Robin Gustafsson
I am an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management (TUTA) at Aalto University. Currently, I am on partial leave to focus on epicMeets, a startup I co-founded. As usual, you can reach me through my Aalto University email for any research or expertise-related inquiries.
My research area is strategy and organization in industry and market disruptions (technology-induced disruptions). My current focus is on digitalization and platform economy, specifically how industries are disrupted, sources of competitive advantage in the digital age, platform and data business models, open science and innovation, and agile and playful strategy work. I teach advanced courses in strategy, platform and data business strategy, and innovation strategy at the Masters, doctoral, and MBA, and EMBA level.
My research has been published in top tier journals, such as the Academy of Management Journal, International Journal of Management Reviews, Information Systems Review, Research Policy, Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Technology Innovation Management Review, R&D Management, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, and Organization Studies.
My research provides inputs to strategy work, strategic decision making, and strategic organization in industry-wide change, open digital platform strategizing and design, governance of open research and innovation, and policy. I have specialized in flipped classroom and experienced-based learning methods, including the Harvard case teaching method, and LEGO® Serious Play® facilitation method. I work frequently with SMEs and large-company managers and executives, as well as government officials and public sector leaders from different parts of the world, facilitating their strategy and policy work, and supporting their skills development in agile strategy work and strategizing in the age of digital and platform economy.
Research projects:
Policy Rationles in the Shift to Digital Platform Economy
Infrastructure to Accelerate Mission-Oriented System-Level Transformations (IN2MISSION)
The Consortium of 'Digital History of Telco and Exchanges in Finland and Sweden'
Playfulness at Work & in Workshops
SUPERVISION OF DOCTORAL STUDENTS
Current doctoral students who I am the supervisor for
Eero Aalto, Sarri Nykänen, Anita Golzarjannat, Janne Leinonen.
Supervised Doctoral Student
Tomasz Mucha (2024) Thesis: Machine learning in organizations: The processes of diffusion, capability development, and reframing
Niko Lipiäinen (2024) Thesis: The interplay of internal and external determinants of value creation and capture in transforming business environment
Ruben Vicente-Saez (2021) Thesis: Open Science in the Digital Era
Zeerim Cheung (2019), Thesis: Analytically Structured History Approach Using a Relational Database - Essays on the Historical Embeddedness of Strategy Formulation
Kimmo Karhu (2017), Thesis: Managing Competitive and Cooperative Strategizing in Open PLatform Ecosystems using Boundary Resources
Christopher Rowell (2017), Thesis: Signaling and Shaping Legitimacy - Weaving webs of meaning in time and new markets
SUPERVISION OF MASTER THESES
I have supervised over 50 master thesis. I also supervise bachelor's theses. Here a selected set of exemplary Master Theses I have supervised which can be found electronically (alt. summaries of them):
- Tommi Mäkelä Response strategies of platform companies during COVID-10 crisis: A case study of Facebook and Google (2021)
- Lasse Lappalainen Strategic expansion of a platform ecosystem originating in the telecommunications industry – design science research (2019)
- Jaakko Taskinen High-skilled freelance platforms: The impact of trust building mechanisms on attracting top freelance software professionals (2018)
- Antti Luiro Why do platform leaders acquire? A multiple case study of Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon (2018)
- Miikka Laitila Data monetization: Utilizing data as an asset to generate new revenues for firms (2017)
- Jim Hiltunen Business Model for Commercial Operations of a Single Engine Aircraft in Europe (2017)
- Jane Seppälä The Role of Trust in Understanding the Effects of Blockchain on Business Models (2016)
- Marko Sommarberg, Industrial Value Drivers from Internet of Things (2016)
- Martti Heikkilä, Entrepreneurial narrative strategies in nascent markets (2015) (Aalto School of Science best Master Thesis prize 2015)
- Marina Timmermanns, Patent analysis as an input to strategy: case of electric vehicle industry (2014)
- Lauri Turtiainen, Catalysts for Organizational Change: Demutualization of Helsinki Stock Exchange (2014)
- Katja Jokinen, Global Sales Channel Strategies of Technology Intensive Startups (2012)
- Sari Makkonen, Organizing and Identifying for Value Innovation in B2B (2012)
- Chris Rowell, Optimistic Bias in Temporal Prediction at a MNC: The Case of Internal Development Projects at KONE Corporation (2011)
