Key details
Mr Jim Gritton
EdD Student
Until 2015/16 Jim was Deputy Head of Psychology, Social Work and Counselling at the University of Greenwich in London, although he was originally recruited to teach leadership and management in health and social care. Now retired, he is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education, having previously completed a BA in German (Bangor), a Diploma in Social Administration (LSE), an MA in Applied Social Studies (Brunel), an executive MBA (Reading), an MSc in e-Learning (Edinburgh), an MA in Educational Research (Greenwich), and an MLitt in Viking Studies (UHI).
A late entrant to academia, Jim spent much of his career working in the criminal justice system. As a probation officer he worked with offenders, and as a family court welfare officer (this work has since transferred to CAFCASS) he advised courts on the best interests of children in complex custody and access disputes. In 2003, he relinquished his role as Assistant Chief Probation Officer in order to co-found a learning and development consultancy, and worked with organisations, primarily in the public sector, to build leadership capability. In 2009 he began teaching for the Open University Business School and was one of the first tutors to teach on the NHS's flagship leadership development programme, the Mary Seacole Programme, for first-time leaders in health and social care. In 2011 he moved to the University of Greenwich where he taught until he retired. He now sits on the Board of Governors at an adult education college and local secondary school.
Awards
Recognition
- Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management (FInstLM)
- Licentiate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (LicCIPD)
- Member of the Guild of One-Name Studies Member of the Royal Photographic Society
- Member of the Viking Society for Northern Research
- Governing Body, Sutton College Governing Body, Harris Academy Sutton
- Member of the Advisory Board of HEDRA
- External Examiner, Kingston University (2015-2019)
- External Examiner, Sheffield Hallam University (2015-2018)
Research / Scholarly interests
Jim is an eclectic researcher and particularly drawn to interdisciplinary approaches to research. His scholarly interests span both social sciences and the humanities, and he has been published in fields as varied as public health, criminal justice, leadership development in virtual worlds, cinema in the classroom, and Viking studies. Between 2011-2015, he led an interdisciplinary research project on experiential learning in virtual worlds and chaired annual conferences in Prague, Lisbon and Dubrovnik.
For his doctorate, Jim is currently researching how leaders are represented in commercial stock photos, but he is also interested in scenario planning and approaches to long-range planning, and the relationship between Modernism and social housing (two of his photos have been published in books about housing and environmental/public health).
Recent publications
Articles
Gritton, J. (2020) 'Yngvars saga víðförla and the Ingvar Runestones: A Question of Evidence', Apardjón Journal for Scandinavian Studies, 1 (1), pp. 54-86.
Stewart, J., Smith, D. and Gritton, J. (2016) A Public Health History of a Forgotten Corner of Kent: The Isle of Sheppey. Occasional Paper No. 3, Environmental Health Research Network.
Gritton, J., Stewart, J., Jeavons, C., Mehmet, N. and La Placa, V. (2016) 'Movies in the Classroom: Lessons for Curriculum Design', Compass: Journal of Learning and Teaching, 8 (12).
Stewart, J., Crocket, R., Gritton, J., Stubbs, B. and Pascoe, A. (2014) 'Ageing at Home? Meeting Housing, Health and Social Needs', Journal of Integrated Care, 22 (5/6), pp. 218 – 228.
Gritton, J. (2007) Can Serendipitous Browsing Lead to Serendipitous Learning? Bristol: Futurelab [No longer available online].
Gritton, J. (2000) 'Scenario Planning in the Probation Service – the Need for 20:20 Vision', Vista: Perspectives on Probation, Criminal Justice & Civil Renewal, 6 (1), pp. 46-59.
Gritton, J. (1998) 'Probation on the Internet', Vista: Perspectives on Probation, Criminal Justice & Civil Renewal, 3 (3), pp. 196-207.
Book Chapters
Gritton, J. (2016) 'It's Leadership Development, Jim, But Not as We Know It', in C. DeCoursey and D. Gui (eds.), Games, Leadership and Learning in Virtual Environments. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press, pp. 93-123.
Stewart, J. and Gritton, J. (2014) 'The Living Environment and Wellbeing: Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions?', in A. Knight, A. McNaught and V. La Placa (eds.). Wellbeing: Policy and Practice, Banbury: Lantern Publishing, pp. 39-50.
Gritton, J. (2011) 'Leadership Lessons from Pandora and Beyond', in P. Jerry and L. Lindsey (eds.), Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds: Opening an Undiscovered Country. Open Learning Workbook. London: National Probation Service (Home Office). Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press, pp. 93-105.
Conference Papers
Gritton, J. (2017) 'The Raven in Norse Mythology and the Pacific Northwest', 5th Annual Colloquium on Celtic and Scandinavian Mythology. University of Edinburgh, November.
Gritton, J., Teesdale, M. and Ball, Y. (2015) 'Don't Do the Crime, if You Can't Do the Time … Virtually', 5th Global Conference on Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds, Dubrovnik, May.
Gritton, J., Jeavons, C., Mehmet, N., La Placa, V. and Stewart, J. (2015) 'Movies in the Classroom: Lessons for Curriculum Design', Sparking Ideas: Innovating Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Greenwich, London, January.
Stewart, J. and Gritton, J. (2014) 'Sailors and Sex in Sheppey', Public Health and Wellbeing Student Gala, University of Greenwich, May.
Gritton, J. (2014) 'Immersion Reconceived: New Insights from Wagner, Literature and Puppet Theatre', 4th Global Conference on Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds, Prague, March.
Gritton, J. (2013) 'Using Film to Teach Leadership: A Feminist Critique', DPR13: Discourses of Inclusion and Exclusion, University of Greenwich, London, April.
Gritton, J. (2013) 'Leadership in the Health Sector – Views from outside the Profession', SE Coast Branch of the Division of Clinical Psychology Annual Conference: Leadership Opportunities and Challenges for Clinical Psychology in the Next Decade, Brighton, March.
Gritton, J. (2013) 'The New NHS Leadership Framework: Distributed Leadership or Emperor's New Clothes?', Inaugural Conference of the Phi Mu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, Nursing Honour Society, Bournemouth University, June.
Gritton, J. (2013) 'Uniting Two Domains of Leadership Development and Immersive Virtual Worlds: Building a Simple Framework for Selecting a Virtual World for Leadership Development', 3rd Global Conference on Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds, Lisbon, March.
Gritton, J. (2012) 'The Representation of Leadership in Corporate Stock Photography', 3rd Annual Asian Conference on Media and Mass Communication, Osaka, November.
Gritton, J. (2012) 'It's Leadership, Jim, But Not as We Know It', Research and Innovation in Distance Education and eLearning, Centre for Distance Education, University of London, October.
Gritton, J. (2012) 'Open Educational Resources: A Challenge to the MBA?', 19th International Conference on Learning, Institute of Education, London, August.
Gritton, J. (2012) 'Developing Soft Leadership Skills Online: A Review of Online MBA and Masters-level Leadership Programmes', 10th eLearning and Technology Conference, Greenwich, London, July.
Gritton, J. (2012) 'Virtual Worlds, Possible Futures', 2nd Global Conference on Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds, Prague, March.
Gritton, J. (2011) 'Using Technology to Enhance Leadership Learning', 13th Annual Global Conference of the International Leadership Association, London, October.
Gritton, J. (2011) 'Leadership Lessons from Pandora and Beyond', 1st Global Conference on Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds, Prague, March.
Teaching and Learning Resources
Gritton, J. (2010) 'Leadership', in B716 Unit 1: Exploring Management. Milton Keynes: The Open University, pp. 61-75.
Gritton, J. (2010) 'General Theories of Management – Contrasting Approaches', in B716 Unit 1: Exploring Management. Milton Keynes: The Open University, pp. 6-8.
Gritton, J. (2010) 'Stakeholder Analysis and Management', in B716 Unit 1: Exploring Management. Milton Keynes: The Open University, pp. 25-38.
Gritton, J. and Barclay, A. (2006) Leading Change (Living Leadership Open Learning Workbook). London: National Probation Service (Home Office).
Gritton, J. and Barclay, A. (2006) Leading for Results (Living Leadership Open Learning Workbook). London: National Probation Service (Home Office).
Gritton, J. and Barclay, A. (2006) Leading Improvement (Living Leadership Open Learning Workbook). London: National Probation Service (Home Office).
Gritton, J. and Barclay, A. (2006) Leading in the 21st Century (Living Leadership Open Learning Workbook). London: National Probation Service (Home Office).
Barclay, A. and Gritton, J. (2006) Leading in a Learning Organisation (Living Leadership Open Learning Workbook). London: National Probation Service (Home Office).
Barclay, A. and Gritton, J. (2006) Leading Performance Through People (Living Leadership Open Learning Workbook). London: National Probation Service (Home Office).