Time and process in business research

Time and place: May 22-23, 2023, University of Turku

Learning goal and objectives:

Scholars have argued that time and temporality require more attention. Majority of business research phenomena are in one way or another temporally contextualised and/or comprise some process characteristics. However, addressing time in studies can increase complexity and require specific planning and preparation of the research process. It can also be challenging in trying to embed processes and temporal aspects to journal articles and doctoral theses. The course will introduce the students how business studies can be conducted by following a temporal paradigmatic approach focusing on the philosophical, conceptual and methodological domain. After the course the students have knowledge and understanding of

  • Critical thinking and analysis of time in their doctoral research
  • The philosophical dimensions of time and process research
  • The conceptual dimension of time and process research
  • The methodological dimension of time and process research
  • The ability to critically apply the temporal paradigmatic approach in their doctoral research.

Instruction and examination:

The students will submit a pre-assignment in the form of a max. 2000-word essay, where they will motivate their participation to the course in reflecting, with the help of the course literature, how time and temporality is or could be relevant in their research. The course consists of co-creative workshops covering two course days, and a set of pre-recorded short lectures that the students are to familiarize with before the workshops. After the course the students will write a post-assignment in the form of a max. 3000-word essay, where they will reflect, with the help of the course materials, on their learning during the course. All in all, the course material consists of the recorded lectures and a reading package of articles, books and book chapters.

Credits: 4 (ECTS)

Grading: The passing of the course will be graded based on three assessment areas: the pre-assignment, active participation to the workshops, and the post-assignment. The course will be graded pass/fail.

Prerequisites: PhD students with some prior knowledge on research methods.

Admittance: 25 PhD students are admitted to the course.

  • The applicants are to enrol to the course by emailing the course coordinators by April 7, 2023.
  • The students will be sent a Moodle key and instructions for writing the pre-assignment on April 7, 2023.
  • The deadline for the pre-assignment is on April 21, 2023 and a notification of acceptance to the course will be sent by email by May 2, 2023.
  • The deadline for the post-assignment is on June 9, 2023.

Instructors: Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, Associate Professor in International Business, University of Turku, https://www.utu.fi/en/people/eriikka-paavilainen-mantymaki.

Dr. Melanie Hassett, Director of Postgraduate Education, Lecturer in International Business, Sheffield University Management School, homepage. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/management/people/academic-staff/melanie-hassett.

Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki is an Associate Professor of International Business at the University or Turku and an Adjunct Professor at University of Vaasa. Eriikka’s research interests include qualitative research methods, philosophy of time in business research, the internationalization process of the firm, and small and medium-sized enterprise and family entrepreneurship research. She is a guest editor in Journal of World Business special issue with the title “Time Matters: Rethinking the Role of Time in International Business Research” and a co-editor in the “Handbook on Longitudinal Research Studies in Organisation and Business Studies” (Edward Elgar). Eriikka has published e.g. in Journal of International Business StudiesInternational Journal of Management ReviewsOrganizational Research MethodsInternational Business Review and Management International Review.

Melanie E. Hassett is a Lecturer in International Business and Director of Postgraduate Education at Sheffield University Management School (SUMS), UK. Melanie’s research interests include internationalization of both large and small firms, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, emotions, and qualitative research methods. She has co-edited “Handbook on Longitudinal Research Studies in Organisation and Business Studies” published by Edward Elgar and a guest editor in Journal of World Business special issue with the title “Time Matters: Rethinking the Role of Time in International Business Research”. She has published in International Business Review and Management International Review, among others.

Course coordinators: Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, ejpama@utu.fi and Melanie Hassett, melanie.hassett@sheffield.ac.uk