Management & Organisations

The thematic R&D group on Management & Organisations is a dynamic and interdisciplinary team dedicated to advancing knowledge in the fields of management, leadership, and organizational behavior. Comprising of emerging scholars, this group delves into a diverse array of topics, including strategic management, human resource management, change management, organizational culture, and decision-making processes. Through rigorous research methodologies and innovative approaches, we aim to unravel the complexities of modern workplaces and provide actionable insights for enhancing organizational effectiveness and individual performance. Collaborative partnerships with industry and academia foster a vibrant intellectual community, driving forward impactful scholarship and shaping the future of management theory and practice.  

Members
Arno Almann

Arno Almann, PhD

Professor
Tiit Elenurm

Tiit Elenurm, PhD

Professor
Meelis Kitsing

Meelis Kitsing, PhD

Professor
Jari Kukkonen

Jari Kukkonen

Program Leader of Executive MBA
Kätlin Pulk

Kätlin Pulk, PhD

Associate Professor
 Marko Rillo

Marko Rillo, PhD

Head of MBA programme
Krishna Venkitachalam

Krishna Venkitachalam, PhD

Visiting Research Fellow

PhD candidates

Merja Anneli Bäck, Ester Eomois, Kristel Hallikas, Olena Huzar, Ahto Kuuseok, Piret Masso, Ebe Nõmm, Rauno Pello, Pavel Prokushenkov, Timo Savolainen, Sirja Sulakatko and Miia-Maija Vakkuri 

 

PhDs completed

  • Triin Veideman (2021) The Impact of Total Quality Management on Business Performance: Evidence from the Estonian Tourism Sector 

  • Konstantinos Stephanou (2021) The Dark and the Bright Side of Empowering Leadership: the Role of Empathy in Times of Uncertainty 

  • Supriya Banerjee (2020) Inclusion of Values in a Country-Level Typology of Corporate Governance Systems 

  • Signe Vesso (2016) Developing Coaching Culture Through Coaching-Based Leadership Style 

  • Maris Zernand-Vilson (2014) Adoption and Implementation of New Management Ideas in Estonia Business Organisations 

  • Liina Randmann (2013) Differences in Psychological Contracts in Estonia: the Role of Individual and Contextual Factors 

  • Ülle Pihlak (2012) Change Management in Indian Organizations Compared to Chinese and Estonian Organizations 

  • Maritana Sedõševa (2012) Strategic Management and Optimization System of Military Resources (Based on the Example of the Estonian Defence Forces) 

  • Junhong Gao (2010) Human Resource and Reputational Crises in Chinese Organisations 

  • Tõnu Kaarelson (2010) Human Resource Management in Estonian Organisations: Formation of the Characteristics in the Institutional and Cultural Context 

  • Sven Heil (2009) Strategy Creation in a Restructuring Environment the Case of an Estonian Fixed Telecommunications Operator Transferring to a Competitive Market in 1993 - 2003  

  • Wei Sun (2009) Organizational Changes in Chinese Companies Content, Readiness and Process (2001 - 2007) 

  • Krista Tuulik (2009) Leadership in transitional Estonia on the way to European Union 

 

Micro-degrees offered

 

Executive Training Programs

Muudatuste juhtimine digi- ja rohepöörde elluviimisel (MUDIRO) 

Funding: 25613 EUR 

Funder: EstDev 

Project leader: Meelis Kitsing 

Duration: 01.04.24-30.03.25 

 

Muudatuste juhtimine sõjatingimustes (JUST) 

Funding: 49 874 EUR 

Funder: EstDev 

Project Leader: Meelis Kitsing 

Duration: 01.04.24-30.03.25 

 

Completed research projects

The experiences and trends of organizational changes in Estonian enterprises 

Funding: 46 603 EUR 

Principal investigator: Ruth Alas 

Funder: Estonian Research Council 

Duration: 01.01.2008–31.12.2011 

 

Completed institution-building projects

Virtual Business Skills Empowerment (VIBES) 

Project Coordinator at EBS: Sirja Sulakatko 

Funding: 106 400 EUR 

Funder: ERASMUS+ 

Duration: 01.04.2021-01.04.2023 

 

Skilled Business Leaders for Skilled Europe (Lead4Skills) 

Project Coordinator at EBS: Marge Sassi 

Funding: 23 585 EUR 

Funder: ERASMUS+ 

Duration: 01.09.2016−31.08.2017 

 

Research publications

Ralston, David A. et al. (2024) “Are societal-level values still relevant measures in the twenty-first century businessworld? A 39-society analysis”, Asia Pacific Journal of Management. 41, 1–44. 

 

Prokushenkov, Pavel. (2023). “Strategy formation as narrative-driven performative praxis”,  

International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 22(3), 310−333.  

 

Pulk, Kätlin (2023). “Complex and dynamic complementarities of continuity and change revealed in outsourcing and backsourcing”. In: Tor Hernes and Miriam Feuls (Ed.). A Research Agenda for Organisational Continuity and Change. (45−64). Edward Elgar Publishing. (Elgar Research Agendas). 

 

Ambrosini, V.; Dekker, N. & Venkitachalam, K. (2022). “Towards a better understanding of strategic knowledge dynamics: A dynamic capability exploratory study”. In: Chen, Jin; Nonaka, Ikujiro (Ed.). The Routledge Companion to Knowledge Management. (52−66). London: Routledge. 

 

Venkitachalam, K. & Bosua, R. (2022). “Demystifying the Link between Big Data and Knowledge Management for Organisational Decision-Making”, In: Chen, Jin; Nonaka, Ikujiro (Ed.). The Routledge Companion to Knowledge Management. (128−139). London: Routledge.  

 

Venkitachalam, K. & Schiuma, G. (2022). “Strategic knowledge management (SKM) in the digital age - insights and possible research directions”, Journal of Strategy and Management, 15 (2), 169−174.  

 

Pulk, Kätlin. (2022). Time and Temporality in Organisations: Theory and Development. Palgrave Macmillan.  

 

Kollinger, Iris & Koris, Riina. (2022). “I'm difficult, but not impossible: how millennials view international assignments and the implications for human resource management (HRM)”,   

Personnel Review, 51 (6), 1707−1726. 

 

Hernes, Tor; Hussenot, Anthony & Pulk, Kätlin. (2021). “Time and Temporality of Change Processes. Applying an Event-based View to Integrate Episodic and Continuous Change.” In: Marshall Scott Poole Andrew H. Van de Ven (Ed.). Oxford Handbook of Organizational Change and Innovation, 2nd Edition. (731−750). Oxford University Press.  

 

Kooskora, Mari & Cundiff, Katlin (2019). “The Development Towards Corporate Sustainability in a Transitional Economy, case Estonia”, Journal of East European Management Studies, 203−221.  

 

Alas, R. & Elenurm; T. (2018). “Transformation in society and changes in Estonian management and business thinking” In: Crane, Robert A. (Ed.). The influence of business cultures in Europe. (41−67). London: Palgrave Macmillan. 

  

Alas,R., Elenurm, T.; Kaarelson, T.; Sassi, M. & Zernand-Vilson, M. (2018). “Management and Leadership Development Needs: The Case of Estonia”, In: Danica Purg; Alenka Braček Lalić; Jennifer A. Pope (Ed.). Business and Society. Making Management Education Relevant for the 21st Century. (47−66). Cham: Springer. 

 

Venkitachalam, K. & Willmott, H. (2017). “Strategic knowledge management—Insights and pitfalls”,  

International Journal of Information Management, 37 (4), 313−316.  

 

Pärl, Ülle. (2017). “25 Years of Change in Management Control Systems and Business Education in Estonia. Acta Baltica Historiae et Philosophiae Scientiarum, 5 (1), 81−100.  

 

Sula, O. & Elenurm, T. (2017). “Strategic Role of Social Networking and Personal Knowledge Management Competencies for Future Entrepreneurs” In: Benson, V.; Saridakis, G.; Tuninga, R. (Ed.). Analyzing the Strategic Role of Social Networking in Firm Growth and Productivity. (248−266). IGI Global.  

 

Venkitachalam, K. & Ambrosini, V. (2017). “A triadic link between knowledge management, information technology and business strategies”, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 15 (2), 192−200.  

 

Morley, M.; Poór, J.; Heraty, N.; Alas, R. & Pocztowski, A. (2016). “Developments in human resource management in Central and Eastern Europe in comparative perspective”, In: M. Dickmann, C. Brewster, P. Sparrow. (Ed.). Contemporary human resource issues in Europe. (Ch. 5). Routledge. 

  

Alas, R. (2015). “Resistance to institutional and organizational change: an individual perspective”, 

Dievernich, F.E.P., Tokarski, K.O., Gong, J. Change Management and the Human Factor: Advances, Challenges and Contradictions in Organizational Development. (153−165). Springer. 

 

Venkitachalam, K. & Willmott, H. (2015). “Factors shaping organizational dynamics in strategic knowledge management”, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 13 (3), 344−359.  

  

Poór, J.; Engle, A.D. Sr.; Kovács, I.É.; Slavic, A.; Wood, G.; Szabó, K.; Stor, M.; Kerekes, K.; Karoliny, Z.; 

Alas, R. & Némethy, K. (2015). “HR management at subsidiaries of multinational companies in CEE in light of two surveys of empirical research in 2008-2009 and 2012-2013” Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, 12 (3), 229−249.  

  

Bosua, R. & Venkitachalam, K. (2013). “Aligning strategies and processes in knowledge management: A framework”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 17 (3), 331−346.  

 

Kazlauskaitė, R.; Bučiūnienė, I.; Poor, J.; Karolyna, Z.; Alas, R.; Kohort, A. & Szlavicz, A. (2013). “Human Resource Management in the Central and Eastern European Region” In Emma Parry, Eleni Stavrou and Mila Lazarova (eds). Global Trends in Human Resource Management. (103−121). Palgrave Macmillan. 

 

Alas, R. & Gao, J. (2012). Crisis Management in Chinese Organizations: Benefiting from the Changes.   

Palgrave Macmillan. 

 

Gao, Junhong & Alas, Ruth (2012). “An Insight of Rui Xiang Canvas HR Crisis (Case Study)”, Engineering Economics, 23, 1, 63−69. 

 

Alas, Ruth; Sun, Wei; & Gao, Junhong (2012). “The Implementation of Organizational Changes during the Transition in China and Estonia”, Baltic Journal of Management, 7 (1), 86−102.  

 

Dwivedi, Y.K.; Venkitachalam, K.; Sharif, A.M.; Al-Karaghouli, W. & Weerakkody, V. (2011). “, Research trends in knowledge management: Analyzing the past and predicting the future”, Information Systems Management, 28 (1), 43−56.  

 

Zyngier, S. & Venkitachalam, K. (2011). “Knowledge management governance-A strategic driver”,   

Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 9 (2), 136−150.  

 

Alas, Ruth; Gao, Junhong & Vanhala, Sinikka (2010). “The Crisis Management in Chinese and Estonian Organizations”, Chinese Management Studies, 4 (1), 18−36.  

 

Zernand-Vilson, Maris & Elenurm, Tiit.  (2010). Differences in implementing management and organization development directions between domestic and foreign companies in Estonia. Baltic Journal of Management, 5 (1), 82−99. 

 

Kaarelson, Tõnu & Alas, Ruth. (2009). “Human Resource Management in Estonia”, In: Morley, Michael; Heraty, Noreen; Michailova, Snejina (Ed.). Managing Human Resources in Central and Eastern Europe. (25−54). London and New York: Routledge. 

  

Alas, R.; Sharifi, S. & Sun, W. (2009) “China and Estonia in Flux: Is this a valid basis for comparison of their approaches to change management?”, Engineering Economics, 2 (62), 18−27. 

 

Scheepers, R.; Venkitachalam, K. & Gibbs, M.R. (2004). “Knowledge strategy in organizations: Refining the model of Hansen, Nohria and Tierney”, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 13 (3), 201−222.  

  

Aaltio, Iris, Türnpuu, Lembit & Kooskora, Mari (2002). “From Social Movements to Identify Transformation: Comparison of Estonian and Finnish Management Students' Values” In: Critical Management Research in Eastern Europe. Managing the Transition. (65−79). Palgrave Macmillan.