Brown Bag Seminar explored sustainability and change in business networks and industry transitions at the University of Oulu
On 17th of October, University of Oulu´s Brown Bag seminar titled "Sustainability and change in business networks and industry transitions" featured a FRONT themed talk by FRONT Associate Professor Dr. Hanna Komulainen, Oulu Business School. Komulainen´s presentation was followed by a great co-speaker presentation by Dr. Arto Reiman, Faculty of Technology.
Many changes and transitions are needed in relation to sustainability and human well-being in business and at workplaces
Change is the only constant, and today, many changes and transitions are needed in relation to sustainability and human well-being in business and at workplaces. The presentations explored how different dimensions of sustainability and change processes are taking place in business networks and industry transitions.
Komulainen talked about how sustainability and changes related to sustainability issues have been examined in previous research on business networks, and what the next steps are for this type of research concerning resilient organizations and business networks in her unit. She used example of innovations for more sustainable food packaging. The conclusions of the research conducted were that sustainable innovation to existing value networks is intricate - and to shape markets in a stable and conservative market setting, the active and interactive participation of multiple stakeholders across industries and sectors is important.
Reiman stated that working life has forgotten the human perspective and is too technology oriented. To be promoted into more sustainable, workplaces should be human-centric in the future, he concluded. Next phase how we measure things, the “Industry 5.0” could be a game changer if we:
Find our ways to orient towards the optimization of more appropriate measures that reflect contemporary economic thinking
form a new industrial strategy that is based on totally new targets and indicators for business performance
learn how to place the worker at the center of the production process and use new technologies to provide prosperity beyond jobs and growth while respecting the production limits of the planet.
Research collaboration is welcome in FRONT theme "Resilient Organizations and Business networks"
To end her presentation, Komulainen also welcomed researchers to collaborate on the future research areas of FRONT theme "Resilient Organizations and Business networks":
- Developing both conceptual and Empirical understanding of resilience in interorganizational networks
- Value co-creation as a mechanism for building resilience
- Circular economy and resilience
- Structuring of business networks to promote resilience
- The diverse capabilities required within networks before, during and after a crisis
- Resilience of refugee entrepreneurs and start-ups in the Arctic
- Advancing circularity in public procurement through value co-creation
About the speakers of the seminar
Dr Hanna Komulainen is an Associate professor (tenure track) in Resilient Organizations and Business Networks in Oulu Business School, Department of Marketing, Management and International Business. She has also started as an Associate Professor in Profi7 Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience (FRONT) research programme in February 2024. She is a Doctor of Science in economics and business administration and holds the title of Docent in the University of Oulu (marketing, especially value creation and customer experience in digital services). The key areas of her recent research relate to B2B relationships and networks, service marketing, customer value and various sustainability issues, especially in relation to circular economy, sustainable innovation and resilience in business networks.
Dr Arto Reiman is a Research Team Leader in the Industrial Engineering and Management Research Unit. He is a Doctor of Science in Industrial engineering and management, and he has been granted the title of Docent from the University of Tampere in the field of human-centric work system design and management. His research interests relate to corporate social responsibility and resilient organisations, and he is particularly interested in human health and safety and human factors at work contexts. Previously he has also served as a president of the Finnish Ergonomics Society.