
Fundamentals of People Risk Management
Tools and Frameworks for Managing People Risk and Increasing Resilience
Stephen Sidebottom(Author)
Kogan Page Ltd (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 3. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-3986-2637-9 (ISBN)
Description
Strengthen your risk strategy by understanding how human behaviour drives performance, decision quality and organizational outcomes.
Fundamentals of People Risk Management is a practical guide for new and established risk managers and HR partners who want to develop credible, evidence-based approaches to people risk. As organizations navigate shifting expectations, cultural complexity and increasingly interconnected teams, this book shows how to apply clear models and frameworks to identify, measure and manage human capital risk more effectively.
Written by Stephen Sidebottom, it explains the cognitive, behavioural and ethical factors that influence decision making, team dynamics and operations. Through actionable frameworks and real-world examples from financial services, aviation, energy, non-profits and the public sector, the book demonstrates how to build people risk into the broader enterprise risk management strategy.
You'll learn how to:
- Apply people risk principles to assess behavioural, ethical and decision-making challenges
- Implement frameworks and checklists to improve risk analysis in day-to-day operations
- Develop values and behaviours that support a resilient culture
- Integrate people risk into enterprise risk management frameworks to optimize governance and oversight
With clear models and practical guidance, this book helps you develop a more robust, actionable approach to people risk that enhances your impact and supports stronger organizational performance.
Themes include: people risk strategy, people risk management, behavioural risk, culture development, enterprise risk management, decision-making models, organizational performance
Fundamentals of People Risk Management is a practical guide for new and established risk managers and HR partners who want to develop credible, evidence-based approaches to people risk. As organizations navigate shifting expectations, cultural complexity and increasingly interconnected teams, this book shows how to apply clear models and frameworks to identify, measure and manage human capital risk more effectively.
Written by Stephen Sidebottom, it explains the cognitive, behavioural and ethical factors that influence decision making, team dynamics and operations. Through actionable frameworks and real-world examples from financial services, aviation, energy, non-profits and the public sector, the book demonstrates how to build people risk into the broader enterprise risk management strategy.
You'll learn how to:
- Apply people risk principles to assess behavioural, ethical and decision-making challenges
- Implement frameworks and checklists to improve risk analysis in day-to-day operations
- Develop values and behaviours that support a resilient culture
- Integrate people risk into enterprise risk management frameworks to optimize governance and oversight
With clear models and practical guidance, this book helps you develop a more robust, actionable approach to people risk that enhances your impact and supports stronger organizational performance.
Themes include: people risk strategy, people risk management, behavioural risk, culture development, enterprise risk management, decision-making models, organizational performance
Reviews / Votes
"A timely and compelling read that brings people risk out of the HR silo and into the boardroom conversation where it belongs." * Candace Steele, Group Risk Director, Canopius Group Ltd * "Stephen Sidebottom excellently highlights the people risks in organizations today. A must read for risk and HR professionals." * Professor Sir Cary Cooper, CBE, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester * "In an ever-changing world, people risks are increasingly business critical and Stephen Sidebottom brings a powerful systems thinking perspective. He challenges leaders to look beyond isolated issues and understand the interconnected ecosystems shaping risk, culture and performance. I would highly recommend this practical book for any leader looking to navigate complexity and drive performance." * Rebecca Port, Chief People Officer, Okta * "In this insightful book, Stephen Sidebottom brings people risk management to life through a unique dual lens-that of both an HR practitioner and a seasoned risk expert. He masterfully connects the worlds of risk and people management, illustrating their interplay through credible examples and real-life examples. The result is a compelling and practical narrative that is both thought-provoking and highly relevant. A must-read for any risk professional seeking a deeper, more integrated understanding of the discipline." * Dorothy Maseke, Chair, IRM Africa * "This comprehensive, accessible book is just what the risk community needs in framing people risk management within the context of sound principles and practices in organizational behaviour. It explains why managing people risk is at the heart of shaping the way in which organizations behave." * Anita Punwani CFIRM, IRM Founder & Chair, Environmental & Social Governance Group * "This book provides a clear and practical reframing of people risk as a systemic organizational challenge rather than a series of isolated events. By introducing a structured framework spanning cognitive, behavioural, cultural and ethical dimensions, among others, Stephen Sidebottom brings much-needed clarity to a complex and often fragmented area of risk. It challenges organizations to move beyond treating symptoms, instead identifying the underlying conditions that shape behaviour and outcomes - enabling more effective and enduring solutions. A valuable contribution to modern risk leadership and practice." * Danielle Mudd, Chair, IRM KSA & Bahrain Regional Group * "Stephen Sidebottom should be congratulated on covering this topic with depth and insight. A fascinating and complex area of risk, which by its nature is extremely difficult to assess, monitor and report on within traditional risk management approaches. An area fundamental to the success of every organization, Sidebottom provides a comprehensive look at the theory and practical ways to approach and mitigate people risk." * Helen Hunter-Jones, Group Risk and Assurance Director, Greene King * "This book is intelligent, thoughtful and elegantly written and is packed full of important insights and grounded in decades of experience working at the highest level. It cuts through the noise of individual level risk factors to expose and analyse the systemic risk so often buried deep within organizations." * Laura Empson, Professor in the Management of Professional Service Firms, Bayes Business School, University of London * "This is an important piece of work which links tangible metrics and a risk-based pragmatic approach to the people agenda in its widest commercial sense." * Valerie Gordon-Walker, Senior independent non-executive director and chair of board committees * "This is a timely publication. It offers a comprehensive account of people risk management, grounded in a detailed, well researched account of the breadth of issues organizations face. The book includes diagnostic methods and invaluable guidance for risk managers, senior leadership and board members." * Nelarine Cornelius, Professor of Organisation Studies, Queen Mary University of London *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 170 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
666 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3986-2637-9 (9781398626379)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Stephen Sidebottom
Fundamentals of People Risk Management
Tools and Frameworks for Managing People Risk and Increasing Resilience
E-Book
06/2026
1st Edition
Kogan Page Ltd
€57.99
Available for download

Stephen Sidebottom
Fundamentals of People Risk Management
Tools and Frameworks for Managing People Risk and Increasing Resilience
Book
06/2026
1st Edition
Kogan Page Ltd
€99.00
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Stephen Sidebottom has served as Chair of the Institute of Risk Management since 2021. He is the Immediate Past Master of the Company of Human Resources Professionals and works as a leadership coach. He has served in senior leadership and executive roles in HR, risk and operations across finance, energy, education and the public sector. He is based in London, UK.
Content
Chapter - 00: Introduction;
Chapter - 01: Understanding people risk - an overview;
Chapter - 02: From instinct to intention - behavioural drivers of people risk;
Chapter - 03: The culture we breathe - why everyday work makes ( and breaks ) people risk;
Chapter - 04: From signals to surprises - risk incubation and early warnings;
Chapter - 05: Leadership as a risk and a risk mitigator;
Chapter - 06: Measuring, reporting and assuring people risk;
Chapter - 07: Applying the people risk framework - how the system works and where to focus;
Chapter - 08: Diagnosing people risk in practice;
Chapter - 09: From seeing the system to changing it;
Chapter - 10: Stewardship and governance of the human system;
Chapter - 11: Appendix - the people risk framework;
Chapter - 01: Understanding people risk - an overview;
Chapter - 02: From instinct to intention - behavioural drivers of people risk;
Chapter - 03: The culture we breathe - why everyday work makes ( and breaks ) people risk;
Chapter - 04: From signals to surprises - risk incubation and early warnings;
Chapter - 05: Leadership as a risk and a risk mitigator;
Chapter - 06: Measuring, reporting and assuring people risk;
Chapter - 07: Applying the people risk framework - how the system works and where to focus;
Chapter - 08: Diagnosing people risk in practice;
Chapter - 09: From seeing the system to changing it;
Chapter - 10: Stewardship and governance of the human system;
Chapter - 11: Appendix - the people risk framework;