The Nordic Leadership Studies Network Workshop 2026

What exactly is meant by a Nordic perspective on leadership studies? Is there a distinct Nordic leadership and management style, or is the term primarily associated with ideas and practices that travel across different contexts? How can questions of context, situation, and responsibility help us understand leadership in different settings?

 

Collaboration, participation, trust, shared responsibility, and relatively flat organizational structures are often associated with Nordic management traditions. At the same time, these ideas are increasingly being examined, adapted, and challenged in diverse organizational and societal contexts around the world.

Rather than defining the Nordic perspective in advance, the workshop takes it as a starting point for dialogue.

 

The theme for 2026 is Leadership, collaboration, and responsibility: Perspectives from Nordic and international contexts.

 

Building on conversations initiated at the 2025 workshop at SSE, the event will bring together colleagues interested in leadership research, education, and practice. It forms part of a broader ambition to strengthen an interdisciplinary network of scholars and educators through open and intellectually stimulating exchange.

 

Participants from all career stages and a broad range of disciplinary, methodological, and geographical backgrounds are welcome. The workshop invites empirical, theoretical, and conceptual work, including both mature research and ideas under development. Discussions will focus on refining ongoing work and encouraging new collaborations across institutions, disciplines, and research traditions.

 

The workshop will take place at SSE from noon on November 2 until noon on November 3. Participation is free of charge, and lunches and dinner are included. Participants are responsible for their own travel expenses.

 

When registering, participants only need to provide a short title for their planned presentation. An abstract of approximately 400–500 words will be requested by September 30, 2026, with further instructions to follow.

 

 

Junior scholars may contact Katja Einola or Emma Bell to ask about possible funding assistance. The organizers can also provide advice about travel and accommodation.

 

Katja Einola
katja.einola@hhs.se