{"id":589,"date":"2020-10-27T14:49:40","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T12:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/cers\/?p=589"},"modified":"2020-10-27T14:49:40","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T12:49:40","slug":"from-local-experts-to-global-contributors-the-changing-roles-of-finnish-marketing-scholars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/cers\/2020\/10\/27\/from-local-experts-to-global-contributors-the-changing-roles-of-finnish-marketing-scholars\/","title":{"rendered":"From local experts to global contributors: the changing roles of Finnish marketing scholars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Finnish\nmarketing research has evolved from serving the general goal of informing\ninternational audiences about the development of Finland, its economy,\nconsumers, and companies; to studying the applicability of models and\nframeworks initiated in the international marketing discourse to the local\nmarkets and players in it; and, finally, to studies stemming from the Finnish\ncontext aiming at advancing the international discourse itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a recent\nbook chapter[1]<\/a>,\nMikko Laukkanen and I reflect on these developments, dividing the history of\nFinnish marketing research into three phases which we title \u201cMarketing and\nFinland,\u201d \u201cMarketing in Finland,\u201d and \u201cMarketing from Finland,\u201d respectively (for\nfurther details and references, please refer to our book chapter). Of course,\nthe development has not been linear, and studies representative of each phase\ncontinue to get published in international academic journals. However, it is\napparent that the specific foci and goals of marketing research have shifted\nover time, also shifting the role and focus of academic work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this\nshort essay I will elaborate on the impact of these shifts in Finnish marketing\nresearch, as well as the impact of growing external pressures, stemming from\nthe internationalization of research, on the profession of marketing scholars\nin Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the research based on the Finnish marketing context or published by Finnish marketing scholars falls into the second phase of studies (\u201cMarketing in Finland\u201d) identified in our analysis. These studies aim to explain and contribute to the development of Finnish business and the success of Finnish companies through the application of internationally developed models and frameworks into the national context. Such research is highly relevant for practitioners but often offers limited academic contribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite\nthis prevailing trend, individual forerunners, such as Hanken\u2019s Christian Gr\u00f6nroos<\/a>,\nmanaged to have a significant impact on the development of international marketing\nthinking already in the earlier phases of development of the Finnish marketing\nresearch. However, the focus of most research characteristic of this phase has\nbeen dictated by developments in the Finnish economy and time-bound interests\nof businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent shift of focus towards contributions to the academic discourse internationally, where Finland merely provides a context for studies that could just as well be conducted elsewhere, has fundamentally altered the nature of the relationship between academia and business. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The primary\nrole of Finnish marketing scholars has, accordingly, been to inform the local\naudiences of broader international developments. The recent shift of focus towards\ncontributions to the academic discourse internationally, where Finland merely\nprovides a context for studies that could just as well be conducted elsewhere,\nhas fundamentally altered the nature of the relationship between academia and\nbusiness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role of\nbusiness professors in Finland has, traditionally, incorporated three broad\nareas of responsibility: research, teaching, and societal impact. On the one\nhand, equally weighed, strength in one area could make up a relative weakness\nin another. Thus, individual scholars have been able to concentrate their\nefforts in what they do best, be it research, teaching, or, for instance, consulting\nfirms and sitting on company boards. On the other hand, due to this\nmultidimensional responsibility, the primary task for scholars has become to\nserve as general experts in their field, requiring not only participating in\nthe international academic discourse but also distributing insights from it in\nteaching and consulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This role\nof a generalist expert has required relatively broad expertise in one\u2019s field\nof study, as scholars in marketing have been expected to be prepared to discuss\nbroader issues related to marketing, the markets, or business in general, and\nnot only those related to their own narrow fields of study. This has promoted a\nmore generalist approach to scholarly output containing not only academic\narticles but also managerial books and texts targeted at the general public, which\nmay have come at the cost of publishing in the leading academic journals, the\npublications of which tend to be more narrowly focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent\nglobalizing competition between universities for students, faculty, and funding\nhas led most business schools internationally to adopt the U.S. based Tenure\nTrack system – a merit-based career path for professors. In the Tenure Track\nsystem, evaluations of scholarly work are primarily based on research output in\ntop-tier academic journals. This focus has led to an increasing number of\nscholars not only in Finland, but all over Europe and Asia to gradually shift\nthe targets of their publishing towards the most sought-after academic\njournals. The adoption of the Tenure Track system has, thereby, aligned the\ntargets and brought the productivity of Finnish marketing scholars on par with\ntheir international peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For individual scholars, this has opened the international academic job market for Finnish PhDs, who traditionally have searched for post-doctoral employment from within their home country. At the university level, this has heightened the academic ambition and strengthened the reputation of Finnish business schools internationally, while helping local universities to attract foreign faculty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same\ntime, however, this concerted focus on publications in top-tier journals only\nhas narrowed the research foci and expertise of individual scholars. Instead of\ndeveloping broad-based business expertise, scholars in marketing are\nincreasingly incentivised to become global thought leaders in narrowly defined\nfields of discourse. This increases the international impact and career prospects\nof individuals but may do so at the cost of relevance of their work to the\nlocal society. This is because the forefront of global academic discourse may\nnot (yet) reflect the most burning issues for local businesses, who may rather\nseek more general advice for further improving their marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given these\ndevelopments, it is increasingly vital for Finnish marketing scholars to find a\nbalance between global rigor and local relevance. It is also vital for\nuniversities to recognise the tensions caused by this development and, for\ntheir part, to find a balance of goals in their recruiting, in evaluating\nscholarly work, in initiating collaborative initiatives with business partners,\nand in securing research funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johanna Fr\u00f6s\u00e9n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johanna Fr\u00f6s\u00e9n is Associate Professor of\nMarketing and Director of KATAJA \u2013 The Finnish Doctoral Program in Business\nStudies. Her most recent research focuses on marketing analytics and\naccountability, firms\u2019 sustainability orientations, and disclosure of marketing\nresults.<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> Fr\u00f6s\u00e9n, J. and Laukkanen, M. (2020), \u201cAn interpreted review of the history of Finnish marketing research.\u201d In: Huhtala, J.-P. and Hietanen, J. (Eds): Henrikki Tikkanen 50. <\/em>\u00a0Nordic Institute of Business & Society Osuuskunta, Helsinki, pp. 118-135.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo: Unsplash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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