Economics

A new analysis reveals that circular economy research remains siloed in a narrow set of publications rather than spreading across business and policy disciplines. The findings suggest that despite growing corporate sustainability commitments, the knowledge needed to implement circular models isn't reaching mainstream business, finance, and policy audiences where decisions are made.EN

A new analysis of supply chain digitalization reveals that product passports can unlock transparency and circular economy benefits—but only if companies solve data compatibility problems and regulators harmonize fragmented rules. Small businesses are particularly unprepared for the shift.EN

Companies that have moved production abroad before rely on different playbooks when deciding where to relocate next. A new study shows that firms with international experience favor nearshoring—moving to nearby countries—while those new to reshoring make different calculations. The finding helps explain why reshoring campaigns fall short of expectations.EN

Internal auditors in Swedish public agencies are using teaching and relationship-building tactics to defend their independence and prove their value, rather than relying on formal rules alone. The finding challenges how organizations structure oversight functions and suggests that audit effectiveness depends on constant adaptation to organizational realities.EN

A new study reveals how high-tech ventures in sub-Saharan Africa succeed by simultaneously embedding themselves in local communities while pursuing international growth—overturning the deficit-focused narrative that has long dominated development economics. This insight matters to investors and policymakers seeking to unlock innovation in emerging markets.EN

New research examines how personal financial obligations shape workplace behavior and economic outcomes, with implications for labor policy and business strategy. The findings suggest debt levels may influence employee engagement and organizational stability—factors that affect productivity and retention across industries.EN

Black Friday's explosive growth in Sweden since 2013 is throwing off the country's official retail sales measurements, potentially masking true consumer trends. Statisticians have now developed a fix using mathematical models to isolate the shopping event's effect—critical for policymakers and retailers relying on accurate sales data to make business decisions.EN

Dansk version av TEX-Q gör det möjligt för sjukhus och privata vårdgivare att mäta patientförväntningar före ryggoperationer — en faktor som påverkar behandlingsresultat och därmed kostnadseffektiviteten. Instrumentet översattes enligt internationella standarder och testades på patienter inför ryggsurgeri vid danska universitetssjukhus. Resultaten visar god förståelighet och tillförlitlighet för de flesta domäner, även om precision varierar mellan dimensioner. Golv- och takeffekter var acceptabla. Konstruktvaliditeten var dock begränsad — TEX-Q-värden korrelerade svagt med funktionell nedsättning och hade endast liten positiv koppling till livskvalitet. Studien utfördes av Lund University tillsammans med danske sjukhus och Köpenhamns Universitet. Instrumentet kan användas kliniskt, men användare bör tolka domänspecifika resultat försiktigt tills ytterligare validering genomförts.

Märkena överskrider allt oftare traditionella gränser och skapar komplexa samhälleliga relationer — en utveckling som kräver ny förklaringsmodell för ledare som hanterar varumärkesrisker och strategisk positionering. Kristijan Petkoski vid Lunds universitet genomför en meta-teoretisk analys av fyra kommunikationsmodeller för varumärkesbyggande. Han visar att dagens varumärken fungerar som kommunikationssystem som naturligt överskrider gränser mellan marknader, kundsegment och organisatoriska sfärer — inte som aberrationer utan som systemiska egenskaper. Studien framhåller att gränsöverskriding är ingen tillfällighet utan en inneboende del av hur varumärken kommunicerar och bygger relationer. Detta har direkt betydelse för leverantörsval, varumärkespositionering och riskhantering. Företag måste förstå dessa transgressive mekanismer för att navigera gränsöverskridande strategier utan att destabilisera sina varumärkesekosystem. Lämplig förståelse minskar oförutsedda effekter vid expansion och nya samarbeten.

Recruiters and job seekers perceive artificially generated job advertisements as equally effective and informative as those written by humans, according to experimental research across three studies. The finding suggests companies can safely automate job ad creation without sacrificing candidate quality or perception—a potential efficiency gain for HR departments managing high hiring volumes.EN

A new study of Sweden's shift back to 'total defence' planning shows that defence markets are fundamentally political constructs shaped by state-firm relationships, not neutral economic spaces. The finding matters because it reveals how governments worldwide can leverage private sector partnerships to transform entire industries during security crises.EN

Researchers reviewed 46 studies on automated bug classification and found companies are deploying machine learning and AI models without sufficient input from actual developers or validation in production environments. The gap matters: tools optimized for accuracy alone may fail in practice due to poor explainability and weak generalization across different codebases.EN

New research shows that treating climate and air quality as separate problems leaves half of China's cities stuck in poor environmental performance. The study identifies data sharing and smart regulation as levers that unlock synergies—a finding with implications for how developed economies structure their own green mandates.EN

A new analysis of widely-cited research reveals flawed methodology that overstates cognitive differences between professional and amateur soccer players. The finding matters because it highlights how machine learning models can appear to detect meaningful patterns in data when none actually exist—a cautionary tale for companies using AI to screen job candidates or talent.EN

A new study distinguishes between two types of unhelpful workplace support and finds that truly dysfunctional help—particularly from supervisors—triggers turnover intentions more powerfully than generic social support prevents it. The finding suggests companies should train managers on how to offer support without undermining employee confidence, since poorly executed help can backfire harder than no help at all.EN

A new study of 368 tech startups reveals that founders balancing two competing motivations—say, profit-seeking and social mission—produce more radical innovations than those driven by a single focus. The finding challenges conventional wisdom that clarity of purpose drives success, suggesting instead that strategic identity conflicts can fuel breakthrough products.EN

A new framework shows that businesses can combine two approaches—one that limits consumption and another that restores ecosystems—but only if they abandon growth-at-all-costs thinking. The study reveals why most companies fail at real sustainability: they try to bolt green practices onto traditional profit models, which doesn't work.EN

A new study pinpoints what actually moves consumers toward sustainable purchases: climate anxiety, religious values, and environmental knowledge work together to shift behavior. For retailers and brands, the finding suggests that messaging about climate urgency—combined with appeals to deeper values—may be more effective than traditional green marketing.EN

Researchers have adapted a Swedish innovation assessment framework for Brazilian innovation centers, introducing metrics to evaluate projects beyond just technology readiness. The approach helps decision-makers allocate resources more effectively across innovation portfolios—a critical challenge as emerging economies compete for competitive advantage in the green economy.EN

Companies implementing digital strategies gain efficiency but simultaneously create tensions that threaten partnerships and operational control. A new framework reveals how firms must balance empowerment with organizational friction to successfully transform service networks—critical insight for executives managing complex digital transitions.EN

A decade-long study of industrial manufacturers reveals that the right internal controls—beliefs, boundaries, and performance metrics—help companies pursue sustainable innovations at scale. The findings suggest businesses pursuing environmental and social goals needn't choose between compliance and innovation, though the approach tends to yield incremental rather than breakthrough advances.EN

A new analysis finds that urban living labs—the experimental spaces EU policymakers champion for transport innovation—risk becoming mere extensions of existing systems rather than catalysts for genuine change. When funding and institutional structures predetermine outcomes, these labs may miss breakthrough opportunities that challenge how cities move people.EN

A new study of Sweden's labor market from 1870 to 1930 examines whether technological change elevated workers into higher-skilled jobs or pushed them into lower-wage positions. The findings matter for today's automation debates: they show historical patterns of how economies absorb rapid technological disruption and whether workers benefit or bear the costs.EN

Information systems—from data sharing to real-time tracking—significantly improve how aid organizations and donors collaborate during disaster preparedness, according to new research from Indonesia. The finding matters because humanitarian crises are accelerating worldwide, and better coordination could save lives and stretch limited resources further.EN

A major Swedish healthcare reform designed to boost efficiency through private competition did reduce unmet medical needs overall—but left vulnerable populations further behind. The finding matters for policymakers worldwide betting on market-based healthcare solutions to improve equity, not just efficiency.EN