Using management theory as a starting point, the main focus of the course is on change processes and the social responsibility of businesses.
The PhD programme links research on leadership with research into the management tools required for leadership.
The distinction between leadership and management tools illustrates an area between a general management perspective related to visions, attitudes and conduct, and an instrumental handling of administrative routines, procedures and tools in order to realize the business’ assets and objectives.
Objectives and management tools must be adapted to various types of social requirements and change processes related to market, technology, social values, legislation, the power and influence of NGOs, etc.
The PhD programme places emphasis on regarding management as an activity that balances management and change with ethical and value-related reflection on the social responsibility of a business.
Insight and management standards and conceptual basis will highlight and challenge the knowledge regarding various management tools required in developing and running a business. In the same way, development and adaptation of the management tools will be a challenge in practising leadership.
Aims
Management is a very comprehensive concept and topic of research and knowledge development, and management theory sources its wealth of information from a variety of disciplines and traditions.
Management is both a normative and descriptive field, which is linked to various functions, roles and management contexts. Determining what the situation in a business “is” and then being able to assess how it “should be” are important concerns in any leadership.
One of the aims of the PhD programme is to develop knowledge and skills that may give a descriptive understanding and diagnosis of what a business and its environment actually are, through using scientific methods to collect, analyse and assess information.
With regard to assessments of what the future development should be, this assumes a different and normative knowledge basis.
Knowledge about effective organization and use of resources must then be weighed against the needs of the society, which are only partly expressed through demand in markets.
One of the aims of the PhD programme is also to give a broad understanding of how management is practised through various market players and contract relations, but it must also create awareness about ethical rationality that may be critical and reflective with regard to financial rationality.
Credibility and trust
Credibility in relations and trust between players form a basis for good leadership. This is the reason why basic values, ethical theories and social responsibility are important elements under the topic of leadership. Such discourse about ”market and morals” forms the basis for focusing on the social responsibility of the business.
Application of research-based knowledge about management requires reflection and testing when the knowledge is to be used in a different context and in specific situations. Therefore, the relationship between theory and practice, and between new knowledge and own experience creates a span in all management training.
The PhD programme will facilitate knowledge development in the area between tool and orienteering subjects. Management tools have been based on different subjects required in order to be able to manage, organize and develop a business:
- strategy and planning
- marketing
- business/production management
- technology
- financial management
- health
- environment and safety management
- human resource and competence management and development.
A challenge in exercising a management role is being able to handle known management tools through new measures that are necessary when a business must exercise its social responsibility.
Therefore, exercising management responsibility and management roles assumes knowledge of how to facilitate learning and change in businesses. Such learning and change processes will be an important part of the course, which links leadership and managers’ handling of management tools with the challenges in various management contexts. T
he research areas overlap each other and allow for combined studies.
