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Elisa­beth Naima Mikkelsen

Associate Professor

Emner
Organisation Samarbejde Uddannelse Kvalitativ metode Psykologi

Primary research areas

Work re­la­tion­ships and con­flict in or­gan­iz­a­tions
Con­flict of­ten op­er­ates be­low the sur­face and may even be un­ac­know­ledged, yet cov­ert con­flict can be par­tic­u­larly in­si­di­ous, fos­ter­ing cli­mates of dis­trust and secrecy. My re­search delves into these hid­den dy­nam­ics through the lenses of or­gan­iz­a­tion­al sense­mak­ing and nar­rat­ive the­ory.
Emo­tions in or­gan­iz­a­tions
My re­search ex­plores the role of emo­tions in or­gan­iz­a­tions and the em­bod­ied ex­per­i­ences of work, em­phas­iz­ing their pro­found im­pact on pro­fes­sion­al col­lab­or­a­tion and or­gan­iz­a­tion­al per­form­ance. I draw on sys­tems psy­cho­dy­nam­ic and the so­ci­ology of emo­tions as key the­or­et­ic­al frame­works to guide this in­quiry.
Grade­less learn­ing in High­er Edu­ca­tion
I main­tain an act­ive in­terest not only in the role of grade­less learn­ing in the aca­dem­ic de­vel­op­ment of uni­ver­sity stu­dents, but also in its po­ten­tial to sup­port the broad­er pro­cess of stu­dent Bildung.
Qual­it­at­ive meth­od­o­logy, eth­no­graphy
I em­ploy qual­it­at­ive meth­ods in my re­search such as eth­no­graphy and in-depth in­ter­views to gen­er­ate nu­anced, con­text-sens­it­ive ana­lyses.

I il­lu­min­ate hid­den dy­nam­ics that shape or­gan­iz­ing and I Bridge Re­search and Prac­tice

My primary research interests center on the psychological dimensions of work relationships among professionals. My research delves into the hidden dynamics of conflict in organizations, where I employ qualitative methods such as ethnography and in-depth interviews to generate nuanced, context-sensitive analyses. I have made significant contributions to advancing our understanding of the unspoken and unconscious mechanisms that underpin organizational conflict.  

 

Another central strand of my research examines the role of emotions in organizations, challenging traditional notions that confine emotions to internal, individual experiences. Drawing on rich empirical studies of prisons, health care, and law enforcement, my work highlights how emotions profoundly shape professional collaboration and organizing. My current work investigates the socialization of empathy as a professional skill in frontline encounters. My contributions shift the understanding of emotions beyond an individual-centric framework to reveal their power as an organizing force. 

 

Alongside my core research areas, I maintain a strong interest in gradeless learning, examining its paradoxes and how it can strengthen student growth and Bildung 

 

I was a SCANCOR Visiting Scholar at Harvard University from 2023 to 2024.  

Currently I serve as Study Director for the MSc program in Business Administration and Psychology. 

Publications

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20. november 2025

Disciplining Empathy in Frontline Encounters

Learning to Handle Emotion Norms in Practice

Elisa­beth Nai­ma Mi­k­kel­sen, Associate Professor

Lin­da Nør­gaard Mad­sen, Ph.d. Fellow

Go to publication

2025

Systemic Betrayal

Emotional Defenses and Victim Depersonalization in Rape Investigations

Elisa­beth Nai­ma Mi­k­kel­sen, Associate Professor

Brigitte Dragsted
Go to publication

Outside activities

2025 , -

No out­side activ­it­ies to re­port