Satu Teerikangas
Professor, Management and Organization
satu.teerikangas@utu.fi +358 29 450 3599 +358 40 706 5985 Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 Turku Office: 4th floor, shared offices Offices 4.25-4.28 are shared offices for M&O faculty. |
Leadership for sustainability; Biodiversity and business; Sustainability agency; Change agency; Mergers and acquisitions; Post-merger integration; Cultural change in M&A; Qualitative research; Grounded theory
Dr Sc (Eng) Satu Teerikangas is Professor of Management and Organization at Turku School of Economics as well as Honorary Professor at University College London. Satu bears a cosmopolitan background cutting across three continents. Before an academic career, Satu worked with Shell in the Netherlands and the UK in management consulting and HR roles. After defending her PhD at Aalto University in 2006, Satu was Assistant Professor, before she was tenured to Associate Professor in Management at the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London.
In 2021-2026, she is co-leading the Strategic Research Council funded research project BIODIFUL - Biodiversity respectful leadership, while also involved as one of the co-PIs in the Finnish Academy's Profilation 6 (2021-2026)-funded BIODIFORM consortium connecting Biodiversity & business in an interdisciplinary setting across University of Turku. In parallel, Satu is responsible for the work package on Ecosystems & Agency in the Finnish Academy's Strategic Research Council funded project CICAT2025 - Accelerating transitions toward circular economy 2019-2023. Previously, she has been responsible for the Work Environment Fund funded research project TYÖ2 studying colleagueship 2018-2019, the Turku City's Strategic Urban Development Program funded research project on Urban Strategic Planning 2018-2019.
Satu’s research centers on the management of strategic change, a research theme set at the frontiers of strategic management, organization theory and organization development. Her focus in the study of strategic change centers on the management of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and sustainability transitions. Within this remit, Satu’s empirical and conceptual contributions relate to the sociocultural dynamics of strategic change, change agents, and research methods. She has authored over 120 publications, including academic articles, special issues, books, book chapters, managerial articles and international conference papers. Her international academic journal publications appear in e.g. Journal of Management, British Journal of Management, Human Resource Management, International Business Review, European Management Review, European Journal of Management, Management International Review, and Sustainability.
As an academic, her approach to scientific inquiry is collaborative and interdisciplinary. She is lead editor of the Research Handbook of Sustainability Agency (2021) published by Edward Elgar, and co-editor of the Handbook of Mergers and Acquisitions (2012) published by Oxford University Press. She presently co-edits special issues in International Journal of Project Management, European Management Journal, and Sustainability, while she has published special issues in Scandinavian Journal of Management, and European Journal of International Management. Together with international colleagues, she initiated and chaired the M&A track at the annual conference of the European Academy of Management (2008-2014), and regularly co-chairs the M&A track at the annual conference of the European Group of Organization Studies. She is member of the editorial review boards of Journal of Management Studies, International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, and section editor of Sustainability. In 2014, she was awarded the Emerald Publishing Outstanding Contributor Award, while she has also received reviewer and international conference best paper awards. Her review of the cultural challenges in M&As featured in Forbes (2016). Her research has featured on BBC Radio4, Sweden's radio, and various Finnish media outlets. In 2020, she received the societal impact award of Turku School of Economics.
Satu’s research engagement is closely tied to industry and the daily practice of work, in particular as regards Nordic multinationals and public sector organizations. She is principal investigator in research project grants awarded e.g. the Finnish Academy's Strategic Research Council 2019-2021, by the Finnish Work Environment Fund 2018-19, Mercuri Urval Global, City of Turku 2018-2019, and co-investigator in research project grants previously awarded e.g. by the Finnish National Technology Agency, and Finnish Ministry of Education. Paralleling teaching and research engagements, she is actively involved in community service roles at department, faculty and university levels.
In terms of teaching, her experience spans the domain of management and organizations, at undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD, and executive levels. Within this remit, she has instructed courses on organizational management, leadership, the management of change, the management of inter-firm partnerships, international management, and research methods. In terms of highlights, the undergraduate program that she contributed to was voted among the five best undergraduate programs at University College London in 2014, receiving a full 100% satisfaction score in the National Student Satisfaction Survey published by Times Higher Education. In September 2015, the Times Higher Education scored the program the United Kingdom’s best undergraduate program in its disciplinary area. In 2020, she was awarded the executive teacher of the year award by University of Turku's Executive education.
PhD researchers she has co-instructed have graduated from University College London (4), University of Turku (3), Aalto University (1), and Lappeenranta University of Technology (1), many of whom have continued academic careers.
She has acted as external examiner of PhD theses completed at Toulouse U & Macquarie U (2023), Aalto U (2021, 2023), Vaasa U & Liverpool U (2021), Uppsala U (2018), HEC Montréal (2017), Oxford Brookes U (2015), University College London (2011, 2013, 2019, 2023), University of London (2012), Swedish School of Economics in Helsinki (2012).
She currently is responsible teacher on the following courses:
- JOS4 Managing Change
- JOS9C Readings in Strategic Management (independent study)
- JOS14 Advanced Course on Identification of Sustainable Practices (with Planet Company)
- JOS15 Contemporary Issues in Sustainable Business (independent study)
- JOJ14 Advanced Readings in Management & Organization ((independent study, for PhD students)
- Co-instructor on YLJ7 Qualitative research methods (for PhD students, every 2nd year - next in 2026)
- Co-instructor on UTUGS Leadership in contemporary life (for PhD students)
- EMBA portfolio process
She also teaches on the following courses and programs:
- UTUGS course Qualitative research methods, on grounded theory building
- KATAJA course on Responsible & sustainable business, on sustainability agency
- EMBA, JOKO and executive programs (e.g. Good Academic Leadership programs)
- Motivational Strategies of Circular Economy Companies: Five Case Studies from Finland (2023) The Routledge Companion to Leadership and Change Valkjärvi Mira, Koistinen Katariina, Teerikangas Satu
(B2 Non-refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book) - Respectful and Disrespectful Leadership in the Food Chain
(Conference abstract: Vastuullisen liiketoiminnan tutkimuspäivät 2023) (2023) Turunen Marja, Hakulinen Anna,Teerikangas Satu.
(Other publication) - Strategies of Biodiversity Leadership in the Food Chain
(Conference abstract: Sustainable Science Days 2023) (2023) Turunen Marja, Möksy Juulia, Teerikangas Satu
(Other publication) - Sustainability agency in business: an interdisciplinary review and research agenda (2023) A Research Agenda for Sustainability and Business Onkila Tiina, Teerikangas Satu, Koistinen Katariina, Mäkelä Marileena
(A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book) - Toward A Typology of Circular Economy Agency (2023) The Routledge Handbook of Catalysts for a Sustainable Circular Economy Teerikangas Satu, Onkila Tiina, Koistinen Katariina, Hirvensalo Antero, Korsunova Angelina, Mäkelä Marileena, Sarja Milla, Valkjärvi Mira, Reynolds Noelia-Sarah
(A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book) - Acquired middle managers’ strategy roles and value creation in cross-border acquisitions (2022)
- European Management Journal
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Biodiversiteetti pelastuu johtajuudella (2022)
- BIODIFUL-blogi
(E1 Popularised article) - Bold ambition, blunted agency? Examining top management perspectives on a circular economy transition in Finland (2022)
- Energy Research and Social Science
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Boundary spanning and boundary breaking research in M&A: Taking stock and moving forward to reinvent the field (2022)
- European Management Journal
(B1 Non-refereed article in a scientific journal) - Change Organizations in Planned Change - A Closer Look (2022)
- Journal of Change Management
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Cultural Dynamics in Acquisitions (2022) Acquisitions and Corporate Strategy: Alliances, Performance, and Divestment Teerikangas Satu, Hassett Melanie
(A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book) - Editorial: Managing strategic projects and programs in and between organizations (2022)
- International Journal of Project Management
(B1 Non-refereed article in a scientific journal) - Guest editorial: Best sustainability teaching practices (2022)
- Journal of International Education in Business
(B1 Non-refereed article in a scientific journal) - Hyvinvointia itsemyötätunnolla ja työtä kehittämällä (2022)
- Lääkärilehti
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal ) - In the Service of the Planet - Investigation into Servant Leadership for Sustainability (2022) The Palgrave Handbook of Servant Leadership Koistinen Katariina, Teerikangas Satu, Onkila Tiina
(A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book) - Journal of International Education in Business: Volume 15 Issue 1 (Special Issue: Best sustainability teaching practices) (2022)
- Journal of International Education in Business
(C2 Editorial work for a scientific compilation book) - Kestävä ja uudistuva yhteiskunta (2022) Aarikka-Stenroos Leena, Blomberg A., Heikkinen A., Jokinen A., Kaipainen J., Kokko M., Kujala J., Leinonen H., Marjamaa M., Pohls E., Tapaninaho R., Sihvo-Matikainen L., Henttonen K., Lehtimäki H., Piispanen V.-V., Teerikangas S., Valkjärvi M., Mäkelä M., Onkila T., Harlin Ali, Kataja Kirsi, Sundqvist-Andberg Henna, Åkerman Maria, Bor Sanne, Hakala H., Snellman K., Hämäläinen S., Varho V., Viitala E.-J., Leinonen I., KSonck-Rautio Kirsi, Kauppi S., Jalonen K., Malho M., Alajärvi L., Miettinen M., Ahokas Ira, Hurmerinta L., Lamberg J., Silvonen E., Tapio P., Tuominen Anu, Hakkarainen K., Korhonen T., Lavonen K., Reinius H., Salmela-Aro K., Salo L., Vinni-Laakso J., Hannula-Sormunen M., Lehtinen E., Honkatukia P., Juusola H., Kallio J., Varsaluoma Jari, Ågren S., Mietola R., Suni A., Mustalahti I., Tokola N., Kokko S., Vasankari T., Paloniemi R., Upadyaya K.
(D4 Published development or research report or study ) - Luonnon monimuotoisuutta kunnioittava johtajuus (BIODIFUL): Tilannekuvaraportti (2022) Sääksjärvi Ilari, Teerikangas Satu, Räikkönen Juulia, Unkila Milla
(D4 Published development or research report or study ) - Luontokadon pysäyttäminen kutsuu johtajuuteen: jokaisen panos merkitsee (2022)
- BIODIFUL-blogi
(E1 Popularised article) - Miten ekonomit voivat ratkaista biodiversiteettikriisiä? (2022)
- Turun seudun ekonomit
(D1 Article in a professional journal)