Bengt Larsson

Professor

Department of Social Studies Faculty of Social Sciences

bengt.larsson@lnu.se

BENGT LARSSON is professor in sociology with research interest in the area of economic sociology/economy and society. His current research is on welfare professional decision making, industrial relations in Europe, performance-related pay and FinTechs. He has previously conducted research on the debt relief process at the Swedish Enforcement Authority, consumption patterns of lottery winners, children’s environmental education and influence on their families’ consumption, and economic crime and regulations.

Researchgate-profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bengt_Larsson2

Teaching

Classical and modern social theory, industrial relation in Europe, economic sociology, sociology of law/social control. Has written and edited four textbooks in Swedish. Is supervising students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in sociology.

Research

Ongoing and recently finished research projects

Principal Investigator (2023-2025): Trust in Relations between Unions and Employers in Europe (True Europe), funded by the European Commission.
Principal Investigator (2022-2025) Welfare professional decision-making – discretion, principles and programs. Funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR).
Project member (2022-2024): Digitalization, automation and decarbonization: Opportunity for strengthening collective bargaining in the metal sector (Barmetal). The project is led by Giovanni Dosi, SSSA, Italy, and is funded by the European Commission.
Project member (2021-2023) Health Risk Outlooks by Social Partners (HEROS). The project is led by Barbara Bechter, Durham University, and is funded by the European Commission.
Principal investigator (2020-2022): The workers collective and polarization: trade unions and workers representation. The project is WP5 in the program The challenges of polarization on the Swedish labour market, financed by FORTE. PI: Prof. Tomas Berglund.
Project member (2020-2022): How Fintech affects the financial sector and what the effects are on collective bargaining in the European financial sector, financed by the European Comission (DG Emp.). PI: Morten Clausen, Uni-Europa and Bertil Rolandsson, Göteborgs universitet.
Project Partner (2018-2020): EESDA – Enhancing the Effectiveness of Social Dialogue Articulation in Europe, funded by the European Commission (DG Emp.). The project was led by the research institutes CEPS (Brussels) and CELSI (Bratislava).
Principal investigator (2016-2020): Individual wage setting, from policy to practice – a comparative study of the meaning and application of wage criteria in different sectors, funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR).
Project partner (2016-2018): SPEEED – Social Partner Engagement and Effectiveness in European Social Dialogue, funded by the European Commission (DG Emp.). PI: Dr. Barbara Bechter, Durham University.
Principal investigator (2014-2018): Conditions for and obstacles to trade union cooperation in Europe. A comparative study of countries and sectors, funded by The Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences (RJ].

Collaboration with the surrounding society

Bengt Larsson has in his research collaborated with the surrounding society both through distributing research results to public, private and civil society organisations, and by doing research in collaboration with representatives for trade unions and employer associations. Below are some links related to such collaboration:

Podcast Swedish HR association fråga forskaren: https://poddtoppen.se/podcast/1519328904/fraga-forskaren/35-bengt-larsson-individuell-lonesattning-fran-policy-till-praktik
Project site for a collaborative project with UniEuropa and Nordic Financial Unions https://fintechandtradeunions.com/
Project information EU project on Heath Risk Outlooks in European Social dialogue (HEROS) https://osha.europa.eu/sv/oshnews/heros-project-safety-and-health-risks-healthcare-workers
Project information EU project on Trust in Relations between Unions and Employers in Europe (TRUE EUROPE) www.true-europe.eu
Project Information Barmetal: https://celsi.sk/en/barmetal/

Commissions

Review-panel member LiRE25 (Linköping University research evaluation 2025)
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies: Member of Research Committee 2022, Chair of Research Committee 2023-2024.
Employment board: Faculty for Social Science, Linnaeus University, Member 2022-2023, Chair 2024.
Chair Supervisory Collegium/Dept for Social Studies, Linnaeus University: 2022-2024.
CERGU - Centre for European Research, Gothenburg University: Member of steering Committee 2012-2020, Chair of Steering Committee 2015-2017.
Vice head of Department responsible for research and PhD-program, Dept. of Sociology and Work Science Gothenburg University: 2018-2020.
Deputy Head of Department of Sociology and Work Science, Gothenburg University. 2006-2009.
Director of PhD studies, Department of Sociology and Work Science, Gothenburg University. 2006-2009.

My ongoing research projects

My completed research projects

Seed project: Analyzing state-of-the-practice for self-adaptive systems in industry using data analytics The main objective for this seed project within Linnaeus University Centre for Data Intensive…

Publications

Collection (editor) (Refereed)

Brandl, B., Larsson, B., Lehr, A., Molina, O. (2023). Employment relations as networks : Methods and theory. New York, Routledge. 258.

Collection (editor) (Other academic)

Larsson, B., Rolandsson, B. (2022). The digital transformation of financial services markets and industrial relations : Exploring FinTech development in Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands and Sweden. Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg. 111.
Azarian, R., Daoud, A., Larsson, B. (2014). Ekonomisk sociologi : en introduktion. Stockholm, Liber. 279.

Chapter in book (Refereed)

Prytz, J., Larsson, B. (2024). Changes in trade union membership and attitudes to unions in Sweden. Scrutinising Polarisation : Patterns and Consequences of Occupational Transformation in the Swedish Labour Market. Oxon, Routledge. 165-180.
Brandl, B., Larsson, B., Lehr, A., Molina, O. (2023). Introduction. Employment relations as networks : Methods and theory. New York, Routledge. 1-10.
Brandl, B., Larsson, B., Lehr, A., Molina, O. (2023). Conclusions and outlook : Structures, actors and mechanisms in employment relations. Employment relations as networks : Methods and theory. New York, Routledge. 244-255.
Larsson, B. (2023). Multilevelness and multiplexity in trade union cooperation networks in Europe. Employment relations as networks : Methods and theory. New York, Routledge. 41-61.
Larsson, B., Letell, M., Thörn, H. (2012). Transformations of the Swedish Welfare State : Social Engineering, Governance and Governmentality. Tranformations of the Swedish Welfare State : From Social Engineering to Governance?. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. 3-22.
Larsson, B., Engdahl, O. (2012). Decentring Economic Regulation and Control : Reinforcing Trust through Self-Regulation. Transformations of the Swedish Welfare State : From Social Engineering to Governance?. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. 104-119.

Chapter in book (Other academic)

Engdahl, O., Pettersson, J., Larsson, B. (2019). Ett finansekonomiskt medborgarskap?. Vetenskapligt medborgarskap. Lund, Studentlitteratur AB. 67-91.
Larsson, B., Ulfsdotter Eriksson, Y. (2019). Sweden. Stakeholders’ views on and experiences with the articulation of social dialogue and its effectiveness. Brussels, CEPS. 57-61.
Larsson, B. (2017). Cultural borders as obstacles to European trade union cooperation. Cultural borders and European integration. Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg. 53-67.
Bengtsson, M., Larsson, B., Lovén Seldén, K. (2017). Europeiska arbetsmarknader – institutioner, aktörer, politik. Arbetslivet. Lund, Studentlitteratur AB. 297-318.
Larsson, B. (2016). Kulturella skillnader och fackligt samarbete i Europa : nordiska erfarenheter av ett gränsöverskridande arbete. Gränsöverskridande : vänbok till Claes G. Alvstam. Göteborg, Göteborgs universitet. 173-184.
Azarian, R., Daoud, A., Larsson, B. (2014). Inledning. Ekonomisk socologi : En introduktion. Stockholm, Liber.
Larsson, B., Lovén Seldén, K. (2014). Facket och EU. Förhoppningar och farhågor : Sveriges första 20 år i EU. Göteborg, Göteborgs universitet. 285-304.
Daoud, A., Larsson, B. (2014). Den nya ekonomiska sociologin. Ekonomisk sociologi : en introduktion. Stockholm, Liber. 42-64.
Larsson, B. (2014). Konsumtion och konsumtionssamhälle. Ekonomisk sociologi : en introduktion. Stockholm, Liber. 195-213.
Larsson, B., Jacobsson, B. (2012). Kontroll och diskretion på "juridikens bakgård". Kontrollens variationer. Lund, Studentlitteratur AB. 91-116.
Thörn, H., Larsson, B. (2012). Conclusions : Re-Engineering the Swedish Welfare State. Transformations of the Swedish Welfare State : from Social Engineering to Governance?. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. 262-282.
Larsson, B., Engdahl, O. (2011). Självreglering på opersonliga marknader : professionalisering och licensiering. Social kontroll : övervakning, disciplinering och självreglering. Malmö, Liber. 261-280.
Larsson, B., Backman, C. (2011). Vad är social kontroll? : Samhällsteoretiska perspektiv. Social Kontroll : övervakning, disciplinering och självreglering. Malmö, Liber. 16-51.
Bengtsson, M., Lovén Seldén, K., Larsson, B. (2011). Arbetsmarknadsrelationer i Europa. EU och välfärdens Europa : familj, arbetsmarknad, migration. Malmö, Liber. 158-201.
Larsson, B. (2011). Barns fostran till världsmedborgare : om eko-disciplin i skola och familj. Social kontroll : övervakning, disciplinering och självreglering. Malmö, Liber. 167-184.
Larsson, B., Engdahl, O. (2011). Inledning. Social Kontroll : övervakning, disciplinering och självreglering. Malmö, Liber. 9-13.
Larsson, B. (2005). Den medialiserade ekonomin : avslöjanden, affärer, skandaler. Fiffelsverige. Malmö, Liber. 167-185.

Report (Other academic)

Larsson, B., Graadal, L. (2024). Denmark Policy Report - Digitalization, Automatization and Decarbonization : Opportunity for Strengthening Collective Bargaining in the Metal Sector. Barmetal project. 12.
Sjöstrand, G., Larsson, B. (2024). Sweden Policy Report - Digitalization, Automatization and Decarbonization : Opportunity for Strengthening Collective Bargaining in the Metal Sector. Barmetal project. 16.
Larsson, B., Heffernan, M., Trif, A. (2024). Preliminary conceptual and contextual report. True Europe project. 34.
Rolandsson, B., Larsson, B. (2022). The digital transformation of financial services and labour relations in the FinTech sector : Summary report. Brussels, European Commission. 55.
Larsson, B., Ulfsdotter Eriksson, Y. (2019). Enhancing the effectiveness of social dialogue articulation in Europe : case study for Sweden. Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg. 42.
Larsson, B., Lovén Seldén, K., Bengtsson, M. (2016). Nordiska perspektiv på transnationellt fackligt samarbete i Europa : former, hinder, utmaningar och strategier. Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg. 180.

Doctoral thesis, monograph (Other academic)

Larsson, B. (2001). Bankkrisen, medierna och politiken : Offentliga tolkningar och reaktioner på 90-talets bankkris. Doctoral Thesis. Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg. 280.

Conference paper (Refereed)

Larsson, B. (2024). Institutional structures of OSH interventions in Europe : Decoupling in multilevel industrial relations systems. .
Larsson, B. (2024). Decision-making “arrangements” in debt-recovery at the SEA: Actor-Networks, not automation.. .
Larsson, B., Hiltunen, L., Bechter, B., Blaziene, I., Galetto, M., et al. (2023). Decoupling in multilevel industrial relations systems : Health and safety communications from European to local level (and back). .
Larsson, B., Rolandsson, B., Ilsøe, A., Larsen, T.P., Lehr, A., et al. (2022). FinTechs and the emergence of a coopetitive market ecosystem. Presented at NSA, Reykjavik, 10-12 August, 2022.
Ulfsdotter Eriksson, Y., Larsson, B. (2022). What gives social status – for women and men?. Presented at: 30th Nordic Sociological Association Conference University of Iceland, Reykjavik, 10 – 12 August 2022..
Larsson, B., Ulfsdotter Eriksson, Y. (2021). Sense-making and (e)valuation in local practices of performance-related pay in Sweden. Industrial Relations in Europe Conference 2021 : Thursday 16 September 2021 - Friday 17 September 2021 Palazzo Strozzi. 18-19.
Larsson, B. (2021). Multiplexity and multilevelness of trade union networks in Europe. Presented at ILERA, Lund (online), 21–24 June, 2021.
Prytz, J., Larsson, B. (2021). Changes in trade union membership and attitudes to unions in Sweden. Presented at ESA Conference 2021, Barcelona, 31 August-3 September, 2021.

Conference paper (Other academic)

Larsson, B. (2023). Enforcing enforcement – professional decision making and digital support systems in the Swedish Enforcement Authority. .