Organizational Research Group: Critical Alternatives

The emphasis of the group’s research is in applying approaches from critical management studies to the study of various contemporary phenomena in management and organisation. These include social innovations, creativity, health care reforms, and bodily experiences in working life.

The research group has long conducted research on the spreading and adoption of management ideas and ideologies, globalisation, and the role of different agents in these processes. Another central theme of research is responsible HRM, which seeks to explore the role of HR in corporate social responsibility (CSR) discourses. This theme is also focused on employee well-being and the relationship between HRM and performance, and it applies education theories to the exploration of responsible HRM.

If you are interested in writing a PhD thesis related to any of the above-mentioned themes, please contact Professor Hannele Seeck (hannele.seeck@utu.fi, 050 5213106). The research group organises meetings and provides support for research.

The research group applies for funding for research related to responsible HRM, for example.

The members of the group have published several textbooks, scientific monographs, and articles in, for example, the following journals: Organization, Journal of Business Ethics, Management Learning, Human Relations, Media, Culture & Society, Business History, International Journal of Human Resource Management, and Culture and Organization.

Members of the group have received research funding from the Academy of Finland, the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Foundation for Economic Education, the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

The group offers support for developing articles or research ideas and is actively looking for co-operation and networking partners.

The group leader is Professor Hannele Seeck. She is the founder of the research group together with A. Kuokkanen, A. Välikangas and A. Laakso. Founding member Anita Välikangas coordinates the group during the period of 1.1.2019-31.12.2021.

• Fougère, Martin, Segercrantz, Beata & Seeck, Hannele (2017). A critical reading of the European Union’s social innovation policy discourse: (Re)legitimatizing neoliberalism through roll-out, roll-with-it and win-win-win. Organization, Vol. 24 (6). doi 10.1177/1350508416685171.
• Huopalainen, Astrid & Satama, Suvi (2018) Mothers and researchers in the making: Negotiating ‘new’ motherhood within the ‘new’ academia, Human Relations. Published as onlinefirst: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018726718764571
• Järlström, Maria, Saru, Essi & Vanhala, Sinikka (2018) Sustainable human resource management with salience of stakeholders: a top management perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 152 (3). 
• Kantola, Anu; Seeck, Hannele & Mannevuo, Mona (2019) Affect in governmentality: Top executives managing the affective milieu of market liberalisation. Organization, First Published January 2, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508418821002
• Kantola, Markus (2017) Jakautunut kansakunta: Yhdysvaltojen poliittinen historia Richard Nixonista Barack Obamaan. 
• Seeck, Hannele & Diehl, Marjo-Riitta (2017). A literature review of HRM and innovation – Taking stock and future directions. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 28(6).  Link to the article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2016.1143862
• Seeck, Hannele and Juha-Antti Lamberg (2019) Evolving Management Ideas, in Oxford Handbook of Management Ideas (Edited by Andrew Sturdy, Stefan Heusinkveld, Trish Reay  and David Strang) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-management-ideas-9780198794219?cc=fi&lang=en&#