Industrial Economics and Organisation

Re-framing digitalisation

During the past few years, we have moved from considering the digital as unfamiliar and strange to an era in which technology has become ubiquitous and in numerous ways intertwined with organisational life, business and politics. The research track Re-framing digitalisation explores the implications of this shift in technological base when it comes to how we manage organisations, how we create value, how we govern. Not only that, we also produce knowledge on how management practices, business development and politics can affect the implementation and diffusion of digital technologies.

In our research projects we collaborate with both private and public organisations. In particular, Eskilstuna municipality has with Sörmlandskontraktet contributed to the expansion of knowledge production in regards to business development to the benefit of a specific track in the business administration program.

Re-framing globalization

On the one hand, international business plays a key role for increasing employment and achieving economic prosperity and growth, on the other hand, questions related to increased globalisation, such as migration stream issues and segregation are still largely unresolved.

The research track Re-framing globalization mainly focuses on the business world, exploring the challenges that organisations have to face in their contemporary international operations. These challenges specifically relate to how organisations work to overcome geographical and cultural distances, and the consequent increased diversity and complexity.

The glocal character of contemporary business is also of interest. Of particular importance is the emergence of digital technologies, which can help firms overcome difficulties associated with doing business abroad. The track investigates internationalisation challenges in all types of organisations from large multinational corporations (MNCs) to entrepreneurial small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Also questions of diversity and migration in relation to business are part of this track.

Re-framing sustainability

Sustainability has gone from being a relatively marginal issue to be on the top of the agenda in both the private and public sector. On the one hand, this increased attention has led to more proactive approaches to sustainability, seeing it as an opportunity rather than a risk to be managed. On the other hand, there are doubts as to the efficacy of such approaches to tackle acute social and environmental global problems, if this means that crucial issues are downplayed rather than addressed. The research track Re-framing sustainability therefore foregrounds critical issues to be dealt with in order to work towards sustainability by applying theoretical lenses from different disciplines. Issues studied include

• urban development
• migration and class
• ethnic and spatial segregation
• the social and political aspect of infrastructural change
• methods (citizen science is a good example) and possibilities for civic engagement and a more active and inclusive citizenship (inter alia, future welfare services)
• methods to be applied by city planners for steering towards more sustainable use of local resources.

Research in this track is often undertaken in collaboration with the local public administration, local government and organizations such as housing companies, NGOs, civic organizations, etc.