Name of the course: Videography Workshop for Business Research
Time and place: April 7-8, 2025, Aalto University School of Business, Helsinki
Learning goal and objectives:
Videography Workshop for Business Research course is designed particularly for doctoral students how wish to engage with state-of-the-art video-based research, communicate their research through video medium, or prepare a videography submission for an academic conference or a journal outlet.
The workshop consists of three days of theoretical, methodological, and practical ingredients including insights on videography and video-based research production, in-class discussions, and a hands-on videography project that is designed, filmed, and completed during the workshop.
Videography presents an innovative and transdisciplinary research methodology that can be used to study, for example, identities, lifestyles, experiences, communities, practices, brands, organizing and organizations with the moving image. It also features a novel academic publication format that has gained considerable success during the recent years. For example, premium academic conferences such as the Association for Consumer Research (ACR), European Association of Marketing Conference (EMAC), or Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) welcome video- or art-based research submissions. Videographic research has also been published in an increasing number of academic journals.
This course serves as an essential hands-on learning experience for anyone interested in doing research on video format. During the course, several videography examples, application areas, perspectives and approaches relevant to fields including but not limited to consumer research, marketing, organization theory, management, strategy, and entrepreneurship will be presented and discussed.
After completing the workshop participants have an in-depth understanding of and an experience of videographic research production in practice. More specifically, the objective is to provide participants with necessary skills, essential theoretical insights and practical tools needed for producing high-quality videography research. The course aims to:
– Facilitate understanding of key approaches in audio-visual research (including documentary film theory, visual ethnography, experimental ethnography, art-based research)
– Encourage critical thinking regarding the philosophical, ontological and epistemological issues in videographic research and also in research more broadly
– Develop appreciation of the hands-on videographic production process (including pre-production, production, post-production and dissemination) but also the ability to assess, evaluate, and review video-based research
– Facilitate a “personal view” of the theories and approaches in videographic research and obtain ability to critically assess and apply them in research
Instructions and examination:
The teaching method consists of 1) focused lectures, 2) readings and films (pre-readings, course readings, video material), and 3) hands-on supervised videography research project conducted in small teams onsite.
Assessment:
The instructors assess the course with a global “pass” or “fail” grade. Active participation is a requirement for passing the course.
Credits: 5 ECTS credits
Grading: Pass / fail
Admittance: To apply, the candidates need to write a 2-page motivation letter to the organizers explaining why and how they find the proposed course relevant to them. The letter should briefly explain the research interests of the applicant and how it may or could relate to or employ video-based research approach. Admittance is subject to candidate’s motivation and express interest in the use of video-based research approaches.
Due to the nature of the course organization, involving specific video-production equipment (provided by the organizer), we can accept a maximum of 16 participants on this course.
Application letters are to be sent via email to Professor Rokka (rokka@em-lyon.com). Applications are due 31 January 2025, and notification of acceptance will be communicated by 10 February 2025.
Instructors:
Joonas Rokka, Professor, EMLYON Business School, France
Joonas Rokka is Professor of Marketing and Director of PhD Program at EMLYON Business School. He has extensive experience in working with the moving image and audiovisual methods in consumer and marketing research. His research using video-based research methodology has been published in journals, including Journal of Consumer Research and Organization. He has also produced seven full-length consumer research films that have been screened at the North-American Association for Consumer Research Conference (ACR) – three of which have been awarded with the Judge’s Choice Award for the best film. He has served as the co-chair for Videography Track at ACR, CCT and EMAC conferences, and he has also guest edited a videography special issue for Journal of Marketing Management. In addition, he is a frequent invited speaker on videographic methods and he has also organized and chaired over a dozen Videography Workshops such as this one. In addition to advocating videographic research in the academia, his research focuses on consumption experiences, lifestyle, culture, brands and new media. He is currently associate editor of Consumption Markets & Culture and Journal of Customer Behavior. He is also Board Member of the Consumer Culture Theory Consortium.
Course coordinator: Ana Paula Lafaire, ana.lafaire@aalto.fi, Aalto University School of Business, Helsinki