Dr. Jim Swaffield, PhD, MBA
Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour
Contact information
E-mail: jswaffield@athabascau.ca
jim-swaffield-swaffieldCurrent courses
Dr. Jim Swaffield, PhD, MBA
Dr. Jim Swaffield, PhD, MBA
Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour
Contact information
Email: jswaffield@athabascau.ca
Dr. Jim Swaffield is an interdisciplinary researcher and Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Athabasca University whose work integrates evolutionary psychology, organizational behavior, and business. He holds a PhD in Evolutionary Psychology from the University of Stirling (Scotland) and an MBA, and has more than 25 years of university teaching experience, including appointments at Athabasca University, the University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge, and the Fraser Valley.
Dr. Swaffield's research examines how human behavior emerges through interactions between biological predispositions and environmental conditions. His experimental research has investigated how environmental stress interacts with appetite, food preferences, and consumer behaviour, with peer-reviewed studies published in Evolutionary Psychological Science, Evolution, Mind and Behaviour, and Behavioral Sciences. His research has also attracted international media attention and has been presented at international scholarly conferences.
His current research extends this evolutionary perspective into organizational behavior, focusing on how workplace environments can facilitate or inhibit employees' capacity for critical thinking. In particular, he is examining how organizational stressors and status hierarchies may affect cognition, decision making, and employee well-being. This research challenges the assumption that critical thinking is simply a skill that can be developed through education and training, proposing instead that the expression of critical thought may depend partly on the interaction between individual characteristics and the organizational environment.
In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Swaffield has contributed extensively to academic leadership and governance, including service as Chair of Athabasca University's Academic Research Fund Committee, Academic Integrity Officer, and Vice-Chair of the Curriculum Review Committee at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Research interests
My area of research is consumer psychology. Specifically, I study how consumer behavior is influenced by genetics and evolutionary adaptations.
Educational credentials
- MBA with a specialization in Marketing
- PhD in Evolutionary Psychology