Kristiina Mäkelä

When does university research get commercialized? Creating ambidexterity in research institutions

We examine the tensions that make it difficult for a research-oriented university to achieve commercial outcomes. Building on the organizational ambidexterity literature, we specify the nature of the tensions (between academic and commercially-oriented activities) at both organizational and individual levels of analysis, and how these can be resolved. We develop hypotheses linking specific aspects of the organization and the individual researcher to the likelihood of their research projects generating commercial outcomes, and we test them using a novel dataset of 207 Research Council-funded projects, combining objective data on project outcomes with the perceptions of principal investigators. We show that the tension between academic and commercial demands is more salient at the level of the individual researcher than at the level of the organization. Universities show evidence that they are able to manage the tensions between academic and commercial demands, through for example their creation of ‘dual structures’. At the individual level, on the other hand, the tensions are more acute, so that the people who deliver commercial outcomes tend to be rather different to those who are accustomed to producing academic outcomes.

Determinants of Strategic HR Capabilities in MNC Subsidiaries

Given the established association between organizational capabilities and organizational performance, shedding light on the determinants of capabilities remains a priority. We seek to narrow this research gap by providing empirical evidence concerning the influence of individual‐level determinants of strategic HR capabilities in subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs). More specifically, we focus on two different conditions of individual action that function as microfoundations for organizational level strategic HR capabilities: the experience of subsidiary HR managers; and the social capital between managers working with HR issues in the subsidiary and those in the corporate HR function. Analysis of quantitative data gathered from 123 subsidiaries of 12 Nordic MNCs finds significant relationships between several microfoundations and the development of strategic HR capabilities in MNC subsidiaries.

MNC subsidiary staffing architecture: building human and social capital within the organisation

The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of human and social capital that different archetypes of subsidiary staffing are associated with, and how this influences the management of knowledge stocks and flows within the MNC. We identify four subsidiary staffing archetypes (local–internal, local–external, global–internal, and global–external) and suggest that each of them can be used for different knowledge-related purposes within the organisation. The local-internal archetype may carry a dual role in both exploiting existing knowledge stocks in their local markets and transferring market knowledge to the headquarters, through the co-existence of a high level of market knowledge and external social capital combined with at least some degree of MNC-specific knowledge and social capital. The local-external archetype, in turn, can play a valuable role in the exploration of new non-redundant knowledge. The global-internal archetype serves a key function in transferring knowledge and best practices from the headquarters to the subsidiaries. Lastly, the global-external archetype seems to have limited human- and social-capital related advantages.

From HRM practices to the practice of HRM: setting a research agenda

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an “HRM-as-practice” research agenda. The authors suggest that the HRM-performance literature would benefit from an actor-centric approach and a focus on activities, and that the HR roles research needs to shift its attention toward a more dynamic perspective of HR work and link this further to performance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper first provides an overview of strategy-as-practice (SAP) literature, and then review how extant HRM literature deals with three core notions of SAP: practices, praxis and practitioners. Based on this, the paper outlines an “HRM-as-practice” research agenda. Findings – Focussing on the intersections between praxis, practitioners and practice, the paper suggests that an “HRM-as-practice” approach can give new insights into first, how people-related decisions are made, implemented and enacted in organizations; second, how employees and other HRM stakeholders interpret and engage with HRM; third, how HR actors become ...

Processes of International Collaboration in Management Research: A Reflexive, Autoethnographic Approach

Scientists and academics increasingly work on collaborative projects and write papers in international research teams. This trend is driven by greater publishing demands in terms of the quality and breadth of data and analysis methods, which tend to be difficult to achieve without collaborating across institutional and national boundaries. Yet, our understanding of the collaborative processes in an academic setting and the potential tensions associated with them remains limited. We use a reflexive, autoethnographic approach to explicitly investigate our own experiences of international collaborative research. We offer systematic insights into the social and intellectual processes of academic collaborative writing, identifying six lessons and two key tensions that influence the success of international research teams. Our findings may benefit the formation of future coauthor teams, the preparation of research proposals, and the development of PhD curricula.

Are you willing to do what it takes to become a senior global leader? Explaining the willingness to undertake challenging leadership development activities

Although the importance of on-the-job-learning as a global leadership development tool has been widely acknowledged by both scholars and practitioners, there is limited research on the willingness of employees to undertake such challenging assignments. Building on social exchange theory, we examine potential factors explaining the willingness of individual employees to undertake challenging global leadership development activities, such as cross-functional and international assignments and assignments related to reorganisations or new businesses. Our analysis of 427 individuals from 14 multinational companies reveals that the willingness to accept on-the-job challenges is positively associated with knowing that one has been formally identified as talented, identification with corporate values, and acknowledgement of the effectiveness of developmental assignments. Previous experience of working or studying abroad, and cross-functional experience also turned out to be positively related. Interesting differe...

Team-based global organizations: The future of global organizing

This chapter draws on a panel discussion of the future of global organizing as a team-based organization at EIBA 2014 in Uppsala, Sweden. We began by discussing contemporary developments of hybrid ...

Towards a strategic understanding of global teams and their HR implications: an expert dialogue

Abstract Drawing on initial insights emerging from a panel at the EIBA 2016 Conference in Vienna, here discussants and expert panelists engage in a follow-on conversation on the HRM implications of global teams for international organizations. First we set out how HRM can enable global teams and their constituent members to overcome the new and considerable challenges of global teams. These challenges span levels of analysis, time and space. Next we debate global teams as a strategic response to the dual pressures of global integration and local adaptation. We consider what HRM is needed for global teams to successfully resolve this dilemma, challenging practitioners to move beyond the ‘best practices’ and ‘alignment’ dichotomy. Lastly we look to the future to consider implications for research. We propose a rich research agenda focused on the complexities of the global team context.

Talent responses to talent status awareness-Not a question of simple reciprocation

How to manage talent effectively is a key question in organizations. Yet, we still know relatively little about talent’s psychological reactions to their exclusive status. Based on psychological contract theory and research on status, this study analyzes a sample of 321 employees identified as talent by their organizations, only some of whom were aware of their exclusive talent status. The results provide evidence that talent status awareness moderates the relationship between a range of employer inducements and talent obligations, such that it increases the importance of some inducements while diminishing that of others. The study contributes to the talent management literature by isolating specific effects of talent status awareness and calling into question extant evidence of its direct positive effects on talent attitudes. The findings also have implications for talent status communication, talent management and future theorizing of talent reactions to their exclusive status.

Using online data and network-based text analysis in HRM research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose new directions for human resource management (HRM) research by drawing attention to online data as a complementary data source to traditional quantitative and qualitative data, and introducing network text analysis as a method for large quantities of textual material. Design/methodology/approach The paper first presents the added value and potential challenges of utilising online data in HRM research, and then proposes a four-step process for analysing online data with network text analysis. Findings Online data represent a naturally occuring source of real-time behavioural data that do not suffer from researcher intervention or hindsight bias. The authors argue that as such, this type of data provides a promising yet currently largely untapped empirical context for HRM research that is particularly suited for examining discourses and behavioural and social patterns over time. Practical implications While online data hold promise for many novel research questions, it is less appropriate for research questions that seek to establish causality between variables. When using online data, particular attention must be paid to ethical considerations, as well as the validity and representativeness of the sample. Originality/value The authors introduce online data and network text analysis as a new avenue for HRM research, with potential to address novel research questions at micro-, meso- and macro-levels of analysis.