John-Erik Hassel recently completed his PhD in business administration at Karlstad Business School and The Service Research Center (CTF) and has done research on venture builders.

John-Erik Hassel, tell us about your research

– My research is about understanding a relatively new actor in entrepreneurial ecosystems called venture builders and how they can be understood in a larger context. Venture builders are actors who use a structured process to establish startups one after the other in collaboration with individual entrepreneurs.

Mia Larson, professor of business administration at Karlstad Business School, and Cecilia Cassinger, senior lecturer at Lund University, recently published the article “Platform Stories: The Role of Ideological Narratives in the Development of a Tourism Sharing Business Model”.

Mia Larson, tell us what your article is about

– It is about how an entrepreneur in adventure tourism creates a new digital sharing platform. In our article, we show the importance of attractive narratives in creating legitimacy, engagement and interest for the platform among its users, investors and those operating it. In this case, the narratives revolve around sharing resources, sustainability, an identity linked to adventure sports, as well as profit-making. 

Together with 32 business schools from across the Nordic region, Karlstad Business School has submitted a joint statement to the accreditation body AACSB in response to its recent update to the guiding principles and interpretive guidance for AACSB’s Business Accreditation Standards.

Education and research should always remain independent of political pressures and uphold the principle of academic freedom for all. Across cultural contexts, promoting diversity and inclusion is essential for fostering equitable learning environments and preparing future leaders to navigate an increasingly complex and globalized world.

Lazarus Fotoh, newly graduated doctor of business administration at Karlstad Business School, tell us what you have done in your research.
– Considering that the impact of technology on auditing is still unclear, my research explores and helps improve our understanding of how both advanced and less advanced technologies are changing audits and the way they are carried out. I also looked into why, despite the growing attention given to advanced technologies, their adoption in auditing remains slow.

Why did this interest you?

The students had the opportunity to try out recent demos created by researchers and practitioners in the field.
– Since the course is science literature based, this practical experience was well received with students expressing interest in more hands-on workshops where they could develop their own demos in the future, says Ala Sarah Alaqra.

Ala Sarah Alaqra, course coordinator of ISAD19 and program director of SAINF at Karlstad Business School, the guest lectures - what did they show and how did they benefit Karlstad Business School and our students?

– They covered artistic expressions, multiplayer gaming and applications in health systems. Students gained hands-on experience trying out demos and insights into current research enhancing their knowledge and career opportunities in XR fields. We plan to continue inviting experts to provide students with insights into the latest XR-research and applications.

How can business models extend the lifespan of trucks and make them circular? What requirements do different stakeholders have, and how are business models, service design, and product design affected? These questions are the focus of the research project Re:Value – a collaboration between industry and academia.

For future circular offerings to be accepted in the transport industry, they must meet the industry's challenges and expectations. Within the framework of Re:Value, researchers at the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University will develop new knowledge about future customers' and users' needs and requirements in the field.