Magazine 2019 - English version by School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg

THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, ECONOMICS AND LAW

MAGAZINE 2019 THE ALUMNUS LEADING THE RED CROSS:

A mission where you can make a real difference Marie Stenseke’s mission:

INTERNATIONALLY LEADING WITHIN SUSTAINABILITY Sylvie Chetty on internationalisation:

COLLABORATION IS A FACTOR FOR SUCCESS

WELCOME TO THE 2019 EDITION OF THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, ECONOMICS AND LAW MAGAZINE ! In a rapidly changing world, the School of Business, Economics and Law has a responsibility to constantly maintain a high level of social relevance. Research and education must meet society’s need for knowledge and skills, and that requires our School to be open to the world and the society of which we are part. There are several dimensions of openness, all of which are necessary and complement each other. A high degree of international collaboration in research and education is one such dimension. In fact, it is absolutely vital in developing and maintaining the high quality that we strive for. The School’s lecturers and researchers actively participate in world-wide academic discussions aimed at developing knowledge. We work with higher education institutions all over the world, and always have international guest researchers visiting. All our education is closely linked to our internationalised research activities, which is a precondition for ensuring that the knowledge we share with our students is at the absolute cutting edge. We also make every effort to give our students international experience during their studies, both through the opportunity to study at one of our 160 partner universities around the globe, and by welcoming international students onto our courses and programmes. Over 300 incoming exchange students help to create an international classroom in Gothenburg, and over 30 per cent of the students enrolled on our Master’s programmes have a Bachelor’s degree from a foreign university. Another dimension of openness is the relationship with the wider community. Close collaboration and an ongoing dialogue with business and public sector organisations, not to mention NGOs and our alumni, are essential if the School of Business, Economics and Law is to maintain its high social relevance and continue as an internationally strong seat of learning that keeps up with the changing times. This magazine is a window on the School, shining light on the broad and varied range of our activities. I hope you find that the content stimulates your curiosity. Please contact us if you wish to find out more.

Per Cramér, Dean

26 CONTENTS Vision: to be an international leader in sustainability �� 4 A carbon tax is a powerful tool �� 8 How digital will retail become ? �� 10

11 HAVE YOU STUDIED AT THE SCHOOL? Make sure we have your updated contact information, especially your email address, as we usually send invitations and other information digitally. See alumn.gu.se

Environmental impact from returned goods �� 11 I can’t imagine a more meaningful job �� 12 Focus on entrepreneurs keen to get out into the world �� 14 Tracing coffee along the new Silk Road �� 18 20 years of partnership �� 20 Executive Faculty – taking skills development to a new level

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The Volvo Group equips its leaders for new challenges �� 22 Gender equality issues begin with our expectations �� 25 Culinary tourism – food takes centre stage

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90 years of networking and knowledge exchange �� 29

She maps violence in the tracks of the drug cartels �� 30 The management of the School �� 32

SWEDEN’S ONLY TRIPLE CROWN ACCREDITED BUSINESS SCHOOL EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA are the three most p restigious international accreditations for business schools. Only around 70 business schools in the world (approx. 0.5%) have all three distinctions and are thus popularly referred to as “Triple Crown” accredited. The accreditations are valuable proof that the School’s courses, programmes, research and collaborations maintain an internationally high quality. They confirm that we are a strong business school, active in an international arena and c ontinually developing in line with the requirements and changes around us.

MARIE STENSEKE

Professor of human geography. Deputy dean of the School of Business, Economics and Law since 1 July 2018, with responsibility for the areas of sustainability, the work environment and collaboration. Co-chair of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

VISION:

TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN

SUSTAINABILITY The School of Business, Economics and Law has a clear purpose: to contribute to a positive development of society. Naturally, the School has a long tradition of conducting education and research on issues associated with s ustainability. That work is now being taken to another level, with the aim of becoming an international leader among the business schools of the world. Marie Stenseke has been responsible for leading the work onwards and upwards since 2018. Research that helps to resolve society’s challenges and alumni doing important work for a sustainable society are part of that aim.The School of Business, Economics and Law also wishes to be a driving force in developing sustainable solutions, together with the business world, the public sector and non-profit organisations.

An overview of all the School’s sustainability research One of the issues that Marie Stenseke has focused on during her time at the helm is clarifying how the School’s research relates to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. “We’ve conducted an extensive inventory of our research based on the SDGs in the UN’s 2030 Agenda. It provided a good visualisation of how we fit into the 17 goals and where our strengths lie (see page 6). We can see, not least, how incredibly ambitious we are in our work on these issues. We have research relating to all the global goals, and we’re very strong in some of the areas,” says Marie Stenseke.

Tools for tackling the issues Today’s students are tomorrow’s decision-makers, and they must be given the knowledge and tools to be able to analyse and tackle the sustainability challenges that they are going to face in their professional lives.

“Since 2013, sustainability days have been a compulsory feature of the programmes at undergraduate level, and this year we held the first one at Master’s level. But sustainability should also be a natural part of the regular courses, and this is an area where we can do even better. One challenge that we’re looking at right now is how well the students actually react to the subject of sustainability. It’s essentially an ethical question about taking responsibility for our shared future,” says Marie Stenseke.

Reviewing the UN’s global report on biodiversity In addition to being the School’s deputy dean, with responsibility for sustainability issues, Marie Stenseke also co-chairs the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (IPBES), that works under the auspices of UN. The Multidisciplinary Expert Panel oversees the scientific quality of IPBES publications such as the global report on biodiversity. “Hundreds of sustainability researchers around the globe worked on the report. When it was presented at a press conference in Paris on 6 May 2019, it made the top headlines all over the world, except in the UK, where a prince was born on the same day,” says Marie Stenseke with a wry smile.

THE SCHOOL’S RESEARCH FROM A SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE

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May 2018 saw the release of episode one of the Ocean Governance Podcast about research in this field, produced by professor David Langlet and PhD student Aron Westholm at the Department of Law. The podcast presents new publications that address issues of ocean governance. While a legal perspective provides the starting point, the podcast is also interested in other angles of approach. “Our hope is that the podcast will create interest in the research and stimulate continued discussions in other forums,” says David Langlet. The podcast can be found on Acast and Apple Podcasts.

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SCHOOL CONTRIBUTES TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Research is meant to help resolve societal challenges. One way to do this is for researchers to share their knowledge in key forums. Here are a few examples: Thomas Sterner, professor of Environmental Economics, is one of the authors of the IPCC’s fifth report and a member of the Swedish Government’s Scientific Council for Sustainable Development. Marie Stenseke, professor of Human Geography, is co-chairing the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel for the UN’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Åsa Lövgren, associate professor of Economics, is a member of the Swedish Climate Policy Council. Lena Gippert, professor of Environmental Law, is a member of the Water Delegation in the Skagerrak and Kattegat Water District and Anders Sandoff, senior lecturer in Business Administration, is an expert on the Swedish government negotiation board regarding district heating pricing issues.

Global network for environmental economics Since 1 January 2019, Environment for Development (EfD) has been a separate unit at the School, having previously been attached to the Department of Economics. EfD was set up in 2007 to promote the use of environmental economics to reduce poverty and improve sustainability, primarily in the Global South. The work involves supporting institutions through applied research and academic programmes. A particular emphasis is placed on strengthening the interaction between these academic environments and key policy processes in the countries concerned. The operation is fully funded by external parties, mainly Sida, and is run in network form with 15 centres around the world, located largely at universities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

RESEARCHERS ON HAND AS RIKSBYGGEN BUILDS SUSTAINABLE APARTMENT BLOCK

9 million for research into sustainability within sport and outdoor pursuits

The building has been called ‘Gothenburg’s most innovative housing project’. Now people are moving into the new apartments at Guldheden, where the whole focus is on sustainable living. Will the residents get busy in the greenhouse? Look after the beehives with their neighbours and agree over the shared electric bikes? “We are interested in what happens when housing changes the way you live your life,” explains Ulrika Holmberg who, together with two colleagues from the Centre for Consumer Research, is involved in Riksbyggen’s ‘Positive Footprint Housing’ project, alongside Chalmers, RISE and the City of Gothenburg.

With an increasing number of people taking part in sport and active outdoor pursuits, there are bound to be effects on nature and the environment. In a research programme funded by Mistra (Swedish foundation for strategic environmental research), researchers from the School will be investigating how such activities can be made more sustainable. Researchers from other universities are also taking part in the programme, which aims to make Sweden an international leader in research concerning sport and outdoor activities. The School’s researchers are involved in three of the programme’s themed areas: sustainability aspects of sports events, sustainable transport solutions and use of land and water.

MASTER’S PROGRAMMES KICK OFF WITH SUSTAINABILITY DAY Since 2013, the School has held compulsory sustainability days for the programmes at undergraduate level. At the start of the autumn semester 2019, the first of these was held for the Master’s level. The new Master’s students attended a half-day event with a focus on sustainable development and global transformation, with speakers including Johan Kuylenstierna, vice chair of the Swedish Climate Policy Council. “By beginning the studies with a sustainability day, we wish to send a clear signal that sustainability is an important focus for the School,” says Roger Schweizer, head of the Graduate School. “We hope the day will spark thoughts and curiosity within the students, which they will then carry with them through their studies. We also want to give them an insight into how many of the models and theories they encounter during their education can be used to find solutions to challenges relating to sustainability.” Johan Kuylenstierna

Why is it so hard to put a price on carbon emissions? This is a subject that Martin Weitzman, Research Professor of Economics at Harvard University, has studied for decades. Some of the main hurdles are probabilities and politics.

“A CARBON TAX IS A POWERFUL TOOL” At the age of 77, Martin Weitzman has had a long and successful career. Today he is a Research Professor of Economics at Harvard University, one of the leading authorities on the economics of the threatening climate disaster, and invited by Professor Thomas Sterner to hold this year’s Tore Browaldh lecture at the School of Business, Economics and Law.

Hard to estimate the social cost A main point put forward by Martin Weitzman is that the human mind is ill equipped to understand the process of climate change. “One of the problems is the time scale involved. Climate change takes place over centuries and millennia, whilst even a decade is a very long time in daily life and politics. Another aspect relating to time is the power of compound discount for the social cost of carbon emissions. Over 200 years, the difference between 7 per cent, which is the average real return of capital in the US, and 3 per cent, which is what consumers face after taxes, is a factor of 3,000,” says Martin Weitzman. He is convinced that the most powerful tool for reducing carbon emissions is imposing a carbon tax. But estimating a proper value for the social cost of carbon has precision problems. When the Obama administration strove to calculate the social cost of emitted carbon dioxide they arrived at an estimated cost of USD 45 per ton. “But when the Trump administration did re-estimates, they arrived at a future cost of USD 1 per ton. The numbers are fuzzy and the chosen assumptions are entwined with politics,” says Martin Weitzman.

Probabilities complicate the picture To complicate the picture even further, he says, people often have a poor grasp of probabilities. “There is a tremendous amount of probability involved, and people don’t like uncertainty – they want hard numbers. Thus, we economists are faced with either providing fuzzy

numbers for the cost of emissions, or we say that we honestly don’t know. But the latter unfortunately would, with all that we know about human behavior, be interpreted as zero.” It’s a complex issue, and further convoluted once you take in a myriad of other factors, like proposed geo-engineering solutions or the rapidly increasing risk of catastrophic climate change with rising temperatures. Martin Weitzman is not entirely confident that we will navigate these troubled waters safely. “A part of me is skeptical. I think that the fear must rise before countries will join a global community to stop pollution. Without that, I’m pessimistic. The Paris Agreement is much better than nothing. But at the end of the day, it’s completely voluntary, and very weak.” As a thought experiment, Martin Weitzman has proposed a World Climate Assembly to address the issue; a global body where member countries would vote on a uniform binding price on carbon emissions. “I’m not sure it will ever become a r eality, but I think it is what the world needs,” says Martin Weitzman.

This interview was made in May 2019. Martin “Marty” Weitzman passed away in August. Marty made so many brilliant contributions to environmental economics that it does not feel like any exaggeration to honor him as the most creative and interesting of all our peers. Personally I loved his style. There are other famous economists who breeze in to a lecture and say here is a difficult problem and Voila: here is my elegant solution. Marty would be much more humble: He would say that this problem is so hard, I have been thinking of various solutions but I don’t quite know how to solve it – and he would invite the audience to share his thoughts for an hour. It always felt like a privelige. It was great to have him here in Gothenburg for an extended visit and to share some private time on the coast. Thomas Sterner, Professor in environmental economics

HOW DIGITAL WILL RETAIL BECOME ? Johan Hagberg has been researching the digitalisation of retail for almost two decades. His advice to forward-looking retailers is to make things simpler for consumers and think in terms of combinations.

Johan Hagberg began his PhD studies around the turn of the millennium. The dotcom bubble had just burst and digital isation was by no means a hot topic. However, Borås native Johan Hagberg saw something beyond the news headlines. The major mail order companies were fully embracing digitalisation. “My thesis was a description of the companies that were driving digitalisation from the mid-1990s until somewhere around 2006. Since I obtained my PhD, my research has focused on various aspects of technological development within retail,” explains Johan Hagberg, who became a professor in 2019.

The bricks-and-mortar store remains central The School is currently running a number of research projects concerning digitalisation and consumption. This is a hot-button issue, since many suggest that retail is facing a paradigm shift that will see the demise of the physical store. “There are many prophecies about retail doing the rounds right now. But all the books I’ve read, from the 1910s onwards, say something along the lines of ‘everything used to be really stable, but now it’s all in turmoil’. This whole process is actually moving quite slowly. Of course digitalisation has had a major impact on the whole retail sector. But 20 years later, around 90 per cent of overall retail still takes place in physical stores,” says Johan Hagberg.

Digital platforms growing One trend is that the major digital platforms, which offer many different products and services, are increasingly hoovering up market share. “Historically, we’ve seen retail go from the dispersed to the centralised via shopping streets and shopping centres. Now we’re seeing the same movement in a digital context. It is said that around half of all e-commerce in the USA now goes via Amazon, and in China Alibaba has an even greater share of the market. Here in Sweden, examples such as Zalando and Cdon have broadened their offering, but in the long term ICA is probably a more likely platform builder. Then we’re also seeing a move in the other direction, with the digital actors opening physical stores. Amazon, for instance, recently bought up Wholefoods.”

Invest in both So what is the advice for retailers who want to be well placed for the future? “I think they should think more in terms of combinations – with an extra focus on personal service, increased automation, more stores and more e-commerce. Actors such as ICA and IKEA are deeply rooted in their physical stores, but at the same time they lead the field in digitalisation. We’re going to see more variation in the roles of the physical stores, and in the digital arena the key will be to assemble a range of services that make life easier for consumers,” concludes Johan Hagberg.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM RETURNED GOODS

E-commerce is increasing rapidly. But so is the number of returned goods. In the fashion industry, the proportion of returns is particularly high, with a substantial negative environmental impact as a result.

Sharon Cullinane and her colleague Michael Browne have studied the energy use and environmental impact that arise when consumers return clothing they have purchased online. “We selected the fashion industry because of the high number of returns, many of them cross-border. The average rate of returns in Sweden turned out to be 22 per cent, but the range is large, varying from 18 per cent to 60 per cent depending on the segment. For example, young people return more clothes than older people, and women more than men, and high fashion items are returned more than basic fashion” says Sharon Cullinane.

Over-order has become the norm A new pattern in consumer behaviour has become discernible with the advent of e-commerce: customers tend to systematically over-order. To find the right size or perfect colour, they order many more items than they intend to keep, returning all but one or two. “One of the reasons that returns are so popular with customers is that the process itself is a ‘big black box’ – people don’t know what the return entails, the cost is hidden. Consumers tend to think about the benefits, not the consequences of their behaviour. It’s hard for people to imagine that their items travel for maybe thousands of kilometres before going back to sale”, says Sharon Cullinane. The most prolific returners also tend to be the companies’ best customers, and no one wants to risk losing market share to competitors by being the first to charge for returns.

In the end we have to pay a little bit more Sharon Cullinane has identified three actors that need to act to reduce the negative climate impact: “First of all, customers need to understand how much returns affect the environment and behave more responsibly. Secondly, retailers can do a number of things to handle returns more efficiently. They also have a responsibility to not encourage consumers to return items. Thirdly, carriers have to both improve their efficiency and switch to warehouses and transports with less impact on the environment”, says Sharon Cullinane. “Another interesting solution is linked to the growing trend of sharing economy. Returns might be sent directly to another customer. There is also a development of digital tools that can help customers make better choices when shopping,” says Sharon Cullinane But in the long run, Sharon Cullinane thinks it is inevitable that we have to start to cover the true cost of returns. “We’re all guilty of wanting to buy things as cheaply as possible. It’s natural, isn’t it? But we must be ready to pay a bit more for products in the future.”

SHARON CULLINANE

Professor of sustainable logistics. Did her PhD on heavy lorries in the UK in 1987. Has worked in Egypt, France and Hong Kong. Came to the School of Business, Economics and Law in 2015.

One Sunday morning, Martin Ärnlöv spots a job ad. Shortly after, he leaves his top job in the business world, halves his salary and goes over to the ‘soft side’. 15 years later, he is Secretary General of the Swedish Red Cross and pleased to be making a difference in his job every day.

MARTIN ÄRNLÖV

Secretary General of the Swedish Red Cross. Graduated from the School in 1988. Started his career at SKF. CFO at Akzo Nobel and CEO of Bracke Diakonia before he was headhunted to the Swedish Red Cross at the end of 2017.

I CAN’T IMAGINE A MORE MEANINGFUL JOB Growing up in Alingsås, Martin Ärnlöv was a bundle of energy. Alongside his studies on the Business and Economics programme at the School of Business, Economics and Law, he read Political Science and took on extra work as a freelance journalist. He was interested in social issues. “I wrote a letter to Amnesty’s Secretary General Thomas Hammarberg, who was an alumnus of the Stockholm School of Economics, and asked him how he had got his job. He answered that I should make sure I learn a job thoroughly and keep up my social engagement,” says Martin Ärnlöv.

A job with many dimensions After graduation and a short career at SKF in Gothenburg, he was headhunted for chemicals giant Akzo Nobel, where he advanced to international level management. But with three small children and many discussions with his wife Tove about work-life balance, Martin Ärnlöv felt it was time to change track. He wanted to make a difference. And then he saw the job ad stating that the Bräcke Diakoni foundation, a non-profit healthcare provider, was looking for a business-oriented Finance Manager. “It was a job that spoke to every part of me, a role that reflected both the social and the business dimension. It was exactly what I had been missing,” says Martin Ärnlöv.

Deep understanding of the operation Eventually he was appointed CEO of the foundation, leading an organisation through a period of strong growth. By the time of his departure in 2018, Bräcke Diakoni was operating in 16 municipalities, had gone from 300 to 1,200 employees and had increased its turnover from SEK 130 million to SEK 800 million. But Martin Ärnlöv was careful to maintain a deep understanding of the organisation and what it did.

“I usually work a few full days out in the organisation each year. At Bräcke Diakoni I changed my work clothes and took a few shifts at the elderly care unit and at the rehab centre, not as some sort of undercover boss, but to really understand what we do,” says Martin Ärnlöv.

Experience from two worlds When the Swedish Red Cross was looking for a new Secretary General, Martin Ärnlöv, with his experience from two different worlds, was the ideal choice. With one year under his belt, he is both inspired and humbled. “It’s an incredibly stimulating organisation to be involved with and I can’t imagine a more meaningful job. But it’s also something I need to keep an eye on. In the world of NGOs, people invest their own self in a shared idea. This provides deep motivation and can give an enormous boost, but there is also a risk that people will lose perspective and burn out, so it’s important to practise balanced leadership,” says Martin  Ärnlöv.

Many challenges ahead His new employer is one of Sweden’s most important civil society organisations, with responsibility for acting both in Sweden and internationally. Over the course of his first year, Martin Ärnlöv’s work has taken him to refugee camps in some of the world’s most vulnerable areas. “Things are tough on the world stage, with long drawnout conflicts that cause people to become stuck in refugee camps. It’s also a tough time in Sweden, where we have a level of social segregation that is leading to a more polarised society. And then we’re facing the enormous challenges of climate change. I see the Red Cross as an important actor that can make a difference by gathering resources and guaranteeing that help gets through,” concludes Martin Ärnlöv.

Collaboration is a factor for success

It is easy to become stuck in the rut of everyday life. But don’t forget to stay open to new opportunities and to network, even with competitors. This is visiting professor Sylvie Chetty’s advice to Swedish entrepreneurs who want to get out into the world.

FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURS KEEN TO GET OUT INTO THE WORLD

The School of Business, Economics and Law’s new visiting professor Sylvie Chetty researches international trade with a focus on networks and the internationalisation of entrepreneurial businesses. She sees similarities and differences between Sweden and her homeland of New Zealand. “Both countries are small, open economies that have to be able to compete internationally. Collaboration is a factor for success, but New Zealand doesn’t really have the strong culture of cooperation that Sweden has. In one project, I studied the many boatbuilders that are clustered in Auckland. Initially, they saw each other as competitors, but the New Zealand Export Council got them to work together to strengthen their international competitiveness. As they gradually chose to specialise in different areas, such as sails, hulls and winches, they developed their products and achieved success in the global market,” says Sylvie Chetty.

Make the most of the resources you have and dare to improvise Business students are often told how important it is to set goals and make plans when starting up a company. But there are alternative decision-making models, one of which is effectuation. “Entrepreneurs can’t always begin by setting goals. If you only have a hundred dollars, you have to get out and meet people, see who is interested in your business concept, maybe try crowdfunding. It’s about improvisation, creativity and making the most of the resources you have,” explains Sylvie Chetty. In a new research project at the School, Sylvie Chetty is looking at the role that the pace of innovation may play. There are early indications that companies with a rapid pace of innovation also have faster internationalisation processes.

“Innovative start-ups sometimes have to get their new product out quickly in order not to lose ground. If you’re too slow, the world will move on without you. Our results so far show that companies with the capacity to maintain a high pace of innovation and also the courage to take risks and be proactive can achieve commercial advantages,” says Sylvie Chetty.

Gothenburg – an elegant and warm city As a new visiting professor at the School of Business, E conomics and Law, Sylvie Chetty will spend the next three years working with the Centre for International Business Studies, part of the Department of Business Administration, on projects such as the internationalisation of Nordic companies in the field of digital health. Sylvie Chetty also teaches on the Master’s programme International Business and Trade. She has been pleasantly surprised by her new surroundings. “Gothenburg is a lovely, elegant city and the archipelago has a movie-like beauty,” says Sylvie Chetty. She would very much like to create long-term research collaborations and deepen her understanding of Swedish businesses, particularly with regard to our entrepreneurs. “There are many large, multinational companies in Sweden, something that we don’t have in New Zealand, but I’m more interested in the smaller companies, the ones that could potentially grow to become the next IKEA,” concludes Sylvie Chetty.

VISITING PROFESSOR PROGRAMME

Through their experience and perspectives, visiting professors vitalise and contribute to the development of the research environments at the School of Economics, Business and Law. The programme has been able to run thanks to generous support from the business world since its inception in 2009, and the current programme – the Elof Hansson Visiting Professor Programme in International Business and Trade – is funded by the Elof Hansson Foundation.

STUDENTS WIN SWEDISH LEGAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Madhusha Gurusinge and Astrid Svensson secured a win in the Swedish Legal Championships. The final was decided in the Supreme Court, where the students’ presentation was judged by five Supreme Court Justices. In addition to the national final, they also won a prize from Mannheimer Swartling.

AWARD FOR THE BEST MASTER’S THESES The best Master’s thesis from each programme receives ‘The Malmsten Award for Best Thesis’, funded by the Richard C Malmsten Memorial Foundation. Pictured, from left: Sara Lindgren, Felix Ebert, Desislava Chukarska, Johanna Herstedt, Nguyen Cao, Axel Gillmert, Natalia Vdovina, Erik Johansson, Arlina Erlandsson, Tim Vincze, Viktor Björklund, Amanda Cullberg, Daniel Gustafsson, Henrik Persson, Johan Malmsten (chair of Richard C Malmsten Memorial Foundation), Daniel Jansson, Mariya Kristiansen.

STEN-OLOF PALM SCHOLARSHIP The 2019 recipient of the Sten-Olof Palm scholarship was Anna Forkman, who gets a year’s internship at the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C. plus SEK 240,000 to cover her living expenses while she is there. The scholarship is awarded by the Gothenburg Traders’ Association and is open to students in the field of business administration at the School, who have a particular interest in trade.

MATILDA ARVIDSSON RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIP Matilda Arvidsson, postdoc at the Department of Law, was awarded SEK 125,000 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities as part of the Bernadotte programme for her project ‘Homo + Ludens: A new human and its creation of new legal norms in warfare systems and combat wargame training’. “It is extremely encouraging, as a junior researcher, to know that senior researchers have faith not only in the project, but also in me as a person,” says Matilda Arvidsson.

KLAS AND ANTON WON PRIZE FOR THEIR THESIS The students Klas Martinsson and Anton Åstrand won SEK 10,000 for their thesis ‘With BAS as base? A study of the BAS chart of accounts’ standardisation within Swedish trade organisations’. The prize was awarded by the BAS-stakeholder Association.

CECILIA MALMSTRÖM APPOINTED VISITING PROFESSOR Sweden’s former EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström has been appointed as the new holder of the Assar Gabrielsson Visiting Professorship. The assignment comprises 20 per cent during the period 1 January to 31 December 2020. As a Visiting Professor, Cecilia Malmström will meet students, researchers, alumni and partners to the School, in discussions and lectures.

THOMAS STERNER RECEIVED MEDAL FROM THE SCHOOL Thomas Sterner, professor of Environmental Economics, is the 2019 recipient of the ‘Pro Studio et Scientia – for commitment and science’ award, with the citation: For having – with clear academic ideals, curiosity and a strong social commitment – established and developed environmental economic research and thereby contributed to the School’s development as a strong international centre of academic excellence, with high social relevance.

BO FOUND STOLEN SCULPTURE In December 2018, the sculpture ‘Aren’t I Scrumptious?’ was stolen from the entrance to the School. The artwork, which has the shape of a female leg, is made by the well-known Norwegian-Swedish artist Kjartan Slettemark. The artwork was later found in a plastic bag near the School by Bo Norming, who returned it to Vice Dean Ewa Wikström.

65TH ANNIVERSARY In September, the School hosted a group of alumni who started their studies at the School in 1954.

AWARD FOR THESIS ON GREEN BONDS Isak Eliasson and Karl Ehrensky have received AP2’s finance and sustainability award 2019 for their thesis ‘Green bonds and their true contribution to sustainable development’. AP2 established the award in 2011 to inspire students to write theses on finance and sustainability. The award comes with a prize of SEK 20,000.

TRACING COFFEE

ALONG THE NEW SILK ROAD Researchers Trisha Rajput and Abhinayan Basu Bal followed the new Silk Road’s digital infrastructure from Chongqing in China to coffee farmers deep in rural India, but it was a journey that started at the School of Business, Economics and Law in Gothenburg. Trisha Rajput and Abhinayan Basu Bal are both originally from India, but their research collaboration began at the Department of Law within the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. “I come from the field of public law and Abhinayan from private law, so we sometimes come at things from different angles, but that is usually good for the research. Above all, we share an interest in issues concerning digital trade, such as electronic platforms, blockchains and single windows,” explains Trisha Rajput.

The Belt and Road Initiative showed the way The coffee project arose out of a curiosity about the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s drive to create new ‘Silk Roads’ to Europe and Africa. Since its launch in 2013, China has invested heavily in building infrastructure and removing obstacles in order to promote trade. For a better understanding of China’s ambitions, the duo established a partnership with the Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing. “When we visited Chongqing, we discovered that they had set up a pilot free trade zone in the area, which included a new coffee exchange to challenge the established exchanges in London and New York. We decided to follow the route that the coffee took, to see what the Belt and Road Initiative actually meant for those involved over the long term,” says Abhinayan Basu Bal.

Organic coffee in the shade With the help of a research grant from the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) and the School of Business, Economics and Law’s Partnership Programme, the researchers were able to conduct field studies of the region’s major coffee growers in Indonesia and India. In India, they visited coffee regions on the east and west coast. “In Andhra Pradesh, we went to an area where the local people grow coffee at the back of the house and dry the cherries on the roof. 18

It’s shade-grown coffee, where the plants are protected beneath large trees. The method is sustainable in many ways, because it makes efficient use of water and provides a better working environment for the pickers,” says Trisha Rajput. “Until now, the growers have not been able to capitalise on their ethical coffee. However, the new digital infrastructure makes it possible to trace the origin of the coffee with extreme precision, ensuring that some of the premium price reaches the growers, rather than just the middle-men. Digitalisation also gives growers with smaller quantities a better negotiating position when it comes to selling their goods. We saw similar challenges to the status quo in Indonesia. Although the Belt and Road Initiative is much debated, it appears, at least in this case, that shaking up the current structures for coffee trading is bringing positive benefits.”

From the School to the world Several times during the interview, the conversation returns to the special research environment at the School of Business, E conomics and Law. “We have a unique supply chain cluster here, with partners from logistics, finance and law. We also collaborate with researchers from the IT Faculty. It’s an environment that is open to working across boundaries and bringing in social aspects. I actually don’t think a project like this would have been possible in many other places around the world,” says Abhinayan Basu Bal. The research has generated several articles and the results have also been presented in a number of forums. “Coffee is an interesting example, because it places social, cultural and economic questions on the table. We’ve presented our findings to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), at the International Chamber of Commerce in London, at the University of Lucerne, at the University of Westminster and, of course, here in Gothenburg. Now we’ve also received new research funding to continue our work,” concludes Trisha Rajput.

Annelie Dagerklint (middle) has been involved in developing the School’s Partner Programme since its inception in 1999.

20 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP From the outset, the School of Business, Economics and Law has always maintained a close relationship with wider society. 20 years ago the Partnership Programme was created, as a form of structured cooperation with clear benefits for all parties. Annelie Dagerklint and Ingmarie Karlgren helped to launch the Partnership Programme in 1999. “Of course, we looked at what other business schools around the world were doing. Some places adopted more of a cocktail party approach, but we wanted to focus on collaboration and content. It was hard work, but we got several partners on board in the first year. It felt like there was a pent-up demand to have contact with the academic world,” explains Annelie Dagerklint.

Employer branding and skills development There were early indications from the partner companies that they wanted help in finding the right students, and so the Career Service was set up in autumn 2000. “We can’t be an actual headhunting company, but we can help our partners to show the students what they have to offer,” says Annelie Dagerklint. “As a partner company, you can have as much time as you want for employer branding. But any initiatives have to be of high quality. Students aren’t as easily seduced as they were 20 years ago. We know what is needed and are happy to help,” says Ingmarie Karlgren. 20

Skills development is another key area of the Partnership Programme. A number of opportunities for learning and development are organised each year: from quick fixes in Meeting Points to longer and more in-depth collaborations such as those available through Executive Faculty (see article on next page). “The trend over time is for companies to want a more customised partnership. For example, we held an Executive Workshop for 30 people from SKF with a visiting professor from San Francisco,” says Annelie Dagerklint.

Keeping education alive and relevant In a genuine partnership, knowledge flows in both directions. Via its partner companies, the School gains an increased understanding of the challenges and skill needs in society. “There’s an auditors’ network within the group of partners. They identified a need for the students to learn more IT skills as part of their education. In response, a course has now been added to the programme – a concrete example of how things can work,” says Ingmarie Karlgren.

EXECUTIVE FACULTY Taking skills development to a new level

Executive Faculty is completely different from traditional skills development. The concept matches a researcher from the School of Business, Economics and Law with an executive at a partner company. Together, they embark on a 1.5 year-long journey that aims to develop them both.

“Very few countries have managed to get industry and academia to work together in a way that gets results. Sweden has cultural advantages in terms of its capacity to collaborate, and we’re a good example of that,” says Evangelos Bourelos.

Opportunity for cross-pollination

Evangelos Bourelos is a researcher at the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Staffan Vidén is Vice President, Manufacturing at Volvo Trucks. Over the course of 1.5 years, they have met every three weeks to discuss and challenge each other. “It felt good straight away. We quickly found areas of shared interest and were both keen to establish a good partnership,” says Evangelos Bourelos. “I have quite a lot of exchanges with technical universities, but with this I gained a different perspective. We always have extremely interesting discussions. It hasn’t exactly been difficult to fill the time,” adds Staffan Vidén.

Artificial Intelligence and Big Data were subjects that both had immersed themselves in, creating the potential for cross-pollination. “I wanted to know about the cutting edge expertise in the field and learn from what others were doing. A university offers greater scope for this and Evangelos was very knowledgeable on the subject,” comments Staffan Vidén. “We also saw an opportunity here to engage with the students. I invited Staffan to come and be interviewed and give a talk. Many of the students were inspired, as evidenced much later when they were choosing their degree projects,” says Evangelos Bourelos.

A unique Swedish opportunity

Valuable exchange

Both agree that business and society face major challenges, and tackling them will require new forms of collaboration. “Change comes very quickly these days. Those of us who work in production often make investments over a 20 year time horizon. Many of the companies on today’s Fortune 500 list haven’t even been around that long! So it’s particular important to ask whether we have the right perspective, the right business models,” says Staffan Vidén.

After 1.5 years of Executive Faculty, the feedback has been extremely positive and the exchange continues. “It worked out really well. I recommend that others try it. Even if you already have good contact with the academic world, this is a whole different ballgame,” concludes Staffan Vidén.

EXECUTIVE FACULTY Evangelos Bourelos (left) and Staffan Vidén (right) discuss competence development within the framework of the Executive Faculty.

A long-term, structured programme that gives experienced professionals an opportunity to develop their expertise in an academic environment. Via a matching process, each participant is assigned a senior researcher with a suitable profile. Only available for the School of Business, Economics and Law’s Senior Partners.

THE VOLVO GROUP

EQUIPS ITS LEADERS FOR NEW CHALLENGES

We live in a changing and multifaceted world that is being driven forward by digitalisation, globalisation, new technology and new business models. In partnership with GU School of Executive Education, the Volvo Group Corporate University is developing Volvo Group’s leaders to handle the challenges of today and tomorrow. Since 2017, the ABLE programme (Advanced Business Leadership) has been developing leaders in the Volvo Group’s second-highest tier of management, known as Leading leaders. The participants are nominated from all over the world, and from all of the companies in the Group. So far, around 80 leaders have completed the programme.

New knowledge, new perspectives The School of Business, Economics and Law develops custom leadership programmes for a wide range of companies, both global and local, creating the conditions for decision-makers to develop new skills and reflect on the direction in which they want to take their operation. “When you’re fully focused on your dayto-day work, it can be hard to take a step

back and think about what’s happening outside the Volvo Group. Getting to know people from other parts of our organisation is also an opportunity for the programme participants to avoid silo thinking and see new angles of approach,” says Marion Trumel, Learning Programme Manager at Volvo Group University.

In Gothenburg and Singapore The programme is being delivered in collaboration with the School of Business, Economics and Law’s Finnish partner Aalto University Executive Education. This year the participants have assembled in Gothenburg and Singapore, where they have met leading lecturers from various parts of the world, most with links to academia.

“Our aim is to develop all the leaders within the Volvo Group, no matter which country they work in. For the ABLE programme, we wanted a supplier with roots in Swedish culture, since the Volvo Group has its headquarters in Sweden, but with a global presence so the participants get to meet lecturers from different cultural backgrounds. And by choosing GU School of Executive Education and Aalto University Excutive Education, that is exactly what we got,” says Marion Trumel.

Immediate benefit When Marion Trumel meets former ABLE participants, many of them describe the programme as the best form of skills development they have ever had. Gregoire Ducasse, Director Medium Duty Trucks Range in St Priest, France, was one of the people taking the summer’s first module in Singapore: “The themes of the programme’s modules reflect the actual challenges I have within my organisation. Every day I have to deal with the uncertainty associated with new technology and its various issues. Now I’m finally getting the tools to manage that uncertainty,” he asserts.

ABOUT ABLE – ADVANCED BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

The programme runs for 11 full days, spread over five months. The participants are encouraged to apply an outside-in perspective with a view to strengthening their customer focus, reassessing their organisation’s value creation and strategic thinking, and successfully driving and communicating change.

OLA BERGSTRÖM APPOINTED AS GOVERNMENT EXPERT

CONSUMPTION SIGNS THAT THE RECESSION IS ON THE WAY

The Swedish Government has commissioned an inquiry into how labour law can be modernised, and Ola Bergström, professor of Management and Organisation, is one of the experts chosen to take part. “It is an honour and I look forward to contributing experience from our research into the transformation of the labour market in Sweden and other European countries,” says Ola Bergström.

In the 2019 Consumption Report, researchers see several signs of Swedish consumption indicating that a recession is on the way. “This year’s report shows that the good days are over and that people are starting to tighten their belts in Sweden,” says John Magnus Roos, researcher at the Centre for Consumer Research. But in spite of this, total consumption in Sweden increased during 2018. This is explained by the fact that the large consumption categories ‘food’ and ‘housing’ increased more than in a long time.

NEW BOOK ON EU LAW Anna Wallerman Ghavanini, associate professor in EU Law, is the co-editor and author of the book ‘The Eurosceptic Challenge: National Implementation and Interpretation of EU Law’. The book is a collection of studies on how national governments and legislators interpret and enact the requirements set out in the EU’s legal system. The studies show that the political rhetoric does not always match what the Member States actually do. Some of the Member States that are most vocal in their criticism of the EU in fact adhere to the regulatory framework relatively well, whereas there are a number of essentially pro-EU states that push the boundaries and try to exploit the regulations for their own advantage.

RESEARCH COLLABORATION WITH MOZAMBIQUE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT The Department of Economy and Society is involved in a programme funded by Sida as part of its drive to increase capacity at universities in the Global South. The aim is to strengthen research of high quality and relevance aimed at poverty reduction and sustainable development. This specific programme is a joint venture with the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) in Mozambique on the theme of ‘Gender and territory under conditions of climate change’. As part of the programme, doctoral students from UEM spend time in Gothenburg and Mozambican researchers come here for seminars and workshops with a focus on research, researcher supervision and academic writing. Margareta Espling, a researcher in human geography, is the Swedish coordinator of the programme, which is conducted in partnership with the School of Global Studies at the University of Gothenburg.

PARTNER COMPANIES Senior Partners: AB SKF AP2 Carl Bennet AB Elanders AB Göteborgs Stadshus AB Handelsbanken PWC AB Region Västra Götaland SEB Stena AB

Stena Metall AB Sparbankerna Västsverige Volvo Car Group Volvo Group Associate Partners: AP6 Deloitte Ekan AB Hogia AB Länsförsäkringar

Mannheimer Swartling Advokatbyrå AB Swedbank Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre Public Associate Partners: The Administrative Court of Gothenburg The Swedish Migration Agency in Gothenburg The Swedish Tax Agency

NEW PARTNERS In 2019, two new partners joined the School’s Partner Program: the consulting company Ekan AB and Göteborgs Stadshus AB, the group company for all companies within the City of Gothenburg.

HOW DO BUSINESS LEADERS WORK TO CREATE GROWTH ? There is a common perception that successful business leaders in growing companies are action-oriented people who allow strategies to emerge organically through experimentation, and that their ability to network plays a key role. New research from the School shows that in fact business leaders, along with their staff and their network, develop conditions that generate growth, and that there are many paths that lead to success. In his doctoral thesis, Jonas Fasth interviewed 60 business leaders in small and medium-size enterprises about how they work in practice to create growth. Four different working styles were identified from the responses given by the business leaders. These styles differ in terms of whether the business leaders involve many or just a few people and whether the people involved are external or internal. Other variations include whether business leaders develop an understanding by being active in production or through internal meetings, and whether they work in a structured way or progress through trial and error. “There are good grounds to consider and challenge the ideals that exist around how success is achieved. In this regard, I believe the results of my study can help business leaders to reflect on their own way of working. The model can be used to identify how a person’s own work is organised and the results can then be used to discuss development work within the company and thus also support the business leader’s personal development. In addition, the model can be used as the starting point for discussions on future support initiatives that promote growth in small and medium-size enterprises,” says Jonas Fasth. The analysis shows that all four working styles identified in the study were represented among the companies making positive progress.

INVITE AN ETHNOLOGIST INTO YOUR WARDROBE In their ‘Sustainable Wardrobes’ project, researchers Magdalena Petersson McIntyre and Elias Mellander are investigating obstacles to and opportunities for the transition to a circular fashion economy. By exploring the wardrobes of private individuals and interviewing them about their clothing consumption, the researchers are trying to find answers to the questions of what our clothing means to us and how we can establish more sustainable clothing consumption. The results of the study will be collated to serve as supporting data for design and business development. The project is funded by Vinnova.

Jonas Fasth has interviewed business leaders.

The four working styles in brief A: The business leader has little input from other people, understanding is developed in production and they advance through trial and error. B: The business leader has a focus on leadership and management, has many meetings and uses a wide range of tools and documentation. C: The business leader has a focus on employees and makes use of working groups and development days, along with various systematic procedures. D: The business leader maintains contact with many different actors, is very active outside the operation and networks widely, with dialogue at the centre of everything.

ON A STUDY VISIT WITH SVARTEDALSSKOLAN The School brought a group of Year 9 students from Svartedalsskolan secondary school in Biskopsgården last spring to visit the local office of law firm Mannheimer Swartling. Hillevi Börjesson and her colleagues talked about what it was like to work at the firm and how they got where they are. The visit was part of the School’s work with widening participation.

SWEDEN’S FIRST PROFESSOR OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Stefan Tengblad is the first professor of Human Resource Management (HRM) to be appointed in Sweden. The new professor works at the Centre for Global HRM – a multidisciplinary centre with a national mission at the University of Gothenburg.

It starts early. We speak differently to girls and boys, give them different amounts of latitude and judge their performance differently. This shapes our expectations both of others and of ourselves, leading to differences in areas such as salary and career progression. Nanna Gillberg conducts research on gender issues, with a particular focus on the informal mechanisms behind inequality, including what she calls expectation structures. “Pay differences between men and women can partially be explained by expectation structures. If you are a manager going into a pay review, it is more difficult to say no to someone who you assume has high expectations in terms of salary than someone who only has modest hopes. There was a study conducted in the Swedish banking world, where new employees were interviewed. The men had high expectations of rising up the career ladder, while the women only expressed hopes. The expectations of employees, and expectations of their expectations from managers, affect the pace of career progression,” says Nanna Gillberg.

Gender equality issues begin with our expectations.”

“I have never noticed gender making any difference” Last year, Nanna Gillberg published her book “Jag har aldrig märkt att kön har haft någon betydelse” (I have never noticed gender making any difference). The title comes from a frequent comment among high achievers in business. In the book, Nanna gives examples of underlying structures that are so obvious they have been rendered invisible. “Many people perceive their lives to be equal, and some feel the whole issue is irrelevant. But research shows that we often find it difficult to spot structures associated with gender because they are so ‘taken for granted’. In an American study, the two fictitious characters Jennifer and John both applied for a job as a laboratory manager. Apart from the names, the applications looked exactly the same. Nevertheless, 127 venerable professors judged that John was more competent and deserved both a higher salary and more mentoring than Jennifer,” relates Nanna Gillberg.

186 years away from gender equality Although we have made a great deal of progress on gender equality, there is still a long way to go. There are calculations indicating that at the current rate, it will take 186 years for us to reach full gender equality in Sweden. “The most rapid advances are being made where there is a regulatory framework covering areas such as board representation or wage negotiations. If you look at things like the distribution of unpaid work in the home or who takes leave to care for a sick child, then progress is considerably slower,” says Nanna Gillberg. We also can’t rely on young people to lead the way. A study conducted in the USA, and repeated in Norway, got students to read a report on a successful entrepreneur. The narrative was the same, but in one half of the cases it was about ‘Heidi’ and in the other half it was about ‘Howard’. “While Heidi was seen as unsympathetic and selfish – not someone you would want to employ, have as a manager or grab a beer with after work – Howard was considered to be a great guy. And this wasn’t older people, but a new generation of business school students. So everyone has to keep reminding themselves about underlying expectations. Including me,” says Nanna Gillberg. 25

Food and drink play a big part in the travel experience, and sometimes may even be the main r eason for choosing a particular destination. The average tourist spends a substantial 30 per cent of their budget on meals, and the growing group of ‘foodies’ spend much more than that.

CULINARY TOURISM

FOOD TAKES CENTRE STAGE Lena Mossberg is a professor of marketing, and probably the person in Sweden who has worked most on the subject of culinary tourism. Over the past 20 years, her research has focused on what she calls extraordinary experiences, often centred around food, and the subject is becoming increasingly topical. “Food plays a huge role in the tourism industry, because it’s so intimately connected to the country’s food culture and traditions. There is considerable interest, for example, in developing tourism destinations with the help of food. I attended a UN conference on culinary tourism back in May. It was the fifth one so far and we had as many as a thousand participants from all sorts of different countries,” says Lena Mossberg.

Interdisciplinary centre for tourism research Tourism research has a long tradition at the School of Business, Economics and Law. A formal network to address the subject was formed back in the 1990s, and 2007 saw the foundation of the Centre for Tourism. Lena Mossberg was one of the driving forces behind this development. “We’re an interdisciplinary platform for tourism research, bringing together researchers from four different faculties. West Sweden Tourist Board and Göteborg & Co were involved in setting up the centre and remain active participants in its work and on its board. Our research and education covers a broad spectrum of tourism and hospitality issues, but many of us have a particular focus on consumer behaviour. We also have a constellation that is specifically interested in culinary tourism,” explains Lena Mossberg.

Scary seafood as part of the West Coast’s image In a new project going by the working name of Scary Seafood, Lena Mossberg and her colleagues are working on broadening the view of what we are willing to eat from the vast larder of the ocean. 26

“What we eat is a very cultural thing. In France, for example, sea urchins are a delicacy. And in Asia people eat sea cucumbers, jellyfish, sea snails and many other foods that we are nervous about trying here. Seafood is an important part of our brand here on the West Coast. To make things a little more exciting, we could expand what we offer to include new edible things that are on brand,” says Lena Mossberg. In the first phase, the team has investigated what is edible and can also be sustainably sourced from the sea. The result is a report showing the potential for various species to become future delicacies. The project has now received funding from the Swedish Board of Agriculture to see whether they can commercialise their discoveries.

Megatrends on the food front So what are the big trends to look out for when it comes to food and tourism? “We’re going to see more ‘foodies’ who are curious about new tastes and experiences connected with food. I also think we’re going to be more aware of what we’re putting into our bodies – not just to make us look good, but also to feel good. And, of course, sustainability remains a hot topic. The food waste debate is only going to increase in strength. We’re going to neither be able to nor want to discard food the way we do today. When we held a conference on culinary tourism here at the School of Business, Economics and Law in 2018, with 240 delegates from around 30 countries, we served up waste food, including biscuits made from dried cinnamon buns. They tasted like a Swedish syrup cookie and were very popular,” says Lena Mossberg.

LENA MOSSBERG

Professor of marketing. Has been a professor of experience economy at BI Norwegian Business School and visiting professor at Campus Grythyttan, Örebro University. Lena Mossberg works on projects for the Swedish development agency Sida in Tanzania, and has worked as a tourism expert for the UN in China and on eco-tourism in Kenya. She currently holds a professorship at Nord University in Bodö/Lofoten. Lena also chairs the board of the Centre for Tourism.

THE SCHOOL CLIMBS IN INTERNATIONAL RANKING The School is placed in the top 100 in a ranking of international research institutions. In the new Tilburg University Economics Rankings for the period 2014–2018, the Department of Economics is placed 92nd in the world and 34th among European universities.

ALUMNI GATHERINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND LONDON Spring 2019 saw the first ever gathering for alumni in San Francisco. Around 20 alumni who graduated between 1970 and 2018 met up for a lovely evening full of laughter and memories. The third alumni event in London was also an enjoyable occasion and a chance to keep up to date on activities at the School.

OUR CENTENARY APPROACHES ! 2023 marks 100 years since the School its doors and the nine students in the very first intake began their journey. A great deal has happened since then, but there are also features that remain to this day, such as close collaboration with business and society, and an international perspective. In 2023 we will be looking forward and celebrating with alumni, partners and friends. How do you think we should mark this special anniversary? Email alumni@handels.gu.se

NEW FEMININE IDEAL BEING CREATED BY FEMALE INFLUENCERS AND BLOGGERS A whole new feminine ideal is being presented on social media by today’s successful female bloggers and influencers, according to Magdalena Petersson McIntyre, researcher at the Centre for Consumer Research. “This new ‘ideal’ exploits the image of a glamorous housewife, but by presenting it as entrepreneurship, it also challenges notions of consumption as something passive, rather than production and part of the societal economy,” says Magdalena Petersson McIntyre. She asserts that, while the image of the housewife has largely disappeared as an ideal, roles that replicate a kind of aestheticised housewife ideal have re-emerged on social media.

Personal tragedies measured in cash Women have had to talk about private things, often in front of a video camera, because it is precisely these posts about, for example, feeling bad, that bring in the likes and comments – exactly the response that advertisers demand and that therefore generates income for the bloggers. “The tension between these women’s ‘real life’ and the life shown becomes meaningful in different ways; followers are interested in the relationship between the real and the fictitious and this makes it commercially viable. In particular, it is the change in the blogger’s real body, home or lifestyle that interests them.”

90 YEARS

OF NETWORKING AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

Is physical networking dead? Not according to Joakim Hökegård, chair of the alumni association HHGA – which for the past 90 years has offered an arena where former students can exchange knowledge, network and have fun together. “Finding new recruits and new customers is a challenge for companies, which makes having a good network invaluable. I believe people need to exist in a ‘digiphysical’ world, where they are active in the digital forums, but also meet up in real life now and then. And HHGA is the ideal arena for that,” says Joakim Hökegård.

“The association has always offered informal mentoring through the interactions at our events, but now we’ve created an arena where mentees and mentors can meet in a more formalised way. It has worked out well and the programme is much appreciated by both the mentors and the mentees,” relates Joakim Hökegård.

New knowledge and insights

More activities in Stockholm

HHGA organises around 40 activities a year, ranging from seminars, lunch meetings and company visits to social events such as after-work gatherings and wine tasting. The 1,600 members bring a mix of new graduates’ curiosity and the experience of older alumni, with everyone learning from each other. “We contribute to lifelong learning, as members gain knowledge and insights from our interesting speakers,” says Joakim Hökegård. “They might be captains of industry such as SKF’s CEO Alrik Danielsson or former politicians like Leif Pagrotsky. And the speakers themselves are often alumni. But it isn’t all about famous people speaking to large audiences – a successful event could just as well have a narrow focus and be aimed at members in a particular profession.”

September saw HHGA celebrate its 90th anniversary with bigname speakers and a magnificent party. The 90th anniversary celebrations also laid down a marker for the future. In addition to being relevant in various digital channels in order to reach all its targets groups, the association also wants to expand its activities in Stockholm, where many alumni head after graduation. “An association like ours is built on engagement. Around 50–60 work for free on various committees, which gives us incredible energy. Right now, we’re looking for people who would be interested in working on Stockholm-based activities,” concludes Joakim Hökegård.

Mentoring programme for personal development

Handelshögskolans i Göteborg Alumniförening (HHGA)

A few years ago, HHGA set up a Young Alumni Committee that works on the association’s activities for younger graduates. One result is the Mentoring Programme, which was launched in 2018. The programme gives mentees an opportunity, through discussions with a mentor, to create space for reflection, thought and personal development over the course of a year.

HHGA is an independent association aimed at everyone who has ever studied at the School. The operation began in 1929 and was given financial security when alumnus Axel Adler, owner of dairy giant Arla, transferred ownership of the property that now houses the Kometen restaurant to the association, which later sold it and reinvested the proceeds. In 2007, the association merged with Handels Vänner under the name Civilekonomföreningen Handels Vänner. The current name was adopted in 2011. hhga.se

SHE MAPS VIOLENCE

IN THE TRACKS OF THE DRUG CARTELS Already when Melissa Rubio studied economics at University De Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia, she began to dream of a future as a researcher. She was particularly interested in the connection between economic factors and the crime that surrounded her in everyday life. When the time came to choose a postgraduate education, she discovered that several leading researchers in the subject were at the School of Business, Economics and Law in Gothenburg.

Predicting drug-related violence As part of her postgraduate education, Melissa Rubio worked a number of sharp projects. In one paper, she examines how drug-related violence affects trust in Colombian communities. Initially, the research work was about locating the hotbeds of conflict. “A ton of coca leaves is needed to produce one kilogram of cocaine, so handling requires large land areas. Often, the cocaine is produced in nearby laboratories, which in turn requires labor. The drug cartels must exert a great deal of force to control both agricultural land and communities. I started by studying which biological conditions are optimal for cocaine cultivation. With the help of satellite images, I then got detailed information on temperature, humidity etc and was able to map out where it was appropriate to grow coca. It turned out that it was possible to predict the level of violence in different areas based on that map,” says Melissa Rubio.

But the research climate is the warmer It may seem paradoxical to travel to Gothenburg to learn how to do research on violence and crime in developing countries, but the competence and the research climate decided. “I heard about researchers like Randi Hjalmarsson and Anna Bindler and was told that the School of Business, E conomics and Law was a good place to learn the craft of research. And that turned out to be right. I have very encouraging supervisors and professors in an environment where you discuss ideas with people from all over the world. It has made my research process very rich. I'm not so fond of the winter here, but the research climate is the warmer,” says Melissa Rubio.

NEW PROGRAMME ON URBANISATION, MIGRATION AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION Autumn 2019 saw the first students embark on the new Bachelor Programme in Economic History and Human Geography. The new programme provides broad social sciencerelated knowledge on the relationship between economics and societal development generally, while also allowing students to choose whether they wish to specialise in economic history or human geography. Urbanisation, migration and allocation of resources are a common thread running through the programme. “With society changing more quickly than ever before, we need to equip our students to think in many different ways when it comes to economics. Today’s global societal challenges compel us to provide the students with tools

and training in thinking critically and creatively about our opportunities to resolve societal problems. The programme gives students a solid foundation for this through a broad and multifaceted understanding of economics as a concept,” explains programme director Oskar Broberg, Associate Professor in economic history. Over the three years, the students take courses in economic history, human geography, economics, statistics and innovation & entre preneurship. The fifth semester is completely open and can be spent studying other subjects. The students also have an opportunity to study at one of the School’s many partner universities around the world, or to take up an internship.

EDUCATION 2020 One semester corresponds to 30 ECTS credits. The first cycle covers the first three years and the second cycle the f ollowing two. After that follows postgraduate studies. PROGRAMMES WITHIN THE FIRST CYCLE Programme in Business and Economics, 180 ECTS credits Programme in Logistics Management, 180 ECTS credits Master of Laws Programme, 270 ECTS credits* Programme in Environmental Social Science, 180 ECTS credits Bachelor Programme in Economic History and Human Geography, 180 ECTS credits * S tarts in the first cycle and is completed in the second cycle.

SINGLE SUBJECT COURSES WITHIN THE FIRST CYCLE Business Administration, Economic Geography, Economic History, Economics, Human Geography, Law and Statistics. SINGLE SUBJECT COURSES WITHIN THE SECOND CYCLE 1 year / 60 ECTS credits (in Swedish). Management of Growing Enterprises, Financial Reporting and Law MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMMES 2 years / 120 ECTS credits (in English). Accounting and Financial Management, Economics, Finance, Innovation and Industrial Management, International Business and Trade, Knowledge-based Entrepreneurship, Logistics and Transport Management, Management, Marketing and Consumption. PHD EDUCATION Provided within all the departments at the School. Licentiate and doctoral degrees. EXECUTIVE EDUCATION Executive MBA. Tailored programmes for companies and public administration.

SCHOOL FURTHER IMPROVES BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS EDUCATION In order to meet societal changes, the School launched a new three-year Bachelor’s Programme in Business and Economics in autumn 2019. The new programme includes a strong focus on independent thinking and sustainability-related social challenges. Many graduate economists end up in posi tions where they are able to exert influence. It is therefore important that, during their studies, they appreciate their role in societal development and are trained to make ethical judgements and to form an opinion on various ethical perspectives. The new programme begins with an intro duction to the fields of business administration and economics, giving students an under standing of how the different parts make up the whole. This provides students with context and a springboard for the rest of their education. Two new courses have been added, with a focus on applying knowledge in the areas of business administration and economics.

“This makes it clearer to students exactly what skills they are practising and that the aim of the studies is to make them able to independently analyse and assess complex questions. In developing the new programme, we have listened to students’ requests for a more concrete understanding of how the knowledge they gain can be applied in practice, and to employers who have emphasised their need for independent employees with a capacity for critical thinking,” explains programme director Carina Gråbacke. The programme replaces the School’s previous programme in business and econ omics. It comprises 180 ECTS credits and results in a Bachelor’s degree. All the students study together for the first three semesters and then choose whether they wish to specialise in business administration, economics or financial management. The fifth semester can be spent exploring or studying a subject of their choice, in Sweden or abroad.

ADMISSION CREDITS The School stands well in competition and the admission credits are high. BI = Students who are applying based on their original high school grades SweSAT = Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test Maximum credits: BI, 22.5. SweSAT, 2.0. Second selection, autumn 2019 Programme in Business and Economics Programme in Logistics Management Master of Laws Programme Programme in Environmental Social Science Bachelor Programme in E conomic History and Human Geography

SweSAT

19.32

1.35

18.59

1.15

20.42 14.19

1.35 0.75

The programme started in the autumn of 2019. All applicants were accepted.

96 %

of those who opted to begin working after obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in 2017 found a job within six months. 56% had secured a job before graduation.

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SCHOOL

FACULTY BOARD The Faculty Board is responsible for strategic planning, overall governance, and the quality assurance of education, research and cooperation (outreach) activities. The faculty board also provides a forum for discussions and coordination of the faculty’s activities. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TERM OF OFFICE 2018-07-01 TO 2024-06-30 Per Cramér, Professor, Dean, Chairperson Marie Stenseke, Professor, Deputy Dean, Deputy Chair TERM OF OFFICE 2018-07-01 TO 2021-06-30 Ola Bergström, Professor Johan Brink, Senior Lecturer Fredrik Carlsson, Professor Katarina Nordblom, Associate Professor Pernilla Rendahl, Associate Professor Malin Tengblad, Communications officer

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES (1 YEAR) David Olsson, HHGS Hanna Nejstgaard, HHGS Joana Cristina Pedroso, HHDR REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE EMPLOYEES Monica Meller Eldh, OFR-S Maria Nordqvist/Maria Ahlstedt, SACO SEKO, vacant ADJUNCT MEMBERS UNTIL 2021-06-30 Ewa Wikström, Professor, Vice Dean, responsible for education at first and second level Ola Olsson, Professor, Vice Dean, responsible for research and postgraduate education Catharina Tillman, Head of Management Office

MANAGEMENT TEAM The daily management of the School takes place in the management team, consisting of Per Cramér, Dean, Marie Stenseke, Deputy Dean, Ola Olsson, Vice Dean and Ewa Wikström, Vice Dean. The Head of the Faculty Office and the Director of Communications are adjunct to the management team. Per Cramér is responsible for the m anagement’s

contacts with society and business and with the University of G othenburg. He is also responsible for staff, finance, infrastructure and more. Marie Stenseke is responsible for the work on sustainability and the work environment. Ola Olsson is r esponsible for research and postgraduate education and Ewa Wikström for educational matters.

ORGANISATION UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG

THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL

The Faculty Board Corporate Advisory Board International Academic Advisory Council

Management Support Dean Assistant Dean, Vice Dean

International Office Management Office

Environment for Development

Gothenburg Research Institute

Department of Business Administration

Centre for Consumer Science

Department of Economy and Society

External Relations

Department of Economics

Department of Law

Centre for Business in Society

Centre for Finance

Centre for Intellectual Property

Centre for International Business Studies

Centre for Health Economics

Institute for Innovation and Social Change

Centre for Retailing

Centre for Regional Analysis

Centrum för Global Human Resource M anagement

Centre for Tourism

Section for Graduate School (Masterprogram, Visiting Professor Programme, Executive MBA)

CORPORATE ADVISORY BOARD The Corporate Advisory Board comprises selected i ndividuals from the business and public sectors. The Board serves to support the School’s management in discussions on strategically important issues. The Dean of the School is a permanent member. The A ssistant Dean, the Vice Deans and the President of the Student Union are entitled to attend the meetings.

MEMBERS Lena Apler, Chairman of the Board, Collector AB Stefan Brocker, Partner, Mannheimer & Swartling Advokatbyrå AB Eva Halvarsson, CEO, Second AP Fund Christian Johansson Katarina Ljungqvist, Regional Manager, Handelsbanken Michael McGrath, Director of Corporate Affairs/HR Director, Stena Metall AB Johan Malmsten (Chairman), Chairman of the Board, The Richard C Malmsten Memorial Foundation Per Cramér, Dean, School of Business, Economics and Law

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL (IAAC) The Council was established in 2013, with the aim to further strengthen the international dimension in the School’s governance. It serves in a consultative role, providing ideas and critical feedback to the Management Team. The Council meets annually and focuses on strategic questions relating to the enhancement of quality in research and education. The Members of the Council are recruited based on p ersonal merits and include participants from the Visiting Professor Programme as well as international academics awarded the title of Dr honoris causa at the School.

MEMBERS Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen, Professor, University at Buffalo – The State University of New York, USA Emma Bell, Professor, the Open University, Great Britain Shubhashis Gangopadhyay, Professor, Shiv Nadar University, India Michael Kirchler, Professor, University of Innsbruck, Austria Petros Mavroidis, Professor, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland & European University Institute, Italy

Project Management, School of Business, Economics and Law: Maria Norrström and Sophie Gräsberg. Design and production: Frank & Earnest. Photo: Carina Gran, Johan Wingborg/University of Gothenburg, Sara Friberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna, Vojtech Bruzek/Unsplash, Simon E Carter, Riksbyggen, HHGA, S.E.R.O., Aalto University Executive Education. From Mostphotos: Michael Erhardsson, Svetlana Gorodetskaya, LightField, Arnaud Neydt. From the School: Kajsa Fung, Sophie Gräsberg, Erika Holm, Jeffrey Johns, Maria Norrström, Trisha Rajput, Cecilia Sjöberg, Malin Tengblad, Marie Örninge.

The School is certified according to the Environmental Management System ISO14001.

ECOLA DIC B OR

Print: Exakta 2019. Nordic Swan Ecolabel 3041 0417. The magazine is printed on environmentally friendly paper. Cover: 200 g Munken Kristall. Inlay: 120 g Munken Kristall.

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School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg

The School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Vasagatan 1, P.O. Box 600, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden +46 31 786 0000, info@handels.gu.se, www.handels.gu.se

Magazine 2019 - English version

Articles inside

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Gender equality issues begin with our expectations

years of partnership 20