9 Molde University College
13.2 Research group: Event – organization, management, volunteers
The research group Event – organization, management, volunteers in NSSS, is a modest-sized group that aims to build research expertise to support Norwegian bids for sporting events. Conducting research with socially relevant outcomes, the group is highly international in outlook and regularly collaborates with scholars beyond Norway.
13.2.1 Organisation, leadership and strategies
The group’s strategy reflects the institution’s strategic goals and those of the Department of Cultural and Social Studies, in which it is based. However, the self-assessment report focuses almost exclusively on the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) project, for which the group was originally established. Running from 2010–2017, the YOG project has been extremely productive in terms of outputs and the networks it has succeeded in building. Although the group also researches different aspects of mega events and volunteerism, the details provided offer little insight into the guiding strategies or aspirations beyond the initial reasons the Events group was set up. Since the majority of the group’s current research is funded by NSSS, with only smaller amounts from other sources, this is an issue of concern. Almost half of the group’s PhD students and many of its employees are funded by non-governmental sources.
Careful consideration should therefore be given to the group’s strategy and future sustainability beyond the initial objectives of the YOG project.
Very few details are provided about how the group is managed or whether specific governance arrangements are in place. The lack of clarity and omissions in some sections of the report make it difficult to gain a specific sense of the future strategy or trajectory of the group or to understand the guiding or future strategies for publication, knowledge exchange or building partnerships.
13.2.2 Research personnel
NSSS’s research staff includes professors and PhD students from all over the world. The PhD programme is anchored at the institutional level. The board has delegated responsibility for the PhD programme to the Committee for Research Education (KFU). A PhD student is formally accepted by KFU, but receives an employment contract with a specific academic department. PhD students are fully integrated into departmental research activities and receive support to participate in international activities. NSSS funds stays abroad for all PhD and postdoctoral candidates. PhD students participate in research groups and utilise staff members’ extensive networks.
NSSS has been very successful in recruiting researchers from other Nordic countries and internationally. The Events group has recruited several PhD students and one postdoc, indicating a modest contribution to recruitment and career development. Few details are given about the nature of any formal training for PhD students beyond details of their supervision. The PhD students and the postdoc in the group have been involved in international exchange activities.
The report mentions seven core members, although it is difficult to match these figures with the Table of Listed Members, which suggests that three of these members are on permanent contracts. The numbers raise some questions about the sustainability of the group in the longer term.
13.2.3 Research production and scientific quality
As an institution, NSSS has more publications and citations per researcher full-time equivalent than any other university in Norway. The Events group demonstrates very good research quality and productivity, high participation in international research networks, high visibility and participation in public debate, and substantial collaborations with both academic and non-academic institutions in
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Norway and abroad. It has a very good level of publication, mainly in sport-related journals, ensuring the research has good visibility nationally and internationally.
The group’s main contribution is empirical in relation to sports management, relating to its research to deepen understanding of the Youth Olympic Games. This research has generated a body of published work – two books and papers in sports management, sports sociology and sports policy journals. More limited claims are made with respect to theory development, centred around one group member’s work that brings together psychology and sports management.
Sport science is an interdisciplinary field, and scientific staff cooperate in research and teaching across disciplines and departments. The institution’s SWOT analysis suggests that the level of multidisciplinary work could be improved, which would help to increase publication opportunities in more high-impact journals in related disciplines. Following recommendations from the 2011 evaluation of the Nordic sport and exercise sciences research by NordForsk/the Academy of Finland, NSSS is seeking to improve its competitiveness by increasing publication in higher impact journals.
13.2.4 Networking
As an institution, NSSS is involved in a wide range of international research partnerships and has very good levels of collaboration and networking. Greater elaboration in the group’s report on its guiding approach to collaborations would have made it easier to judge the likely trajectory and provided useful insights into the balance of the different types of collaboration it seeks. Examples are given of the impressive international and national collaborations emerging from the YOG research. These networks, which include scholars from Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, France, Canada, Norway, the US and Germany, have led to networking events and publications, including a journal special issue on the Youth Olympic Games.
13.2.5 Interplay between research and education
There is good evidence that research has directly led to the development and delivery of teaching.
Contributions are made by group members at undergraduate and master’s levels, with full-time staff members spending 50% of their time on teaching. Several of their publications are included in the curriculum and researchers deliver teaching based on their research. Undergraduate and master’s students can take part in staff research, with some being involved as research assistants. At master’s level, some candidates produce theses in areas connected to the research group.
13.2.6 Societal relevance and impact
Nationally, NSSS plays a leading role in developing sports science and is actively involved in collaborations with national and international sport organisations, foundations, businesses, public services, health care institutions, government bodies, policymakers and military organisations. These connections result in very strong knowledge exchange.
There is impressive evidence of the societal relevance and impact of research in the Department of Cultural and Social Studies, to which the group contributes. Very diverse and impactful examples of dissemination/knowledge exchange are demonstrated, ranging from seminar programmes and editing special issues, to policy advice, practical involvement in sporting activities and participation in sporting organisations. Although the group’s report focuses exclusively on the YOG case study, a clearer picture of its impact is gained from the NSSS institutional report. There is no doubt that the YOG project was pivotal to Norway’s successful application to host the 2016 Games and forms the basis for a strong impact case study that has been reviewed as part of the institution’s submission. The impact case clearly shows the major impact of this work on Norway’s bid for the Youth Olympic Games.
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13.2.7 Overall assessment
Overall, the group is extremely productive, socially engaged and participates in diverse, extensive national and international networks. There is an impressive array of national and international research projects and a high level of publication. To further improve the impact of its publications, the group needs to become more multidisciplinary in its approach. The group currently seems to be heavily reliant on funding from the institution, which warrants attention. The need to build an institutional level strategy to support this activity is recognised, suggesting that central support is likely to be forthcoming.
Assessment of research group: 4 - very good
13.2.8 Feedback
To further improve the impact of its publications, the group needs to consider how it can become more multidisciplinary in its approach.
To ensure the future sustainability and growth of the group beyond current projects, a funding strategy is required that focuses on building different kinds of research income.
A programme for mentoring colleagues is required for both of the above areas.
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14 Norwegian University of Life Sciences - School of Economics and Business
Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business
Units included in the
Business (HH – NMBU) Listed researchers 23
Listed research groups 1 No. of PhD graduated at the institution per year
Male/Female 2/0 0/1 1/0
R&D expenditures and sources of funding (1000 NOK) Total per year 2 1 1 No. of positions announced / No. of qualified applicants per year
2014 2015 2016
Funding of the institution PhD positions 3/54 (5) 4/67
(11) 4/67 (9)
No. of positions: Numbers in () refer to candidates deemed sufficiently qualified and called for an interview.
Source: The Research Council of Norway, Self-assessment report for the institution, 16/12960
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14.1 Economic-Adm. research at the institutional level
The Norwegian University of Life Sciences – The School of Economics and Business is one of seven faculties in the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). It is a rather small faculty with only 31 staff members, but it is separate for AACSB accreditation purposes.
14.1.1 Organisation, leadership and strategy
The School of Economics and Business is governed by a board. The board is chaired by an external academic and has eight other members: two permanent members of staff, one temporary member of staff, two student representatives and two further external members. The daily operations are run by an executive committee consisting of the dean, the head of administration, the head of research and the head of education. Both the board and the dean report to the university rector. The staff members are divided into research groups with no formal management structure.
The aim of the School of Economics and Business is ‘…to be the leading institution for education and research in Norway within its profile, utilizing its strengths of being part of a university with a strong emphasis on environment and natural sciences, as well as ethics and social responsibility. Our research groups should be leading within their field of research in Norway, and be of high international standard. A good indicator will be a high level of publications in well-recognized international journals.’
For a small business school in a life science university, it seems appropriate to focus on issues related to the environment and natural sciences. It is also helpful that it indicates how research quality can be measured. However, many of the research groups are very small. The aim of all of these groups – to be leading in Norway and of high international standard – seems unrealistic. In that sense, the strategy does not provide much guidance to management.
Individual staff members collaborate with researchers at universities in Norway and abroad, and some of the groups have a good track-record of participation in EU-funded research projects. At the individual level, international cooperation is fostered through sabbaticals spent at universities abroad.
The School of Economics and Business has extensive collaboration with the public sector. Research cooperation with the private sector is more limited, but the School of Economics and Business has started to recruit PhD students who work part-time in the private sector. Given that the business school has a mission ‘to develop and apply economic theory and methods – in combination with theories and methods from other social sciences, ethics, natural sciences and technology – as a basis for decisions on economically, socially and environmentally sustainable resource use at both the organizational and societal levels’, it would seem pertinent to engage more with the private sector in order to increase societal impact and the relevance of teaching.
The proportion of external funding was constant and at a relatively high level (20% of the overall budget) for the period 2014–2016, but there is some variation in the proportion of external funding from international sources. The proportion of external funding from the RCN was more than 50% on average for the period considered, making the School of Economics and Business vulnerable to cutbacks in RCN funding. EU funding constitutes between 0–2% of the overall budget in the period considered, and it is a goal for the business school to increase participation in EU projects. This would reduce its dependence on the RCN, and it thus seems an important goal to pursue.
14.1.2 Institutional follow-up of previous evaluations
Following up on the 2007 evaluation, the School of Economics and Business has implemented measures to increase publication output, also in leading journals. Furthermore, it has strengthened research in energy economics by hiring a permanent professor and a professor II working in this field.
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14.1.3 Resources and infrastructure
The research infrastructure provided by the School of Economics and Business mainly consists of access to databases.
14.1.4 Research environment
The research at the School of Economics and Business is organised in rather small research groups (2–
6 staff members plus PhD students). The narrow focus of the groups leads to coherence, but some of the groups appear to lack the critical mass to have an active research environment with common activities and a diversity of skills and interests. The small groups and the associated limitations may also be an obstacle to international recruitment and to bidding for external projects. Furthermore, as noted in the SWOT analysis, the small groups are vulnerable to the departure of members. Another issue mentioned in the SWOT analysis is the limited collaboration within the faculty.
14.1.5 Research personnel
The School of Economics and Business does not expect to expand in the coming years. Hence, most of the recruitment will fill vacancies arising due to retirement. The faculty has a recruitment plan based on the current composition of the staff, teaching needs and research priorities. New positions are advertised openly, and the business school has exclusively recruited researchers with PhDs from other universities in Norway or abroad over the past eight years. However, the School of Economics and Business has experienced problems finding candidates for positions in some areas. International recruitment has so far primarily been at junior levels, PhD students and postdocs. Focusing greater attention on international recruitment at senior levels could be a way of improving and expanding the pool of candidates for the positions.
The School of Economics and Business has invested in improving PhD training. Efforts have been made to ensure a good match between student and supervisor, and introductory courses are provided to help PhD students get started. The research training is nonetheless limited by international standards, and there seems to be scope for improving PhD education by offering a more structured programme.
Finally, PhD students have gained better possibilities to earn a fourth year of doctoral studies, which is likely to improve the PhD candidates’ possibilities to compete in the job market.
At this stage, the business school has not attempted to obtain ‘HR Excellence in Research’ status, and there is no plan to do so.
The School of Economics and Business encourages PhD students to spend a period at another university, and most of them do so. This can be an important part of PhD training as it allows PhD students to experience a different research environment and to follow specialised PhD courses. It is not clear from the self-assessment report whether the business school offers financial support to PhD students going abroad. As another scheme to increase mobility, tenured staff can apply for a sabbatical year and spend it at another university. They can apply for funding to cover extra expenses, and the funds are allocated competitively according to their recent research output and research plans for the sabbatical.
The gender balance is skewed at the School of Economics and Business, but the proportion of female staff members is similar to that of the overall panel. The business school applies a ‘gentle’ affirmative action policy whereby the female candidate is hired if a male and a female candidate are about equally qualified. The School of Economics and Business has a scheme in place to help female associate professors become full professors. Furthermore, there is a policy of protecting the research time of female associate professors, and they are granted sabbaticals more often than other permanent staff
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members. Perhaps as a result of these policies, the gender balance is improving. Out of the last ten recruitments to permanent positions, five were women. The proportion of female PhD students has also increased in recent years.
14.1.6 Research production and scientific quality
The School of Economics and Business supports staff members’ research efforts by trying to concentrate teaching in one semester. The school also has an explicit goal of 1.3 publication points per year per researcher. Each staff member meets with the dean once a year, and publication output is an important item at this meeting. Focusing on publication points may ensure research activity, but it does not necessarily foster research excellence. The issue is that the publication points do not reflect the additional effort, time and risk involved in publishing in top journals compared to lower ranking journals.
Turning to research output, the number of publication points per researcher at the business school is below the Norwegian average for the panel. In terms of quality, there seems to be important differences within the school across panels. Looking at the School of Economics and Business overall, there is a high proportion of publications in top 10 journals, and the share of level 2 publications is close to the national average. Looking at the Economic-Administrative panel alone, there are very few level 2 articles. Among the book chapters, which are few relative to articles, the share of level 2 publications is higher. The research impact at the School of Economics and Business as measured by citations is very similar to the averages for Norway and the Nordic countries, but is slightly below the OECD average for the panel. The proportion of publications with international co-authors is lower than the national average for the panel. Taken together, these numbers suggest the following:
• Research productivity at the School of Economics and Business is somewhat below the national average for the panel.
• Economic-Administrative research at the School of Economics and Business is less international and is published in lower ranking journals than the national average for the panel.
• Economic-Administrative research at the School of Economics and Business is very rarely published in the best journals.
The papers submitted are of high quality and published in good international journals. This is also indicated by the fact that all articles, but one, are published in level 2 journals. Most papers are published in leading field journals or second-tier general interest journals in economics. Furthermore, two of the papers are multidisciplinary in nature and are published in leading multidisciplinary journals.
Assessment of scientific quality: 1 - weak
14.1.7 Interplay between research and education
The School of Economics and Business has bachelor’s and master’s programmes in business administration and economics, which most research groups contribute to. There is also a more specialised programme in entrepreneurship and innovation that only involves two research groups.
Other than that, the self-assessment does not contain reflections on how research feeds into the
Other than that, the self-assessment does not contain reflections on how research feeds into the