Douglas L. Kruse

Douglas L. Kruse is the J. Robert Beyster Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University's School of Management and Labor Relations, with joint appointments in Human Resource Management and Labor Studies & Employment Relations. He serves as Research Director of the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing and Co-Director of the Program for Disability Research. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University and has held visiting positions at Oxford University, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and IZA Institute.

His research focuses on:

• Employee ownership models and profit-sharing systems
• Disability employment barriers and workplace inclusion
• Labor market dynamics including wage differentials and worker displacement
• Economic impacts of pension systems and compensation structures

His publications demonstrate consistent focus on how organizational practices affect economic inequality, with recent work emphasizing disability voting rights, international labor comparisons, and resilience of employee-owned firms during recessions.

Honors include:

• Richard A. Lester Prize for outstanding book in labor economics
• Western Political Science Association Best Article Prize (2002)
• Appointment to endowed J. Robert Beyster Professorship (2024)

He has advised policymakers through four Congressional testimonies, served as Senior Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (2013-2014), and led research initiatives for the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health & Human Services.

Through the Institute for Employee Ownership and Program for Disability Research, he oversees interdisciplinary teams studying shared capitalism models and accessibility innovations in workplace and civic participation.