Viestintä, brändi ja markkinointi

• The boundaries of the exercise of public authority and legal liability
• The legal protection of clients in public administration, as well as fundamental and human rights in a changing world and society. We examine these themes, for example, in the context of artificial intelligence and Europeanisation. A central part of our thematic focus also addresses vulnerable groups and the field of welfare law.
• Interaction between public action and the market
• Special issues in security law, including cybersecurity, organisations’ security practices and security services
• International and EU energy law and regulation

In Public Law, we utilise typical legal research methods, such as doctrinal legal analysis and legal theory. We also have a long-standing tradition of comparative law, particularly within the Nordic context, and moreover several of our researchers possess specialised expertise in empirical legal research.

We work in close collaboration with several ministries, public authorities, courts, and both domestic and international universities and research institutes.Parliamentary Committees regularly call on our researchers for expert hearings. The collaboration is also interdisciplinary in nature.

Our partners include, for example, Nordiska Administrativa Förbundet (NAF), National Advisory Board on Civil Service Ethics, Association for European law, Public Procurement Association, Finnish Association for the Philosophy of Law (SOFY) expert network for elderly law (VAASI), Finnish and Nordic research networks for social law, Institute for Education Law (IfU, Uppsala university) . In the field of energy law the key partner are the Institute for Energy Law at the Centre for American and International Law, the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (FNREL), and the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN) as well as Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE)), and the Ministry of Investment / Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) in Indonesia.  

In the field of security law, criminology, risk governance, resilience and standardisation our key partners are the Centre de Recherche sur la Justice Pénale et Pénitentiaire (CRJ2P) research group and the Institut Fédératif de Recherche sur les Transitions Juridiques (IFTJ) at the Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour as well as the Finnish Standards Association (SFS).

• Effective governance and evidence-informed policymaking: we study value-based healthcare, performance management and the use of knowledge in public policies, strategies, and management models. Our research focuses on the mechanisms and processes through which wellbeing services counties and other multi-actor organisations can promote effective, evidence-informed action and societal impact.
• Systemic transformation: we analyze societal change, its governance and inherent tensions within. Our work addresses themes such as public sector reforms, sustainability and democracy transitions, resilience, comprehensive security and preparedness.
• Public value creation and collaborative governance: we explore the dynamics of public service ecosystems and value co-creation, with a particular focus on citizen and client engagement in the design and delivery of services. Key interests include the interfaces among wellbeing services counties and municipalities, as well as relation between citizen participation and democracy.
• Managing wicked problems: we approach complex societal challenges through the lenses of complexity theory, systems thinking, and network governance. Our research examines the dynamics among administrative domains, policy sectors and governance levels within anticipatory governance.

Our team applies a diverse and multi-methodological approaches, with a strong emphasis on qualitative research. We employ, for example, frame analysis, network analysis, argumentation and discourse analysis to interpret complex phenomena. Our work includes conceptual, applied, and comparative research. We also utilize participatory research methods such as observation, eDelphi, participatory systems mapping, and workshops that support co-creation and rich knowledge production.

Our key partners include Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia, Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), several ministries, and the City of Vaasa. We regularly collaborate with Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences, and international universities.

The central research themes in public management include:

• Transformation of public governance: We study public governance, administrative reforms, the digital transformation, and the intersections of these themes. This includes examining the emergence and use of governance paradigms and the management of digital technologies and digital transformation processes.
• Governance of complex systems: We explore human behavior and decision-making particularly in public services and service systems. Understanding and managing complex systems enables more effective responses to contemporary societal challenges.
• Managing and governing sustainability: We study the sustainability transformation of public organizations as a multidimensional issue of governance and management, focusing particularly on strategic, financial, human and data-driven approaches to sustainability, as well as sustainable management practices.
• Paradoxes in public management: We examine how organizational paradoxes, tensions and conflicts are managed and leveraged in the governance of public organizations. Managing paradoxes requires interpretive and action-oriented practices that make seemingly contradictory goals achievable simultaneously.
   

We primarily apply qualitative research methods, such as case studies, discourse analysis, document analyses, surveys and interviews, to develop and refine existing theories and theoretical frameworks. Our expertise also includes comparative methodologies. We employ phenomenon-driven, multidisciplinary, and participatory and narrative research methods. We possess strong expertise in conducting literature reviews, including systematic and problematization reviews.

We collaborate closely with public sector organizations at the local, regional, national, and international levels, as well as with national and international universities and research institutes. 

We participate in research, development, and evaluation projects together with ministries, municipalities, and government agencies in Finland and abroad. In addition, we work with international research groups and practitioner networks, particularly on themes related to public governance, sustainability transformation, and evidence-informed decision-making. We maintain strong engagement with international and national scholarly communities in public administration and public management, including the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM), Nordic Academy of Management (NFF), European Network for Public Administration (ENPA), European Group for Public Administration (EGPA), Innovation in Public Management and Public Policy Community (PUBSIC), the International Forum of Knowledge Asset Dynamics (IFKAD) and Hallinnon ja kuntatutkimuksen tiedepäivät. We also serve in editorial roles in international academic journals, such as European Management Journal, Information Polity, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Public Management Review, Public Money & Management, Public Performance & Management Review, Public Policy & Administration and Review of Public Personnel Administration.