Dr Caroline Knight
Senior Lecturer
School of Business
Researcher biography
Caroline Knight is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Queensland Business School. Caroline's research focuses on understanding how we can design work which is optimally healthy for individuals and organisations. Her focus is on work design, remote and hybrid work, work redesign interventions, and well-being. She collaborates with researchers, practitioners and industry partners internationally and has attracted funding worth over AUD$1,000,000, most recently leading a successful Australian Research Council Discovery Grant worth over AUD$650,000. Caroline currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Organizational Behavior and has published in several leading top-tier academic journals including the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Human Relations, Human Resource Management, the Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Work & Stress, as well as practitioner journals such as Harvard Business Review, and MIT Sloan Management Review.
Publications
Book Chapters
Parker, Sharon K., Knight, Caroline, Klonek, Florian Erik and Zhang, Fangfang (2025). Where is the future of work design research heading?: A roadmap for key topics to be investigated. Transformative work design: synthesis and new directions. (pp. 629-650) edited by Sharon K. Parker, Florian Erik Klonek, Caroline Knight and Fangfang Zhang. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197692554.003.0025
Parker, Sharon K., Knight, Caroline, Klonek, Florian Erik and Zhang, Fangfang (2025). Transformative Work Design: An Integrative Framework. Transformative Work Design: Synthesis and New Directions. (pp. 3-26) Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197692554.003.0001
Knight, Caroline and Klonek, Florian E. (2025). How and Why Do Top-Down Work Redesign Interventions Impact Well-Being and Performance?. Transformative Work Design: Synthesis and New Directions. (pp. 305-334) Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197692554.003.0012
Knight, Caroline, Kaur, Sabreen and Parker, Sharon K. (2022). Work Design in the Contemporary Era. The Oxford Research Encyclopedia. (pp. 1-1) Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190224851.013.353
Tims, Maria and Knight, Caroline (2019). Job crafting: an individual strategy to develop oneself. Creating psychologically healthy workplaces. (pp. 152-170) edited by Ronald J. Burke and Astrid M. Richardsen. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781788113427.00015
Parker, Sharon K., Knight, Caroline and Ohly, Sandra (2019). The changing face of work design research: Past, present, and future directions. The Sage Handbook of Human Resource Management. (pp. 402-419) edited by Adrian Wilkinson, Nicolas Bacon, Scott Snell and David Lepak. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781529714852
Journal Articles
Curtis, Carey, Olaru, Doina, Smith, Brett, Reed, Tristan W., Knight, Caroline and Biermann, Sharon (2025). Sustainable urban mobility transitions through working from home (WFH). Travel Behaviour and Society, 39 100953, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.tbs.2024.100953
Soellner, Matthias, Arnold, Thomas, Benlian, Alexander, Bretschneider, Ulrich, Knight, Caroline, Ohly, Sandra, Rudkowski, Lena, Schreiber, Gerhard and Wendt, Domenik (2025). ChatGPT and beyond: exploring the responsible use of generative AI in the workplace: an interdisciplinary perspective. Business and Information Systems Engineering, 67 (2), 289-303. doi: 10.1007/s12599-025-00932-8
Parker, Sharon K. and Knight, Caroline (2025). A new model for improving work design supports change that increases employee engagement and reduces stress. MIT Sloan Management Review, 66 (2), 29-34.
Parker, Sharon K. and Knight, Caroline (2025). Design work to prevent burnout. MIT Sloan Management Review, 66 (2), 1-8.
Parker, Sharon K. and Knight, Caroline (2024). The SMART model of work design: a higher order structure to help see the wood from the trees. Human Resource Management, 63 (2), 265-291. doi: 10.1002/hrm.22200
Knight, Caroline, Keller, Anita C. and Parker, Sharon K. (2023). Job demands, not resources, predict worsening psychological distress during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Work and Stress, 37 (1), 1-23. doi: 10.1080/02678373.2022.2117879
Knight, Caroline, Olaru, Doina, Lee, Julie Anne and Parker, Sharon K. (2022). The loneliness of the hybrid worker. MIT Sloan Management Review, 63 (4), 10-12.
Gagné, Marylène, Parker, Sharon K., Griffin, Mark A., Dunlop, Patrick D., Knight, Caroline, Klonek, Florian E. and Parent-Rocheleau, Xavier (2022). Understanding and shaping the future of work with self-determination theory. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1 (7), 378-392. doi: 10.1038/s44159-022-00056-w
Knight, Caroline, McLarnon, Matthew J. W., Wenzel, Ramon and Parker, Sharon (2022). The importance of relational work design characteristics: a person-centred approach. Australian Journal of Management, 47 (4) 03128962211073021, 705-728. doi: 10.1177/03128962211073021
Knight, Caroline, Tims, Maria, Gawke, Jason and Parker, Sharon K. (2021). When do job crafting interventions work? The moderating roles of workload, intervention intensity, and participation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 124 103522, 1-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103522
Knight, Caroline and Parker, Sharon K. (2021). How work redesign interventions affect performance: an evidence-based model from a systematic review. Human Relations, 74 (1), 69-104. doi: 10.1177/0018726719865604
Parker, Sharon K., Knight, Caroline and Keller, Anita (2020). Remote managers are having trust issues. Harvard Business Review.
Lee, Allan, Lyubovnikova, Joanne, Tian, Amy Wei and Knight, Caroline (2020). Servant leadership: a meta-analytic examination of incremental contribution, moderation, and mediation. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 93 (1), 1-44. doi: 10.1111/joop.12265
Lee, Allan, Legood, Alison, Hughes, David, Tian, Amy Wei, Newman, Alexander and Knight, Caroline (2020). Leadership, creativity and innovation: a meta-analytic review. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 29 (1), 1-35. doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2019.1661837
Knight, Caroline, Patterson, Malcolm and Dawson, Jeremy (2019). Work engagement interventions can be effective: a systematic review. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28 (3), 348-372. doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2019.1588887
Nichols, Geoff, Hogg, Eddy, Knight, Caroline and Storr, Ryan (2019). Selling volunteering or developing volunteers? Approaches to promoting sports volunteering. Voluntary Sector Review, 10 (1), 3-18. doi: 10.1332/204080519X15478200125132
Knight, Caroline, Patterson, Malcolm, Dawson, Jeremy and Brown, Jayne (2017). Building and sustaining work engagement–a participatory action intervention to increase work engagement in nursing staff. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26 (5), 634-649. doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2017.1336999
Knight, Caroline, Patterson, Malcolm and Dawson, Jeremy (2017). Building work engagement: a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of work engagement interventions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38 (6), 792-812. doi: 10.1002/job.2167
Conference Papers
Jooss, Stefan, Knight, Caroline, Worsteling, Asha, Rinta-Kahila, Tapani, Hansen, Anissa and Solnet, David (2025). The impact of AI on frontline service workers: A work design lens. 26th European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference, Florence, Italy, 22-25 June 2025.
Jooss, Stefan, Knight, Caroline, Worsteling, Asha, Rinta-Kahila, Tapani and Solnet, David (2025). The impact of AI on frontline service workers: a work design lens. 19th International Research Symposium on Service Excellence in Management, Rome, Italy, 3-6 June 2025.
Knight, Caroline (2025). Navigating Hybrid Work: Insights on Learning, Communication, Autonomy, and Gender Dynamics. 22nd European Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP 2025), Prague, Czech Republic, 21-24 May 2025.
Knight, Caroline, Jooss, Stefan, Hay, Georgia, Marasco, Georgia and Parker, Sharon (2025). The working from home transition: A learning perspective on work design changes. 22nd European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), Prague, Czech Republic, 21-24 May 2025.
Knight, Caroline, Jooss, Stefan, Hay, Georgia, Marasco, Georgia and Parker, Sharon (2024). The working from home transition: a learning perspective on work design changes. 15th Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference, Perth, Australia, 24-26 October 2024.
Knight, C. (2024). Dr Who? Introducing Caroline Knight: Past, Present and Future. Society of Organisational Behaviour in Australia (SOBA), Adelaide, SA, Australia, 8-9 February 2024.
Knight, C., Olafsen, A. and Dunlop, P. (2024). The impact of remote work extent and variability on work design and wellbeing. 2024 Centre for Transformative Work Design Conference, Perth, WA, Australia, 12-14 February 2024.
Knight, C., Olaru, D., Lee, J., McLarnon, M. and Parker, S. (2023). Can hybrid work really offer the best of both worlds? Hybrid work design profiles: Antecedents and wellbeing outcomes. Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference (ANZAM), Wellington, New Zealand, 5-7 December 2023.
Knight, Caroline (2023). Building and sustaining work engagement for wellbeing and safety. National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Sector Council Meeting, National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), Cincinnati, OH, United States and Online, 28-29 September 2023.
Knight, Caroline, Olaru, Doina, Lee, Julie and Parker, Sharon K. (2023). Hybrid work design profiles: antecedents and wellbeing outcomes. 21st European Association of Work & Organizational Psychology (EAWOP) Congress, Katowice, Poland, 24-27 May 2023.
Knight, Caroline, Andrei, Daniela, Holman, David, Epitropaki, Olga, Schwarz, Maximiliano and Parker, Sharon K. (2023). Why leadership relates to employee well-being: A meta-analysis of the specific role of motivational job characteristics. 21st European Association of Work & Organizational Psychology (EAWOP) Congress, Katowice, Poland, 24-27 May 2023.
Seminar Papers
Knight, Caroline, Andrei, Daniela, van den Broeck, Anja, Holman, David, Epitropaki, Olga, Schwarz, Maximiliano and Parker, Sharon (2025). Why Leader Behaviours Relate to Motivational Work Characteristics: A Meta-Analysis and Test of Moderators. Leeds University Business School.
Knight, Caroline, Andrei, Daniela, van den Broeck, Anja, Holman, David, Epitropaki, Olga, Schwarz, Maximiliano and Parker, Sharon K. (2025). Why Leader Behaviours Relate to Motivational Work Characteristics: A Meta-Analysis and Test of Moderators. University of Exeter Business School.
Henman, Paul, Knight, Caroline, Munn, Luke and Rimer, Jonah (2025). AI, ethics, and research. Research Seminar Series. School of Social Science, The University of Queensland.
Research Reports
Kyndt, E., Lund, P., Bednall, T., Knight, C., Klonek, F., Parker, S. and Jorritsma, K. (2024). Choosing your hybrid work model: implications for a mentally healthy workplace. Sydney, NSW, Australia: National Mental Health Commission.
Kyndt, E., Lund, P., Bednall, T., Knight, C., Klonek, F., Parker, S. and Jorritsma, K. (2024). Designing mentally healthy hybrid work: guiding principles for a thriving workplace. Sydney, NSW, Australia: National Mental Health Commission.
Briermann, S., Olaru, D., Knight, C., Smith, B., Reed, T. and Lee, J. (2023). Annual Report 2022: Planning and Transport Research Centre. Crawley, WA, Australia: Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC).
Neumeier, L., Parker, S., Jorritsma, K. and Knight, C. (2020). How to Lead Flexible Work: A Guide to Successful Policy and Practice for Managers. Perth, WA Australia: Future of Work Insitute, Curtin University.