Työryhmälle 50 900 euroa tutkimushankkeelle

The research project “How to renew and transform media companies in the age of radical uncertainty: Cross-national multi-case study on news media companies’ renewal capability in Finland, Japan, and South Korea” focuses on the renewal capability of media organizations by collecting and analyzing cross-national comparative empirical material in Finland, Japan, and South Korea about media managers’ and workers’ perceptions of the digital transition and evolution of the news media industry. The project will cover the following research questions: How do media companies transform in volatile, disruptive, and uncertain times? What characterizes their renewal and innovation capabilities in digital transition? What are the most critical barriers to radical renewal in media companies? What capabilities, skills, and management models are required for radical renewal and transformation in media organizations of the future? The project also conducts a longitudinal study comparing the findings from a research project carried out in 2013–14, when Mikko Villi and his colleagues in Japan collected data by interviewing media managers in leading newspapers in Japan, South Korea, and Finland.

As the media environment has changed drastically since then due to digitalization and emerging technologies (such as AI), it is highly advantageous to implement this follow-up study examining the progress of digital transition in media companies and journalism in general. The project team comprises Associate Professor (Docent) Nando Malmelin and Professor Mikko Villi. The research will be carried out in international collaboration with Professors Kaori Hayashi and Joo-Young Jung who are based in Japan. The research project will have broad implications and a practical impact on the renewal capability of media organizations in Finland and internationally. The project contributes academically to the research traditions of media management and media business research, as well as journalism and media studies. The results of the project will be disseminated in various publications and forums.