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Ur­sula Ples­ner

Associate Professor

Emner
Offentlig forvaltning Organisation Automatisering Digitalisering Teknologi Offentlig sektor

Primary research areas

Digitalization and invisible work

One of my main interests is to investigate the daily work to make a digitalized organization function – work, which is often overlooked and undervalued. This is important because it may give us a better idea of the real costs of digitalizing organizations.

Displacement of work in and among digitalized organizations

Since digital technologies are interconnected, they allow for work to be redistributed in new ways, and I am interested in how tasks are redefined, substituted or moved around.

The mundane analogue work in advanced technological settings

We use a plethora of advanced digital technologies in our work lives – but we are also dependent on pencils, post-its, simple telephones, bodies, sometimes animals, sometimes nature. Materiality and embodiment are intertwined with digitalization in fascinating and important ways, and attending to this gives us a realistic picture of the contexts that digital technologies are to operate in.

Intrigued about the work to make digitalization work

My research inspires 

A responsible digitalization agenda in one of the world’s most digitalized societies 

Public managers to think holistically about digitalization 

More reflections about digitalization as a social, organizational and political phenomenon  

 

Klummer i 'mandag morgen'

Hvem tør sige stop til digital innovation? (Klumme i "Mandag Morgen", 29.11.23)

Som leder skal du ikke sige nej til digital innovation. Men du skal helst kunne gennemskue, om det digitale projekt, din organisation poster tid og penge i, ser ud til at bidrage med værdi eller ej. Ellers bidrager du blot til den kollektive, organisatoriske uvidenhed, der ofte forhindrer at nogen tager ansvar for at sige stop.

Læs klummen her

Ledelse af digitale forandringer mellem sortsynet skepsis og hyperiotimisme (Klumme i "Mandag Morgen", 08.05.24)

Der er risici forbundet med både teknologipessimisme og teknologioptimisme. Så hvilken ledelsesopgave ligger der i at finde den tredje position – det, vi kunne kalde en nøgtern og realistisk tilgang til nye teknologier i organisationer?

Læs klummen her

Blinde vinkler i den digitaliserede organisation - (Klumme i "Mandag Morgen", 29.01.25)

Nye digitale teknologier kan være et redskab for effektivisering og besparelser. Men tit mangler vi blik for det merarbejde, der følger med. Det usynlige digitale arbejde er ikke bare knyttet til en afgrænset implementeringsfase, men er et permanent vilkår i den digitale organisation.

Læs klummen her

Recent research projects

Valuing Invisible Work – Efficiency ambitions and digitalization projects in practice (VIEW)

In this four-year project funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, our team did qualitative studies in different public organizations to examine the relationship between automation/efficiency ambitions and the work required by managers, employees, and others to integrate digital solutions in their organizations.
VIEW

Metoder til digital inklusion (MEDIN)

The Velux-funded project MEDIN addresses digital exclusion among long-term incarcerated individuals in Danish prisons. It is based on close collaboration between me and a PhD-student at CBS, the Social Legal Aid Foundation, and the Think tank Justitia. Practically, the project aims to strengthen digital inclusion through educational methods and policy recommendations.
MEDIN

Digital Nordic Borders: Unpacking the contention between openness and security in the Nordic Region (DiNoBord)

DiNoBord is a collaborative project involving partners from Denmark, Sweden and Norway, investigating work with and around the digital infrastructures at the Nordic borders. I have been particularly interested in the patchwork of hightech and lowtech practices that constitute border work.
DiNoBord

Outside activities

Kommunale IT-og digitaliseringsansvarlige

Talk (half day seminar)

Region Sjælland Region Sjælland , 2023–present

Talk (2 hour workshop)

LAB23 - arbejdsmiljøkonferencen , 2023–present

Talk (2 hour workshop)

Foreningen af ledere af Sundhedsordningen (FALS) , 2025–2025

Talk

Haderslev kommune , 2024–2024

Talk

Real Danias bestyrelse , 2024–2024

Talk

High Performance Leadership , 2024–2024

Talk/teaching

Gentofte kommune , 2024–2024

Masterclass (one full day)

CBS Executive fonden , 2023–2023

Teaching (one full day)

EU-SA Dialogue Facility on Strengthening Open Digital Government , 2022–2022

Report (90 hours)

HK , 2021–2021

Talk

Finansforbundet , 2020–2020

Talk

University of Copenhagen, central administration , 2019–2019

Talk

Syddjurs kommune , 2019–2019

Executive training