Large public authorities in focus for new professor
Maria Mårtensson Hansson is a new professor in management accounting at Linnaeus University. Her most recent place of work is Stockholm University. Her research focuses primarily on large public authorities that wrestle with, among other things, bad reputation and are now going through renewal processes.
“I study the authorities from a management accounting, leadership and strategy perspective. I carry out comprehensive studies on renewal and change processes. Many of the authorities I study have similar fundamental problems. It can be problems linked to reputation, implementation of new management accounting systems or culture and leadership issues”, says Mårtensson Hansson.
“As a researcher, I don’t provide solutions to the organisation that I study, I present ‘pictures’ of what I’m seeing. My colleagues and I work qualitatively with interviews and observations at different levels. We mediate what we see is going on, and this can provide the public authority with a “language”, a perspective. All sorts of management have consequences for the activities of an organisation and for the people working there. We can shed light on and pinpoint these consequences.
Maria Mårtensson Hansson is also scientific leader for a national collaboration platform with collaboration on management accounting and control questions at public authorities. The platform consists of 15 active researchers and representatives from about 20 public authorities. Currently, plans are being made for a research day in January, on the topic digitalisation – a very important and topical question for public authorities.
“I have a great interest in collaboration and it is my hope that I will be able to continue working with different networks and on different arenas. I want to develop these to the benefit of Linnaeus University” explains Mårtensson Hansson.
What is most exciting about having been appointed professor at Linnaeus University?
“It will be fun to take part in the development of the research within my subject. The professor role is new for me, and it feels great to have such a clear role. I have experience from large-scale projects and there is untapped potential here. Also, I should make no secret of the fact that I like fresh starts – it’s fun changing to a new job!”, Mårtensson Hansson concludes.