Report 2002: Department of Organization and Industrial Sociology (IOA)
Solbjerg Plads 3, B3
DK-2000 Frederiksberg
Head of Department: Susse Georg
Telefon: +45 3815 2815
Fax: +45 3815 2828
E-mail: bd.ioa@cbs.dk
DK-2000 Frederiksberg
Head of Department: Susse Georg
Telefon: +45 3815 2815
Fax: +45 3815 2828
E-mail: bd.ioa@cbs.dk
Academic profile and highlights of 2002
Department research includes four main areas: Organisation theory, business and industrial sociology, management and strategy and management of human resources. The four areas are described below. For IOA publication activities in the year under review, please see Research@CBS (CBS' internal research database).
Research objective
IOA aims to retain and expand its current national and international research position with the following objective: IOA should provide an inspiring and productive research environment for its own researchers and their national and international partners.
IOA aims to retain and expand its current national and international research position with the following objective: IOA should provide an inspiring and productive research environment for its own researchers and their national and international partners.
To fulfil this objective, publication, continuous development of the Department's academic identity and profile concurrently with an orientation towards current theory debates and relevant, topical social issues must remain priorities.
This presupposes:
This presupposes:
- That IOA spends time and resources to maintain and develop a productive research environment, including common academic activities and the development of common standards for quality and relevance. Among the means to achieve this are an intense and active academic dialogue and active mobilisation of international contacts and guests.
- That IOA supports the publication efforts of individual researchers, i.a. through internal academic guidance, support of foreign-language publication, interdisciplinary authorships and a well-defined research framework.
- That IOA's recruitment is deliberate, goal-oriented and based on well-defined academic development plans.
- That IOA develops working relationships with other research environments and possibly includes new disciplines in its research profile, based on an objective evaluation of competencies and possible synergies with existing academic standards.
- That IOA assumes a high degree of responsibility for research study programmes in organisation and management.
- That IOA defines explicit requirements and expectations of the use of research resources in terms of time and money.
By formulating these aims the Department wants to emphasise that IOA has wider-reaching ambitions than just maximising the sum of individual researchers' publications. It is the quality of IOA's research environment that is commented upon and praised by all its guests: the interdisciplinary theoretic orientation, dialogue and interest in the work of other researchers - a quality rarely found in schools and universities worldwide, however high their esteem. The Department's research production characterised and enriched by commitment and an active research environment is merely considered an extra ambition.
Research strategy
When defining criteria of success it is essential to take the special nature of research into account. Two characteristics should be emphasised:
When defining criteria of success it is essential to take the special nature of research into account. Two characteristics should be emphasised:
- Research is of a long-term nature. When formulating action plans for individual years, such action should be regarded as a necessary investment in future results. The action is strategic in as much as the benefits are not reaped until a subsequent period of review.
- Research must be creative and experimental to be of value. Hence, highly operational and quantitative research expectations are not necessarily good criteria of success.
Add to this IOA's objective to the effect that good research should be firmly anchored in a productive research environment, and IOA's research practice which is predominantly oriented towards empirical studies.
In the light of the above considerations, it remains relevant to define criteria of success in continuation of overall CBS strategies and previous IOA statements.
- Internationalisation: IOA wishes to be measured by its role and participation in the international research community. International publication, international cooperation, international recruitment and visiting researchers are central elements of IOA's self-image of providing an open system and environment.
- IOA wishes to be perceived as a relevant and visible research institution by the Danish public. An institution contributing to the development of the Danish business sector in the widest possible sense.
- PhD programmes IOA wishes to be measured by its contribution to generating a supply of young, highly qualified researchers. The number and quality of the new researchers who are IOA's responsibility both reflect the quality of the IOA research environment.
- Forward-looking initiatives: IOA wishes to be measured by its initiative and involvement in new projects and centres. Such involvement reflects IOA's academic status and reputation as partnership invitations are an expression of external recognition and because IOA's potential to get others to commit themselves to partnerships is in direct ratio to its academic status.
- Competence development: IOA wishes to be measured on its achievements in supporting the research efforts of individual employees. Support of individual planning, result-orientation, integration in external and internal networks, academic development, application for resources, etc. are part of the role of the research environment and its commitment to individual researchers.
While these criteria of success clearly point to concrete activities and measures, they respect the premise that the effects of such activities and measures are qualitative and of a long-term nature. National and international conferences, workshops and academic seminars are important to the professional development of all academic staff. At Department level, the annual "Winter Games" and the daily participation in the Researcher Development Center and related "standing seminars" (seminar meetings on Thursdays during winter and spring semesters) are regarded as IOA's bid for systematised competence development of academic staff.
Compliance and evaluation of publication activity
As appears from the below Figure, IOA has had a few difficult years in terms of publication in international journals. It has taken longer than expected to complete a generational change while maintaining a high rate of publication. In other areas such as PhD theses, IOA's performance is better than ever with six defences in 2002. An additional four theses were completed to be defended in 2003. In this area, we are expecting to beat the record from 2002 with 10 defended theses in 2003. Furthermore, Jan Molin defended his doctoral dissertation in 2002. In the other areas, it is considered highly satisfactory that we have been able to maintain the 2000 level, a record year in terms of research, with an increased number of articles in proceedings as well as working papers. However, the most important collective goal must be to get these articles published in international journals, and IOA's Executive Board is going to launch a number of initiatives to achieve this.
As appears from the below Figure, IOA has had a few difficult years in terms of publication in international journals. It has taken longer than expected to complete a generational change while maintaining a high rate of publication. In other areas such as PhD theses, IOA's performance is better than ever with six defences in 2002. An additional four theses were completed to be defended in 2003. In this area, we are expecting to beat the record from 2002 with 10 defended theses in 2003. Furthermore, Jan Molin defended his doctoral dissertation in 2002. In the other areas, it is considered highly satisfactory that we have been able to maintain the 2000 level, a record year in terms of research, with an increased number of articles in proceedings as well as working papers. However, the most important collective goal must be to get these articles published in international journals, and IOA's Executive Board is going to launch a number of initiatives to achieve this.
When comparing publication activities with an overall strategy, it is satisfactory that a good balance has been achieved between research articles aimed at the international research community at national, Scandinavian, European and North American level, although increased orientation towards international publication in the journal category would be desirable.
Research relations to practice
With regard to the presentation of research results it is quite satisfactory that the trend from last year has continued with the participation of several Department researchers in the public debate and demonstrating the practical applicability in society and in connection with handing down management and organisational experience. It is worth mentioning the well-attended business conference held by the TEMPS project on the issue of temporary employment in the IT market. Again in 2002, the HRM Group asserted itself in the public debate, not least concerning competence development and the consequences of government staff policy according to the annual budget. Moreover, several members of the IOA staff were involved in Summer School programmes with a majority of participants from the business sector.
With regard to the presentation of research results it is quite satisfactory that the trend from last year has continued with the participation of several Department researchers in the public debate and demonstrating the practical applicability in society and in connection with handing down management and organisational experience. It is worth mentioning the well-attended business conference held by the TEMPS project on the issue of temporary employment in the IT market. Again in 2002, the HRM Group asserted itself in the public debate, not least concerning competence development and the consequences of government staff policy according to the annual budget. Moreover, several members of the IOA staff were involved in Summer School programmes with a majority of participants from the business sector.
IOA's Researcher Development Center launched several PhD study programmes through the business research arrangement of the Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV). This involves cooperation between enterprises and institutions providing half of the funding. In 2002, two ATV projects and two independent students were 100% financed by TDC and the Association of Danish Lawyers and Economists.
In addition, several IOA research projects are completely or partly financed by private means. This is the case of the FLOS Centre and the research project on the workplace of the future financed jointly by Local Government Denmark (LGDK) and the Association of Local Government Employees' Organisations (KTO) which was completed in 2002. However, as appears from the above Figure showing the external funding of the Department, this means that we have to establish new projects if we are to maintain the level of the last four years. We are therefore pleased that young and experienced researchers alike have joined forces to develop FLOS II. Research applications for research concerning business economics in the biotech industry are in the pipeline. A major communication project was launched by researchers at IKL, LPF and IOA and we expect the new orientation of our industrial sociology activities to result in an externally funded research application.
Last updated by Anders Krag 09/02/2005
