Trevor Watkins

Assistant Professor of Management

About Watkins

Trevor Watkins, Ph.D., joined the Price College of Business in 2022 after three years as a faculty member at West Texas A&M University's Engler College of Business. He earned a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Washington in 2019, and an MBA and Bachelor of Science in human resource management from Utah State University in 2011 and 2008, respectively. Before entering academia, Watkins spent seven years as a human resource professional in the financial services and manufacturing industries.

Watkins is currently researching topics related to employee well-being, positive event disclosures, and health and wellness behaviors. He posits that employees are more likely to achieve long-term success when they work a bit less and instead dedicate more time to cultivating their health and relationships.

His work has appeared in academic journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Journal of Management. His research has also been featured in popular press outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Forbes, WebMD, BBC, and ABC News. Watkins lives in Norman, Oklahoma, with his wife and children. In his free time, he enjoys running, cycling, and spending time with his family.

Research Areas:

Employee well-being
Positive event disclosures
Health and wellness behaviors

Publications

Watkins, T., Kleshinski, C. E., Longmire, N. H., and He, W. "Rekindling the fire and stoking the flames: How and when workplace interpersonal capitalization facilitates pride and knowledge sharing at work," Academy of Management Journal (in press).

Eliseo, M., Reynolds, S. J., Watkins, T., and Mariam, M. "Mindful but forgetful: The negative effect of trait mindfulness on memories of immoral behavior," Business and Society Review (in press).

Watkins, T., Lee, S. H., Yam, K. C., Zhan, Y., and Long, L. "Helping after dark: Ambivalent leadership outcomes of helping followers after the workday," Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43, 1038–1062, 2022.

Watkins, T., Patel, A. S., and Antoine, G. E. "You are what you eat: How and when workplace healthy eating cultivates coworker perceptions and behaviors," Journal of Applied Psychology, 107, 1459–1478, 2021.

Watkins, T. "Workplace interpersonal capitalization: Employee reactions to coworker positive event disclosures," Academy of Management Journal, 64, 537–561, 2021.

View more of Watkins' publications

Watkins, T., Kleshinski, C. E., Longmire, N. H., and He, W. "Rekindling the fire and stoking the flames: How and when workplace interpersonal capitalization facilitates pride and knowledge sharing at work," Academy of Management Journal (in press).
Eliseo, M., Reynolds, S. J., Watkins, T., and Mariam, M. "Mindful but forgetful: The negative effect of trait mindfulness on memories of immoral behavior," Business and Society Review (in press).
Watkins, T., Lee, S. H., Yam, K. C., Zhan, Y., and Long, L. "Helping after dark: Ambivalent leadership outcomes of helping followers after the workday," Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43, 1038–1062, 2022.
Watkins, T., Patel, A. S., and Antoine, G. E. "You are what you eat: How and when workplace healthy eating cultivates coworker perceptions and behaviors," Journal of Applied Psychology, 107, 1459–1478, 2021.
- Earlier version selected for AOM best paper proceedings.
Watkins, T. "Workplace interpersonal capitalization: Employee reactions to coworker positive event disclosures," Academy of Management Journal, 64, 537–561, 2021.
Watkins, T., Barnes, C. M., and Krishnan, S. "A sleep and self-control model of cyber incivility at work," Sleep Health, 7, 468–473, 2021.
- Featured in Yahoo News, MSN, The Independent, TodayUKNews, India Times, and KAMR Local News (TV and radio interviews).
Calderwood, C., ten Brummelhuis, L. L., Patel, A. S., Watkins, T., Gabriel, A. S., and Rosen, C. C. "Employee physical activity: A multidisciplinary integrative review," Journal of Management, 47, 144–170, 2021.
Barnes, C. M., Watkins, T., and Klotz, A. C. "An exploration of employee dreams: The dream-based overnight carryover of emotional experiences at work," Sleep Health, 7, 191–197, 2021.
- Featured in The Wall Street Journal.
Watkins, T., and Umphress, E. E. "Strong body, clear mind: Physical activity diminishes the effects of supervisor interpersonal injustice," Personnel Psychology, 73, 641–667, 2020.
Watkins, T., Fehr, R., and He, W. "Whatever it takes: Leaders’ perceptions of abusive supervision instrumentality," Leadership Quarterly, 30, 260–272, 2019.
- Earlier version selected for AOM best paper proceedings.
Leavitt, K., Barnes, C. M., Watkins, T., and Wagner, D. T. "From the bedroom to the office: Workplace spillover effects of sexual activity at home," Journal of Management, 45, 1173–1192, 2019.
- 99th percentile "attention score" on Altmetric; highest score in the history of Journal of Management.
- Media mentions include The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Time Magazine, ABC News, BBC, CBS News, FOX News, The Telegraph, WebMD, USA Today, The Huffington Post, U.S. News, Yahoo, MSN, Business Insider, and New York Magazine.

About OU's Price College of Business

The University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business has experienced significant growth over the past five years, becoming OU’s second-largest college with over 5,800 students. The college offers highly ranked undergraduate, master’s, executive and doctoral programs across six academic divisions. More information is available at price.ou.edu