7.2.2023

Ilona M Oy:lle 30 300 euroa tutkimustukea

Media-alan tutkimussäätiö myönsi 2.2.2023 Ilona M Oy:lle 30 300 euroa tutkimustukea hankkeelle ”Newsroom Managers – leading or resisting the change?”.

This study adds to the body of existing research on management in the media industry in terms of exploring media leaders’ resistance to change. It is a study on Finnish news media managers’ attitudes and behaviour towards innovation in the newsroom.

The prevalent research has shown that there is lots of reluctance to change in the media industry. Because managers have organizational authority, their role is essential for innovation to take place. The upper echelons theory links distinct traits of executives to company performance, stating that the values of managers and their backgrounds can predict organizational outcomes.

An online survey will be conducted in two rounds in Finland in spring 2023. It will be sent to the news media managers. The web-based survey covers views on organizational development (sustainable development as a special topic), perceived time spent on various tasks, work-life balance, development of skills and training, methods for working with technology and innovation, beliefs about the future of the media, the managers themselves, and their perceptions about their future role in the organization.

The overall picture is supported by a descriptive analysis of the state of innovation management in one single actor – Sanomalehti Karjalainen – six years after the start of the change process towards digitalization. This is examined through previous analysis of the digital transition (funded by Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland), an online survey with the newspaper’s editorial staff and half-structured interviews with the management.

The findings shed new light on the current conditions for strategic decision making and explore how internal management arrangements can promote or constrain organizational innovation. Concrete study gives a concrete basis for vivid discussion on the topic that many in the field are aware and struggle with but don’t talk about publicly.