Sociology of organizations

Research group In this research group, we study how organizations function, how they are structured, how they interact with their environment, and how individuals and groups within organizations are both affected by and influence organizational dynamics. We are also interested in how work is organized beyond traditional employment relationships.

An organizational sociological perspective can, for example, reveal how social power dimensions create both opportunities and resources, but also limitations for individuals within organizations and society. Therefore, we sometimes apply critical perspectives on organizations, aimed at questioning and analyzing power relations and inequality within and between organizations, and in relation to the broader social context.

Examples of research questions include

How do organizational structures, cultures, or leadership uphold and create the unequal conditions we observe in today’s work life? How can such processes be challenged and changed?
How are organizations affected by broader social, economic, and political institutions, and how do organizations themselves contribute to shaping these institutions?
What is the relationship between paid and unpaid work, or between what is termed wage labor and care work?
How do working conditions and the work environment affect employees' stress and well-being?
How do organizations adapt to changes in their environment, incorporate new technologies, and implement organizational transformations?
What organizational conditions lead to a discrepancy between an organization's stated policies and employees' experiences, such as with different forms of harassment?
Do all employees in the workplace have an equal opportunity to influence decision-making or control over how work is organized?
What norms and values exist within organizations, among which actors, and what are the consequences of these ways of thinking?