2010) “The faithful rise up: split identification and an unlikely change effort.” Academy of Management Journal, 53(4): 673-699 (DOI: 10.5465/AMJ.2010.52814362)
Parmigiani, A. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2011) “Routines revisited: exploring the capabilities and practice perspectives.” The Academy of Management Annals, 5(1): 413-453 (DOI: 10.1080/19416520.2011.589143)
Howard-Grenville, J., Golden-Biddle, K., Irwin, J. and Mao, J. (2011) “Liminality as cultural process for cultural change.” Organization Science, 22(2): 522-539 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1100.0554)
Paquin, R.L. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2012) “The evolution of facilitated industrial symbiosis.” Journal of Industrial Ecology, 16(1): 83-93 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00437.x)
Aten, K., Howard-Grenville, J. and Ventresca, M.J. (2012) “Organizational culture and institutional theory: a conversation at the border.” Journal of Management Inquiry, 21(1): 78-83 (DOI: 10.1177/1056492611419790)
Howard-Grenville, J., Metzger, M.L. and Meyer, A.D. (2013) “Rekindling the flame: processes of identity resurrection.” Academy of Management Journal, 56(1): 113-136 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2010.0778)
Paquin, R.L. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2013) “Blind dates and arranged marriages: longitudinal processes of network orchestration.” Organization Studies, 34(11): 1623-1653 (DOI: 10.1177/0170840612470230)
Howard-Grenville, J., Buckle, S.J., Hoskins, B.J. and George, G. (2014) “Climate change and management.” Academy of Management Journal, 57(3): 615-623 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2014.4003)
Paquin, R.L., Tilleman, S.G. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2014) “Is there cash in that trash?” Journal of Industrial Ecology, 18(2): 268-279 (DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12120)
Nelson, A., Earle, A., Howard-Grenville, J., Haack, J. and Young, D. (2014) “Do innovation measures actually measure innovation? Obliteration, symbolic adoption, and other finicky challenges in tracking innovation diffusion.” Research Policy, 43(6): 927-940 (DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2014.01.010)
George, G., Howard-Grenville, J., Joshi, A. and Tihanyi, L. (2016) “Understanding and tackling societal grand challenges through management research.” Academy of Management Journal, 59(6): 1880–1895 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2016.4007)
Bertels, S., Howard-Grenville, J. and Pek, S. (2016) “Cultural molding, shielding, and shoring at Oilco: the role of culture in the integration of routines.” Organization Science, 27(3): 573-593 (DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2016.1052)
Howard-Grenville, J., Nelson, A.J., Earle, A.G., Haack, J.A. and Young, D.M. (2017) “‘If chemists don’t do it, who is going to?’ Peer-driven occupational change and the emergence of green chemistry.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 62(3): 524–560 (DOI: 10.1177/0001839217690530)
Cornwell, T.B., Howard-Grenville, J. and Hampel, C. (2018) “The company you keep: how an organization’s horizontal partnerships affect employee organizational identification.” Academy of Management Review, 43(4): 772–791 (DOI: 10.5465/amr.2016.0209)
de Rond, M., Holeman, I. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2019) “Sensemaking from the body: an enactive ethnography of rowing the Amazon.” Academy of Management Journal, 62(6): 1961-1988 (DOI: 10.5465/amj.2017.1417)
Howard-Grenville, J. (2020) “How to sustain your organization’s culture when everyone is remote.” MIT Sloan Management Review, 62(1): 1-4
Howard-Grenville, J., Lahneman, B. and Pek, S. (2020) “Organizational culture as a tool for change.” Stanford Social Innovation Review, 18(3): 28-33
Empson, L. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2021) “How has the past year changed you and your organization?” Harvard Business Review, 10 March 2021
Hahn, T., Howard-Grenville, J., Lyon, T., Russo, M.V. and Walls, J.L. (2021) “Leadership forum on organizations and sustainability: taking stock, looking forward.” Organization and Environment, 34(1): 3-17 (DOI: 10.1177/1086026621992147)
Howard-Grenville, J. (2021) “ESG impact is hard to measure – but it’s not impossible.” Harvard Business Review, 22 January 2021
Howard-Grenville, J. (2021) “Grand challenges, Covid-19 and the future of organizational scholarship.” Journal of Management Studies, 58(1): 252-256 (DOI: 10.1111/joms.12647)
Howard-Grenville, J. (2021) “Caring, courage and curiosity: reflections on our roles as scholars in organizing for a sustainable future.” Organization Theory, 2(1) (DOI: 10.1177/2631787721991143)
Howard-Grenville, J. and Lahneman, B. (2021) “Bringing the biophysical to the fore: re-envisioning organizational adaptation in the era of planetary shifts.” Strategic Organization, 19(3): 478-493 (DOI: 10.1177/1476127021989980)
Howard-Grenville, J. and Spengler, J. (2022) “Surfing the grand challenges wave in management scholarship: how did we get here, where are we now, and what’s next?” Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 79: 279-295 (DOI: 10.1108/S0733-558X20220000079025)
Books, monographs, reports and case studies
Graedel, T.E. and Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2005) Greening the industrial facility: perspectives, approaches, and tools. New York: Springer.
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2007) Corporate culture and environmental practice: making change at a high-technology manufacturer. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Boons, F. and Howard-Grenville, J.A. (ed.) (2009) The social embeddedness of industrial ecology. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Howard-Grenville, J., Tsoukas, H. and Langly, A. (2016) Organizational routines: how they are created, maintained, and changed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Howard-Grenville, J.A., Bertels, S. and Lahneman, B. (2017) Regulatory management and culture (commissioned by Best-in-Class Regulator Initiative/Alberta Energy Regulator). Philadelphia, PA: Penn Program on Regulation, University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Shuckburgh, E., Zenghelis, D., Agarwala, M., Diaz Anadon, L., Howard-Grenville, J., Penasco, C., Seega, N., Whittington, E., Barford, A., Brayne, C. et al (2020) A blueprint for a green future: multidisciplinary report on a green recovery from COVID-19 by the Cambridge Zero Policy Forum. Cambridge: Cambridge Open Engage.
Book chapters
Ehrenfeld, J. and Howard-Grenville, J. (1996) “Setting environmental goals: the view from industry: a review of practices from the 1960s to the present.” In: National Forum on Science and Technology Goals (eds.) Linking science and technology to society’s environmental goals. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, pp.281-326
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (1998) “Implementation of global environmental treaties: the role for coordinated corporate action.” In Moomaw, W., Susskind, L. and Hill, T. (eds.) Papers on international environmental negotiation: vol.VI. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Law School
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2002) “Institutional evolution: the case of the semiconductor industry voluntary PFC emissions reduction agreements.” In Hoffman, A. and Ventresca, M. (eds.) Organizations, policy, and the natural environment. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, pp.291-308
Howard-Grenville, J.A., Hoffman, A.J. and Bhattacharya, C.B. (2007) “Who can act on sustainability issues? Corporate capital and the configuration of organizational fields.” In Sharma, S., Starik, M. and Husted, B. (eds.) Organizations and the sustainability mosaic: crafting long-term ecological and societal solutions. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp.193-215
Paquin, R. and Howard-Grenville, J. (2008) “Facilitating regional industrial symbiosis: network growth in the UK’s National Industrial Symbiosis Programme.” In: Boons, F. and Howard-Grenville, J. (eds.) The social embeddedness of industrial ecology. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp.103-127
Howard-Grenville, J.A. and Paquin, R. (2008) “Organizational dynamics in industrial ecosystems: insights from organizational behavior theory.” In Ruth, M. and Davidsdottir, B. (eds.) Changing stocks, flows and behaviors in industrial ecosystems. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp.122-139
Howard-Grenville, J.A. and Bertels, S. (2012) “Organizational culture and environmental action.” In Bansal, T. and Hoffman, A.J. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of business and the environment. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.194-210
Howard-Grenville, J.A. (2012) “Revealing themes: applying a positive lens to the chapters on environment and sustainability.” In Golden-Biddle, K. and Dutton, J. (eds.) Using a positive lens to explore social change and organizations: building a theoretical and research foundation. London: Routledge.
Howard-Grenville, J.A., Bertels, S. and Lahneman, B. (2014) “Sustainability: how it shapes and is shaped by organizational culture and climate.” In Schneider, B. and Barbera, K.N. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of organizational climate and culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.257-276
Howard-Grenville, J. and Rerup, C. (2016) “A process perspective on organizational routines.” In: Langley, A. and Tsoukas, H. (eds.) The SAGE handbook of process organization studies. London: Sage, pp.323-339
Claus, L., de Rond, M., Howard-Grenville, J. and Lodge, J. (2019) “When fieldwork hurts: on the lived experience of conducting research in unsettling contexts.” In: Zilber, T.B., Amis, J.M., Mair, J. (eds.) Research in the sociology of organizations: vol.59: the production of managerial knowledge and organizational theory: new approaches to writing, producing and consuming theory. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, pp.157-172
Howard-Grenville, J. (2020) “Individual agency and collective patterns of action.” In: Tuveson, M., Ralph, D. and Alexander, K. (eds.) Beyond bad apples: risk culture in business. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.21-41 (DOI: 10.1017/9781316996959.002)
Howard-Grenville, J. and Gapp, T. (2022) “Organizational culture for sustainability.” In: George, G., Haas, M.R., Joshi, H., McGahan, A.M. and Tracey, P. (eds.) Handbook on the business of sustainability: the organization, implementation, and practice of sustainable growth. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 138-151
