Media, Management and Transformation Center - MMTC

07/09/2026

A new article by MMTC member Lucia Pizzichini, together with her co-authors Pier Franco Luigi Fraboni, Elena Borin and Demetris Vrontis, published in the Journal of Intellectual Capital, explores how organisations can use their corporate heritage to develop intellectual capital.

In "The missing link: developing intellectual capital through corporate heritage practices,” the authors examine how historically rooted knowledge, values and identity can be actively mobilised rather than simply preserved.

Drawing on the Portus Lab project in Italy, the findings show how corporate heritage practices can support the development of human capital through the transfer of knowledge, skills and values; structural capital by codifying and making organisational knowledge accessible; and relational capital by strengthening trust, legitimacy and stakeholder relationships.

The article introduces the concept of potential corporate heritage capital – historically embedded knowledge, meanings and values that may remain latent until organisations actively identify, reinterpret and put them to use. It also proposes a heritage-driven entropic intellectual capital model, showing how corporate heritage practices can transform these latent resources into human, structural, and relational capital.

Importantly, the study shows that engaging with heritage does not simply mean looking backwards. By continually reinterpreting heritage in response to changing stakeholder expectations and contemporary challenges, organisations can connect their history and identity with present and future needs, supporting learning, innovation and organisational renewal.

Congratulations to Lucia and her co-authors on the publication!

🔗 Read the open-access article: https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-07-2025-0281

04/09/2026

Constr:act Next is underway!

How can the construction and real estate sectors speed up their transition to more circular, resource-efficient, and climate-smart practices? This question lies at the core of Constr:act Next, a new collaborative project led by Energikontor Norra Småland. The project unites businesses, municipalities, academia, and other regional stakeholders across Jönköping County.

The project builds on the successful Constr:act initiative, which created a regional platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration around the transition towards a climate-neutral construction and real estate sector. Constr:act Next takes this work further, with a particular focus on circularity, resource efficiency and supporting organisations as they translate sustainability ambitions and requirements into practical changes.

We are very pleased that MMTC members Carla Gonçalves Machado and Sambit Lenka are part of the project. As MMTC and JIBS contribute as a research and education partner, Carla and Sambit will bring research expertise in circular business models, sustainable supply chains and the practical implementation of circular solutions. Their work will explore how research can be translated into useful tools and guidance for businesses and public organisations, helping bridge the gap between sustainability goals and what transformation looks like in practice.

Constr:act Next has received approximately SEK 7.3 million in funding and is primarily financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Region Jönköpings län, with additional support from municipalities and industry partners.

We look forward to following Carla and Sambit’s work and the collaborations that emerge as the project progresses!

🔗 Read more about Constr:act Next and MMTC’s involvement (in Swedish) https://www.rjl.se/energikontoret/om-energikontoret/projekt/constract/natverket-samverkan-for-klimatneutralt-byggande/

31/08/2026

What happens when an entrepreneurial venture repeatedly misses its goals – but its supporters keep coming back?

A new study by MMTC researchers and affiliate Norbert Steigenberger, Thomas Cyron and Marcel Garz, published in Organization Studies, investigates this question through the fascinating case of Star Citizen.

The ambitious crowdfunded video game experienced repeated delays, yet continued to attract supporters and funding. Norbert, Thomas and Marcel examined how the venture adapted the way it told its story as setbacks accumulated. Their findings show the importance of narrative orchestration: rather than simply moving deadlines, the venture changed how different elements of its story worked together. Supporters increasingly became part of the story as cocreators, while the distant goal was broken down into smaller, more tangible signs of progress.

The study offers new insights into how entrepreneurs can maintain legitimacy and support from stakeholders during challenging times. It presents an alternative perspective to the common belief that setbacks force entrepreneurs to abandon their original goals. This research contributes to MMTC's ongoing focus on transformation by examining how ventures cope with change and uncertainty through evolving narratives, stakeholder relationships, and digital communities.

📖 Read “How Narrative Orchestration Helps Entrepreneurs Maintain Goals Despite Setbacks: The Case of Star Citizen” in Organization Studies:

Narrating a desirable and relatable future is often crucial for entrepreneurs to build legitimacy with stakeholders. However, when entrepreneurs struggle to act...

27/08/2026

🎓 Congratulations, Dr Fyery Adhena Abreha!

MMTC member Fyery Adhena Abreha successfully defended her doctoral thesis in Business Administration at Jönköping International Business School on 26 August.

Fyery’s thesis, “Internal and External Legitimacy Challenges of Religious Hybrid Organizations: The Case of Monasteries,” explores how religious hybrid organisations navigate legitimacy challenges when religious, commercial and social welfare goals coexist.

Drawing on case studies of two monasteries in Ethiopia, her research examines how different stakeholders evaluate and respond to these tensions, and how organisations can work to build and maintain legitimacy.

Thank you to the academic opponent, Professor Judy Muthuri (The University of the West Indies) and the examining committee – Associate Professor Adeyinka Adewale (University of Reading), Professor Samuel Aryee (University of Surrey), and Associate Professor Addis Birhanu (Emlyon Business School) – for their contribution to the defence.

The defence was chaired by MMTC Director Professor Leona Achtenhagen, and throughout her PhD journey, Fyery was supervised by Professor Timur Uman (JIBS and MMTC), with Professor Emerita Ethel Brundin (JIBS) and Professor Benson Honig (McMaster University).

The successful defence marks the culmination of Fyery’s doctoral journey and years of dedicated research, as well as the start of new opportunities. Warm congratulations from everyone at MMTC on this significant achievement, Fyery! 🎉

24/08/2026

Receiving crisis information is one thing. Turning it into preparedness is another.

A new study by MMTC member Elvira Kaneberg and Imoh Antai (Swedish examines how people in Sweden interpret and respond to crisis information, using the If Crisis or War Comes brochure as its focus.

The researchers identify five themes shaping responses to crisis information: communication, practicality, preparedness support, distrust and perceived threat. The findings also reveal an interesting tension around trust: while high trust in authorities can support crisis communication, it may also reduce people’s proactive engagement with preparedness.

Published in the Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, the research highlights the importance of helping people understand what preparedness means in practice, rather than focusing only on disseminating information.

The study connects with MMTC’s interests in communication, resilience and societal transformation, particularly the role communication plays in translating information into action.

The work was partially supported by the Academy of Finland through the project “Cash and/or carry: The challenges and modalities of delivering aid in conflict zones” (grant decision no. 322188).

🔗 Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-02-2025-0031

20/08/2026

What if screens can bring people together rather than keep them apart?

New research from MMTC members Brian McCauley and Adele Berndt, together with Miralem Helmefalk (Linnaeus University), explores how Swedish grassroots LAN events bring online friendships into physical spaces and create opportunities for belonging, learning and connection.

Based on interviews with 28 LAN organisers across Sweden, the researchers show how organisers build and sustain communities across physical and digital spaces – often without sophisticated technology or large budgets.

Their concept of “human-centered phygital orchestration” puts people and community practices at the centre of these experiences.

The findings have relevance well beyond esports, offering insights into how businesses, organisations and institutions can create meaningful physical-digital communities without assuming that more technology is always the answer.

The research is published in the Journal of Services Marketing and connects closely with MMTC’s interests in digital transformation, media and sustainability.

🔗 Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-09-2025-0700

17/08/2026

How can supply chains navigate the transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0?

A new chapter from MMTC member Carla Goncalves Machado, together with Anna Ericson Öberg, Leo de Vin, Lars Hanson, Siri Jagstedt and Janerik Odhe, explores what is needed to make this transition successfully.

“Supply Chains: Navigating the Shift to I5.0” highlights the need to look beyond technology alone. Alongside technologies such as AI, IoT and blockchain, the transition requires attention to workforce skills, digital maturity, adaptability, cybersecurity, circular economy approaches, and human and environmental considerations.

The research connects with MMTC’s focus on digital transformation and sustainability, highlighting how technological development can be combined with human capabilities to create more resilient and sustainable organisations and supply chains.

The chapter appears in the proceedings of the 34th IAMOT Conference, held in Montreal, Canada, in 2025.

🔗 Read more: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-23124-6_40

14/08/2026

A new study from MMTC member Timur Uman, together with Mariia Churilina and Monika Allgurin, explores how senior managers in Swedish social services define and strengthen the role of first-line managers.

Published in The British Journal of Social Work, the research highlights the importance of combining clear organisational expectations with professional judgement and flexibility. It suggests that leadership development involves more than creating formal role descriptions: shared understanding, participation, structured onboarding and opportunities for peer learning can all help support managers in practice.

The research connects with MMTC’s focus on leadership and organisational transformation, offering insights into how organisations translate strategic priorities into everyday practices while navigating competing demands.

🔗 Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcag115

12/08/2026

New book chapter from MMTC Director Leona Achtenhagen

MMTC Director Leona Achtenhagen, together with Claudia Achtenhagen and Claudius Audick, has contributed a chapter to the Routledge book An Organisational Guide to Skills for Green Workforce Transformation.

Their chapter, “Regional Chamber Partnerships to Advance the Green Upskilling of Small and Medium Enterprises in Germany,” presents the work of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in Stuttgart and its collaboration with regional SMEs to support the vocational education and training of apprentices.

Set within Germany’s distinctive vocational education context, the chapter explores a shift from focusing primarily on occupational skills to also developing transferable green skills, such as collaboration, problem-solving and data literacy, systems thinking, and change leadership. It also considers how partnerships between regional associations and SMEs can help advance green upskilling.

Read more: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003648000-13/regional-chamber-partnerships-advance-green-upskilling-small-medium-enterprises-germany-claudia-achtenhagen-leona-achtenhagen-claudius-audick

10/08/2026

Congratulations to MMTC member and PhD candidate Fyery Adhena Abreha, who has reached an important milestone in her doctoral journey by nailing her thesis to the wall!

The traditional thesis nailing is a longstanding academic tradition that marks the thesis as complete and ready to be publicly defended. Fyery’s thesis, “Internal and External Legitimacy Challenges of Religious Hybrid Organizations: The Case of Monasteries,” explores the legitimacy challenges faced by religious hybrid organizations, with a particular focus on monasteries.

Fyery will defend her doctoral thesis in Business Administration on Wednesday, 26 August 2026 at 1:15 pm in B1014 at JIBS.

We are delighted to celebrate this important milestone with Fyery and wish her the very best for her upcoming public defence!