Future of Work

Eero Vaara (Ph.D. Econ) is a Professor of Organization and Management at Aalto University School of Business, Helsinki, Finland. His research focuses on organizational and strategic change that he examines from discursive and narrative perspectives. This work deals with strategy process and practice research, studies of radical change such as mergers and acquisitions, work on institutional change and legitimation, research on multinational corporations and globalization, and historical analysis of management and organizations.

Listen Business Table -podcast and Eero's thoughts on how strategy work in current world looks like, here!

Contact Eero: [email protected]

Nina Granqvist's research focuses on how new markets and other fields of action emerge and develop – that is, how new ideas, products and practices move from margins to mainstream. Such transitions are at the core when the aim is to understand the sources and dynamics for change for the future of work. Empirically, Nina  has studied for example nanotechnology, food trends and solar technologies. In terms of theories, her research draws on institutional theory, sociology of markets, and research on language and temporality, among others.

Contact Nina: [email protected]

Hertta Vuorenmaa (Ph.D Philosophy) works as a  post-doctoral researcher and Research Programme Director (Future of Work) at the Department of Management at Aalto Biz.

Her research focuses on HRM in public and private organizations, changing nature of work and management, digitalization, gender and examines these mainly via qualitative research methods including ethnography.

Contact Hertta: [email protected]

Henri Schildt is a professor of strategy at Aalto Schools of Business and Science. His on-going research projects examine the impact of advanced algorithms on expert work and the efforts of NGOs to integrate marginalized individuals. He is currently writing a book on the impact of digital data on organizations, management, and work.

Contact Henri: [email protected]

Ingmar Björkman is Professor of International Business and Dean of Aalto University School of Business. His research interests focus on people management issues in international organizations. His latest book is Global Challenge: International Human Resource Management (third edition, 2017, Chicago Business Press), co-authored with Vladimir Pucik (CEIBS), Paul Evans (INSEAD) and Shad Morris (Brigham Young University).

Contact Ingmar: [email protected]

Kristiina Mäkelä (PhD) is Provost of Aalto University and Professor of International Business at the Department of Management Studies in Aalto University School of Business. Kristiina is one of the leading experts of Human Resource Management in Finland. Her research focuses on people-related issues in different types of organizations, and she is very interested in how the way in which we work is evolving as result of technological development, and how it influences e.g., leadership and well-being. She has taught students and executives extensively both in Finland and internationally, and also gives regular key note speeches on the topic.

Contact Kristiina: [email protected]

Juha Äkräs works as Executive in Residence in Aalto University, School of Business, Department of Management. Juha is a member of “The Exponential Work Project: Cascading Wellbeing Climate & Organizational Performance” - a joint research project by Aalto University, Hintsa Performance and Ilmarinen. The objective of Juha’s research is to holistically understand the organization dynamics and what it takes to have a high performing organization, where individual and organizational wellbeing and thriving is a norm (concept of “mass thriving”). Additionally, Juha is the Co-founder and Chairman of Hintsa Performance Ltd, a company focusing on employee and organizational wellbeing and performance.

Contact Juha: [email protected]

Farah Kodeih is a visiting assistant professor in the department of Management Studies. Her current research aims to understand how social ventures and non-governmental organizations support refugee and migrant integration into host societies through entrepreneurship and work.  The research examines practices and structures supporting the integration of vulnerable and marginalized individuals, and challenges established conceptions of employment.

Contact Farah: [email protected]

Katharina Cepa studies the digitalization and datafication of interorganizational processes. Organizations increasingly use advanced sensor technologies to create operational transparency with the aim to optimize efficiency within and across their boundaries. Looking beyond immediate implications for coordination and control, her research explores the role of digital real-time data in reshaping strategy work at the interfaces of organizations.

Contact Katharina: [email protected]

Pauli Pakarinen is a PhD candidate studying expert work, decision-making, and the interaction of expertise, models, and data in making predictions. His empirical research on regulation, decision-making, and macroeconomic forecasting in a central bank draws on diverse organizational and sociological literatures. He is interested in how expert workers can form judgments and make credible predictions on an environment that is increasingly complex and information rich.

Contact Pauli: [email protected]

Amber Geurts is a postdoctoral research at Aalto University's department of Management Studies and department of Applied Physics (CEST-Group). Her research focuses on how novel markets and scientific fields emerge and develop, with an on-going, ethnographic research project on the emerging field of data-driven materials science. In addition, her research explores how and why firms respond differently to disruptive, digital innovations, relying on literature such as strategy, organizational identity, and coopetition.

Contact Amber: [email protected]

Rilana Riikkinen is a postdoctoral researcher at the department of Management Studies. She is part of the international business group and studies sustainability in the international context. Her research particularly focuses on social and environmental aspects of work, including responsible leadership, in various types of international organizations, such as multinational corporations and social enterprises.

Contact Rilana: [email protected]

Dr. Ville Eloranta is an expert in business model innovation (especially platform business models) and distributed ledger technologies (especially open blockchain implementations). Ville is currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Aalto University, School of Business. Ville is researching business models in decentralized business ecosystems, and teaching future transdisciplinary professionals in the International Design Business Management program.

Contact Ville: [email protected]

Carl Fey is a Professor of International Business at Aalto University School of Business.  Before joining Aalto University School of Business he was Dean of Nottingham University Business School China from 2011-2015.  His work focuses on what management practices work best in different countries due to cultural and institutional differences between countries.  He is especially interested in modern ways of working including what management practices best facilitate innovation, modern decentralized forms of organizing, how to facilitate empowerment, performance-enhancing organizational cultures, entrepreneurial leadership, international knowledge transfer, and mergers and acquisition. He has a special interest in understanding how the above work best in the large transforming economies of China and Russia.

Contact Carl: [email protected]

Nora Rosendahl is a doctoral candidate at Aalto University's School of Science, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. Her research focuses on the evolving nature of knowledge work in an age of intelligent automation. 

How will technology change knowledge work? How do working habits and skills evolve with tighter human-machine relationships? How can we balance technological progress, a thriving human and a thriving organization? 

Additionally, Nora is Co-Founder and COO of Fifth Corner Inc., a digital coaching platform helping knowledge workers form routines for balance and performance in a high-paced world.

Contact Nora: [email protected]