Meet Emma Lappi
Emma is a new assistant professor at the department. You can read more about her work areas, professional background, hobbies and more here.
Why did you choose to work at BTECH?
I really appreciate the interdisciplinary spirit of the department, and how it is not only stated as a strategy or goal, but implemented in practice. At the department, you are allowed to have a research identity based on a discipline, while working on issues and projects that may extend beyond that discipline. This openness is rare to find in academic institutions. In my short interactions with colleagues at the department so far, I’ve found that people are genuinely nice and lovely, something that I don’t take for granted and truly value in a working environment.
What is your area of work?
My research focuses on issues generally related to entrepreneurship. As entrepreneurship is a multifaceted phenomenon, it is the perfect example of where multidisciplinary research is both warranted and appropriate. I am interested in understanding why individuals start firms, what makes entrepreneurs succeed and how we can understand the impact of entrepreneurial experience, even after individuals are no longer engaged in business ownership. In my work, I look at both individual and firm-level outcomes and use quantitative methods to answer my research questions. As some of my work focuses on the sources of productivity improvements, I have also worked on providing the Swedish government policy-related advice on the state of the productivity stagnation/decline in Sweden. One of my core values is to make an impact and to discuss my research with various stakeholders, both inside and outside of the academic milieu.
What is your background?
My entire education has been within the field of economics, and I defended my PhD dissertation from Jönköping International Business School in June 2020 – yes, right in the middle of the pandemic. And yes, I did organize a semi-big party despite it all. During my studies, I have also visited schools such as St. Gallen in Switzerland, Indiana University in the US, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, George Mason University in the US, and generally travelled quite extensively. The past three years, I have been a postdoc at the Department of Strategy and Innovation at Copenhagen Business School.
Would you like to tell a bit about yourself, your family and your hobbies?
When people ask where I am from, I usually just say the Nordics to keep things simple. Originally, I was raised in Helsinki, Finland, and I moved to Sweden at the age of 20. I spent the next 10 years there pursuing my education before eventually moving to Denmark. I have a partner who enjoys sports as much as I do but is a far better cook than me – and unfortunately outperforms me in math. I run a lot, and my secret plan is to start a running club at AU Herning. Even if I am of Finnish origin, I am very chatty and enjoy going to concerts, sports events and beer or wine tastings (or the like).