About the Researcher
My name is Sickan Åberg. I am a Doctoral Researcher at Hanken School of Economics and an entrepreneur, passionate about understanding and helping businesses navigate the complexities of sustainability.
Through my research, I aim to uncover practical ways for organizations to align their business strategies with long-term ecological and societal goals. As a strategic sustainability advisor, I help businesses uncover and build on their unique potential when it comes to their role in business, society, and as one of billions of actors in need of rethinking, or reminding, how they perceive their connection to something so natural: the environment.
The Research Design and Objectives
Today, businesses often find themselves caught between the need to drive profits and the growing demand to operate responsibly within ecological and societal boundaries. These pressures are particularly pronounced in B2B collaborations, where companies must work closely together with many business partners while balancing different priorities and values. In these situations, businesses face a tough challenge: how to make sense of new ways of doing business that prioritize long-term sustainability. These approaches often feel unfamiliar, especially when compared to traditional profit-driven methods.
This research dives into what capabilities businesses need to better understand and communicate these new priorities when working with partners, particularly when negotiating how to share resources and create solutions that break away from outdated, unsustainable norms. A key part of the research focuses on how companies can leverage tensions when recognize their role in the bigger picture – how their operations depend on and impact the planet and society. By using this awareness, businesses can craft strong and ethical narratives about why sustainability matters and build stronger partnerships based on shared values and goals.
The research aims to uncover practical strategies that businesses can use to turn these tensions into opportunities. By looking at how companies navigate these challenges and take purposeful actions, this work provides insights into how businesses can lead the way in reshaping markets for a more sustainable future, that is much more aware of its connection to society and nature.
Key Insights
- Collaborations as problem-solving spaces:
Partnerships and collaborations provide the perfect setting for businesses to figure out how to work through sustainability challenges together. These interactions are critical for aligning priorities, setting shared goals, and finding innovative and bold ways to move forward. - Understanding the bigger picture:
Companies that understand their impact on and reliance on natural and societal resources can make smarter decisions. This bigger-picture thinking helps them communicate the value of sustainability more effectively and find common ground with their business partners. - Turning challenges into opportunities:
The tensions that arise when balancing sustainability with traditional business goals aren’t just obstacles—they’re opportunities. When businesses lean into these challenges and use them as a chance to rethink how they work, they can create new practices that drive both sustainability and growth.
The Bigger Picture
In today’s world, businesses can’t afford to ignore the bigger picture. From climate change to societal inequality, the challenges are too big for any one organization to tackle alone. This research emphasizes the importance of embracing these challenges rather than avoiding them. As Donna Haraway puts it, we need to “stay with the trouble.” By engaging with these issues head-on, businesses can innovate, collaborate, and create new ways of working that benefit both the planet and their bottom line.
Expected Benefits of the PhD project
- For Businesses: Practical tools and strategies to navigate sustainability challenges, strengthen partnerships, and stay competitive in a changing market.
- For Policymakers: Insights to shape regulations and policies that support businesses in making sustainable transitions.
- For Society: A roadmap for fostering sustainable business ecosystems that prioritize long-term well-being over short-term gains.
Looking Ahead
This PhD-research is about more than just understanding capabilities for sustainable market shaping—it’s about finding practical ways to address them. By working with tensions, building shared understanding with partners, and embracing bold solutions, businesses can reshape markets for the better.
PhD Sickan Åberg on väitöskirjatutkija Hankenilla. Vuoden 2024 apurahakierroksella hän sai Liikesivistysrahastolta 13 000 euron työskentelyapurahan. Capabilities for Sustainable Market Shaping on yksi Liikesivistysrahaston temaattisista erikoishankkeista Tulevaisuuskestävä ympäristö -painoalueella.