Annika Engström Appointed New Professor at JTH

Congratulations to Annika Engström, who as of August 1, 2025, is a professor of Work Organization at JTH. Here, Annika shares what the title means to her and what she hopes to contribute through her work.

You’ve recently been awarded the prestigious title of professor. How does it feel, and what does it mean to you?
“ Thank you! It feels fantastic that my field – work organization – now has professorial status at JTH. Personally, it’s an honor and a joy, but even more important is what it means for our education and research. This marks a broadening of JTH’s profile and gives more space to issues related to leadership, organization, and learning in industrial settings. It’s also a testament to many years of interdisciplinary collaboration, both internally and externally.”

Can you briefly describe what your research is about?
“I study how organizations learn and develop during times of change – often in close collaboration with industrial companies. This includes leadership, organizational learning, and how to create conditions for innovation in practice. Right now, I’m working on projects about AI transformation in industrial companies, how leadership development intersects with business development, and how companies can manage conflicting processes for creative innovation and efficient execution (organizational ambidexterity).”

What sparked your initial interest in the subject you are now a professor in?
“My foundation lies in interpersonal communication and leading development processes. When I earned my PhD in education, I studied what happens in learning during work meetings and how it affects efficiency. I observed many conflicting processes and tensions that can arise in organizations – but also the development potential that exists when there is trust, competence, and a willingness to address them. That insight sparked my interest in organizational learning and development work more broadly within industry.”

What do you hope to contribute in your role as professor?
“I want to continue strengthening interdisciplinary collaborations and build bridges between academia and industry so that research is both rigorous and relevant. I also want to further develop our international collaborations in both research and education. This means deepening existing relationships, creating new partnerships, and inspiring students – not least by supervising the next generation of researchers. At the same time, I want to strengthen JTH’s profile in leadership and the organization of learning and development and increase collaboration on these topics with other entities within Jönköping University.”