| 07.06.2019

Research projects granted funding by Academy of Finland

Three research projects have been granted funding of about 500 000 euros and 270 000 euros per project from Academy of Finland.

The project Political Action of Corporate Social Responsibility (PAROL), was granted 480 000 euros by Academy of Finland. The project is about campaigns for implementing binding legislation on CSR, in Finland as well as in several other countries, focusing on due diligence regarding human rights in supply chains.

– This research area is of great societal significance given that appalling labour conditions prevail in many companies' extended supply chains and that many initiatives to improve on the situation so far have led to marginal improvements at best. The study will allow us to learn a lot about the political nature of CSR and about the possibility of pro-social political lobby by businesses. Both topics are quite new in the literatures on CSR and corporate political activity, says project leader Frank den Hond.

The project  Cash and/or carry: The challenges and modalities of delivering aid in conflict zones was also granted about 480 000 euros by the Academy of Finland. The project aims to develop a conceptual framework for choosing efficient methods of delivering humanitarian assistance to conflict zones. The project focuses on Ukraine and Syria, and the project is important for finding the optimal way of supporting people under conflict conditions and delivering humanitarian aid to populations in the conflict areas, says project leader Wojciech Piotrowicz, Director of the HUMLOG Institute and Associate Professor in Supply Chain Management and Social Responsibility.

–  Nowadays we have changes in humanitarian logistics, moving from humanitarian support in form of delivering physical goods, such as food and clothing, towards cash based assistance. However, there is a danger at some stage cash-base assistance may not work, so even if the cash is more efficient and more flexible because you don’t need to transport goods across the borders, it may not work. We need to know under what conditions cash is the best option, and under what conditions delivering of the benefits in form of goods is the best option, and also what are the risks associated, says Piotrowicz.

Funding for research project by Assistant Professor

Hanken also received funding for Assistant Professor to be, Man Yang, who was granted funding for her research project Sustainable entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems: A multiple-country study of small open economies. Man Yang was granted about 270 000 euros by the Academy of Finland. She currently works at University of Vaasa, and will start her research project at Hanken in Vaasa next year.

The research funding makes it possible to extend Hanken’s research within important fields like corporate responsibility, says Dean of Research and Innovations Jaakko Aspara.

– We are grateful that the Academy of Finland supports many of our professors and researchers this year.  The funding enables us to increase Hanken research on important themes within corporate responsibility, the role of corporations and entrepreneurs in society and the global environment, for example in humanitarian crises. The funding from the Academy of Finland makes it possible for us to employ more researchers within these themes, and to create deeper collaborations and synergies with the present researchers at Hanken, says Aspara.