How can people and technology collaborate as working life and business practices change at an ever-increasing pace? Anna Karin Olsson is a newly appointed professor in Business Administration with a specialization in work-integrated learning at University West. Her research explores how organizations can embrace digitalization and automation without losing sight of the human aspects — and why collaboration and reflection are the keys to success.
For Anna Karin, research is about people – how we collaborate, learn, and adapt when new technology enters the workplace. She describes Business Administration as a field where research is conducted in close collaboration with companies, municipalities, and organizations, and where teaching is shaped by dialogue and the exchange of experiences.
“I have always been interested in individuals, co-workers, and leaders – how we organize, develop, change, and lead organizations. I am a curious researcher driven by engaging with different stakeholders to create value-driven changes in various contexts, from tourism to manufacturing. That is what motivates me and my research,” says Anna Karin.
Co-creation – understanding the world together
A central concept in Anna Karin’s research is co-creation – the idea that knowledge emerges through collaboration with others. She argues that co-creation is not just a method of working but a prerequisite for exploring and understanding contemporary societal challenges. As digitalization, sustainability, and automation fundamentally reshape working life, diverse competencies must come together – technical, organizational, and human.
“Co-creation is about researchers, companies, and societal actors coming together to share experiences. It is in the meeting of different perspectives that something new can emerge. We face complex societal challenges that no single discipline can solve alone. We must work transdisciplinary, across disciplinary boundaries and in collaboration with actors from various sectors.”
When technology transforms work
Anna Karin’s research is closely tied to Industrial work-integrated learning. In the transdisciplinary project PROWIL – Human-Centric Automation, she explores how companies can implement smart technologies and automation in ways that keep people at the center. She is also involved in the project CoWORK 5.0 (Co-production of Work-Integrated Learning in the Era of Industry 5.0), which investigates work-related health, risk- and change management in the industrial sector. Both projects align with the EU’s Industry 5.0 policy, which emphasizes human centricity – focusing on people, sustainability, and resilience.
“Industry 5.0 complements the earlier Industry 4.0, which primarily focused on new technologies. In Industry 5.0, the emphasis is on technology serving people – not the other way around. When an organization undergoes digital transformation, it affects everything – workflows, roles, and relationships across organizational levels and functions – and new knowledge is essential.”
Inclusive leadership
Leadership is a recurring theme in Anna Karin’s research. She emphasizes that effective leadership in times of change is built on participation and inclusion. At the same time, she highlights how many companies still operate in silos—where departments work in parallel and fail to see the bigger picture.
“That can cause key aspects of change and innovation efforts to fall through the cracks. We need more reflection and collaboration across boundaries. Leadership and co-workership go hand in hand. If co-workers are not included in change processes, things simply will not work out.”
Research with real societal impact
For Anna Karin, research means working closely with organizations and businesses. She stresses the importance of discussing and validating results directly with collaborating partners and actors —without waiting years for academic findings to be published.
She brings the same approach to her teaching in the master’s program in Leadership at University West. Her students are mid-career professionals working as leaders or managers in the public sector, government agencies, and private industry. Despite coming from different sectors, they share many common experiences.
“They learn from each other and get the chance to reflect together, using their own workplaces as a starting point in the program. They do not have to wait until graduation to apply their new insights—they test their ideas directly at work. This creates an immediate impact on society during the course of their education, making it a truly active form of work-integrated learning.”
Curious about the future
Anna Karin believes that the successful companies of the future will be those that view digitalization as an opportunity for learning and creativity, rather than a threat. In her own role, she aims to continue highlighting the human perspectives in change processes and to build strong research environments.
“We should use technology to unlock what makes us human—our critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. I am driven by curiosity and a desire to understand how people and organizations really function in a world that is constantly changing, and that journey never ends,” she concludes.
At University West, we conduct research in close collaboration with the world around us – to create a better future.
Contact: Anna Karin Olsson, Professor of Business Administration, University West