Accounting Research Group
Keywords: accountability; governance; corporate social reporting and sustainability; zero carbon emissions; cash-flow accounting; performance management; and public-private partnerships; COVID-19 and its impact on Health in Turkey and Education and Food Supply Chain in Estonia
The accounting group is active in a number of related research fields, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The group focuses on the roles of accounting in significant current economic, social and political issues facing our society such as climate change, Covid-19 pandemic, Security of Food Supply Chains, Carbon emissions. The key research themes the group focuses on are accountability, governance, sustainability and control, which are in line with the university’s research priority areas of Future Governance. The research is multi- and interdisciplinary, and uses critical research methods to explore some of the above research themes. The group has active and growing links with professional accounting institutions both in Estonia and worldwide and is also actively consulting Estonian government institutions (Ministries of Finance, Defence etc.) on their strategic development and training programmes of their members.
He has extensive international teaching experience at postgraduate level and on executive courses. He teaches mainly Advanced Management Accounting, International Financial Management and Public Sector Accounting courses. On executive and post- graduate courses, he teaches Financial and Management Accounting for Decision Making.
His research interests are in accountability and good governance, performance management, implementation of public policy and its unexpected consequences. More recently he has been exploring the role of accounting in controlling hybrid organisations, using political economy framework to analyse some of above key themes, using critical methodologies with the aim of understanding power related issues in strategic and management control in organisations.
Professor Demirag was an Associate Editor of The European Journal of Finance from 2000 to 2013 and was also one of the Associate Editors of Accounting Forum for almost ten years. He currently serves as an Associate Editor of Quarterly Journal of Finance and Accounting (QJFA) and as ad- hoc reviewer of several leading management and accounting journals. He initiated, organised and contributed to the European Accounting Association’s (EAA) funded research methodology seminars entitled “Early Career Academics’ Research Development Program” designed for developing research skills of accounting lecturers from the Eastern European countries.
He raised and/or contributed to research funding approximately £1 million from leading research councils including Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), ESRC, European Union, SERC, ICAS and the World Bank.
Professor Demirag published consistently at an outstanding level, some in “A” ranked international Accounting and Management journals including: Accounting and Business Research (ABR); Journal of Business Finance and Accounting (JBFA); International Journal of Accounting (IJA); British Accounting Review (BAR); Public Administration (PA); European Journal of Finance (EJF); British Journal of Management (BJM); Journal of Management and Governance (JMG); Financial Accountability and Management (FAM); Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal (AAAJ); Public Money and Management (PMM); Accounting Forum (AF); Critical Perspectives on Accounting (CPA); Accounting Review (AR); Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) and Public Management Review (PMR). He published over one hundred refereed and professional journal articles and edited, authored and/or coauthored six books.
ETIS
Mari Avarmaa is a Senior Lecturer and the dean of TalTech School of Business and Governance.
Tarmo Kadak is an Associate Professor and Manager of Studies.
Natalie Gurvitš-Suits is a Senior Lecturer.
Paavo Siimann is a Senior Lecturer.
Levani Bzhalava is a Postdoctoral Researcher.
Vaiva Kiaupaite-Grušniene is a Senior Lecturer.
Dmitri Zdobnõh is a Lecturer.
Hla Thel Phyu is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Anna Litvinenko is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Hla Thel Phyu. Financial disclosure and Financial accountability in Hybrid Organizations (principal supervisor Istemi Demirag, co-supervisor Natalie Gurvitš-Suits)
Anna Litvinenko. AI in Credit Risk Management Processes (principal supervisor Mari Avarmaa, co-supervisor Mari-Klara Stein)
Entrepreneurship Research Group
Keywords: entrepreneurship education; entrepreneurial competencies; entrepreneurial growth; knowledge management; knowledge risk management, risk management, internationalization of entrepreneurial organizations; rural entrepreneurship; innovation management; social entrepreneurship; ecosystems (including entrepreneurial ecosystem and university ecosystem); responsible digitalization and sustainable business development; resilient organizations
The entrepreneurship research group brings together academic scholars from diverse backgrounds to investigate how new and established entrepreneurial firms develop and apply their entrepreneurial competencies and organisational knowledge in their quest to apply present and future business opportunities in a sustainable way.
Mission
The group’s research efforts focus on value creation through responsible entrepreneurship, i.e., value creation through development and applying one’s competencies and organisational knowledge with sustainability as a key factor. In this light, the mission of the research group extends from education to entrepreneurial individuals to entrepreneurial teams and to other forms of entrepreneurial organisation. The advancement of the study of entrepreneurship education is an important focus of research, with the idea that entrepreneurial education should begin in the early stages of an individual’s higher education at the latest.
The ways in which small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can achieve sustainable growth from both domestic and international markets form the core of the research group’s focus. The roles of business transfers, knowledge management, crisis management, business model innovation, digitalisation, creativity and innovation, and knowledge and innovation ecosystems that facilitate growth and internationalisation of SMEs are of particular interest.
In all its activities, the research group encourages research on how responsibility and digital business transformation can drive entrepreneurship research at national and international level, and across the two.
Research efforts aim at working with entrepreneurial and future-oriented minds to nurture and sustain entrepreneurship ecosystem where knowledge and innovative methods and approaches are transferred smoothly and successfully across the research field and society.
The group’s activities contribute to the different forms of entrepreneurship relevant for Estonia, the Baltic region, and the European Union and is supported by several contracts and funding from different sources. By being involved in national and international networks of different kinds, the group’s activities can make an impact on present and upcoming societal challenges. Regarding entrepreneurship education, the aim is to increase the employability of graduates in the labour market but also to increase entrepreneurship and new venture creation.
The research provides a thorough and up-to-date look into:
- Start-up and business transfer through sustainable growth from small- or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Entrepreneurship education
- Business Models Innovation
- Knowledge management and crisis management
- Internationalisation of entrepreneurial firms
- Redesign of the entrepreneurship perspective in the case of unexpected events in the environment
Aki Harima is an Associate Professor in the Entrepreneurship and International Business Unit. From 2013 to 2024, Aki served as a research associate at the Chair of Small Business and Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Business Studies and Economics at the University of Bremen in Germany. During this time, she co-initiated and organized the International Conference on Migration and Diaspora Entrepreneurship. Aki has been an active member of the Editorial Review Board of Entrepreneurship & Regional Development since 2023. Her primary research interests include investigating entrepreneurial ecosystems, transnational entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship support mechanisms, and entrepreneurship education. In recent years, Aki has focused her research on the entrepreneurial potential of refugees in various contexts, such as Syrian refugees in Europe, Ukrainian refugees in Eastern Europe, and Somali refugees in Western East Africa. Additionally, she has dedicated her efforts to examining the early evolution of regional ecosystems in different countries, including Chile, Namibia, and Estonia. Aki's international teaching experiences span across Germany, the UK, Namibia, South Africa, and Mexico. Notably, she was honoured with the Berninghausen Prize for Excellent Teaching and Innovation, Germany's oldest teaching prize.
Sirje Ustav is a Senior Lecturer and Manager of Studies.
Urve Venesaar is a Professor Emeritus.
Juhan Teder is an Associate Professor.
Airi Noppel is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Basel Hammoda is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Ekaterina Demiankova is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Elisabeth Kraut is a PhD student.
Jana Budkovskaja is a PhD student.
Yurii Radchenko is a PhD student.
Tommaso Aguzzi is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher at the Department of Law.
Talshyn Tokyzhanova is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher at the Department of Law.
Jaime Joel Rodriguez Santiago is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Tommaso Aguzzi. Ethics, principles, state vs. individual morality, and the construction of new or diverging moralities in EU eastern neighbours (principal supervisor Susanne Durst, co-supervisors Abel Polese and Rodica Ianole-Calin)
Basel Hammoda. The role of digital technology in changing our knowledge utilisation for an accelerated development of innovate and entrepreneurial skills and ventures (supervisor Susanne Durst)
Airi Noppel. Developing the entrepreneurial approach of teaching in higher education (supervisor Sirje Ustav)
Yurii Radchenko. Sustainable organizational development of small non-profit organizations (supervisor Susanne Durst)
Elisabeth Kraut. Innovation and Circular Economy (supervisor Susanne Durst)
Jana Budkovskaja. ESG politics as facilitator of venture creation (principal supervisor Susanne Durst, co-supervisor Jelena Gorbatšova)
Velli Parts. Entrepreneurial personality from (sub)clinical perspective (principal supervisor Susanne Durst, co-supervisor Karin Reinhold)
Ekaterina Demiankova. Entrepreneurship eco-system – who are the enablers, acting in between the policies and action. The role, motivation and expertise (principal supervisor Sirje Ustav, co-supervisor Susanne Durst)
Jaime Joel Rodriguez Santiago (supervisor Aki Harima)
Marketing Research Group
Keywords: customer experience; service marketing; urban studies; customer and stakeholder engagement; customer journey; stakeholder journey
Research within the group spans four separate sets of projects, which are closely aligned with novel learning and teaching. Consumption is a significant topic incorporating consumer behaviour theorisations with a focus on the consumer/customer experience, consumer journeys, cosmopolitanism, consumer ethnocentrism, ethical and sustainable consumption. Work on experience service design complements investigations into the digital divide and ageism in marketing. The sub-stream of service design is focused around the new dLab initiative, building upon existing and forging new collaborations, including through the collaborative Service Design Conference. In services and relationship marketing, the investigations focus on customer service-related engagement, digital value co-creation, disciplining and compliance-based interactions between providers and consumers. Empirical and conceptual studies from all four sub-streams of this research area have appeared in top journals in the area. The topic is led by Professor L. Hollebeek. Critical examinations of customer-provider relationships, service provision, recovery management, and customer engagement have produced new, state-of-the-art theories complementing research on the stakeholders’ interplay in service/product innovation. The sub-stream of service design is focused on the new d.Lab initiative, building upon existing and forging new collaborations. Urban and residential research stream focuses on transforming urban realities conceived within the interplay of socio-economic, cultural and spatial-material processes, as well as within the reciprocity of individual and institutional strategies. The interdisciplinary perspective introduced in the analysis of processes observed in residential and public spaces incorporates theoretical and methodological approaches applied in sociological, architectural, planning and business studies. The latest research projects encompass inquiries of, for example, residents’ and property owners’ expectations towards sustainable development of heritage space in Tallinn Old Town, or formation of citizens’ (incl. youth) preferences and choices at urban residential markets, including private rental markets.
Linda Hollebeek is an Adjunct Professor.
Volker Kuppelwieser is a Visiting Professor.
Jana Kukk is a Senior Lecturer.
Liis Ojamäe is an Associate Professor.
Oliver Parts is an Associate Professor.
Katrin Paadam is a Researcher and Professor Emeritus.
René Arvola is a Senior Lecturer.
Kristel Kaljund is a Lecturer.
Eliis Salm is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Helen Vaikma is a PhD student.
Airi Freimuth is a PhD student and Visiting Lecturer.
Huma Ittefaq is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Helen Vaikma. Consumer-driven product development of plant-based dairy alternatives (principal supervisor René Arvola, co-supervisor Sirli Rosenvald)
Airi Freimuth. Customer engagement in service/product innovation: the stakeholders’ interplay (principal supervisor Linda Hollebeek, co-supervisor Iivi Riivits-Arkonsuo)
Huma Ittefaq. Three-wave longitudinal study of green consumerism in Estonian green consumers to foster booking intentions and affective commitment for sharing accommodations: persuasive roles of receptivity of green communications and social influence (supervisor Volker Kuppelwieser)
Eliis Salm. The Role of Sustainability in Consumer Decision Making (supervisor Volker Kuppelwieser)
Organisation and Management Research Group
Keywords: leadership; well-being; responsible and ethical organizational development; leader-follower relationship; strategic management; knowledge and innovation management; risk management; HRM; change management; occupational health; organizational psychology; occupational safety and risks; future of work and digital transformation
The research group is active in a number of research fields related to organisation and management, using different theoretical lenses and research methods. The primary research interests can be grouped under leadership, future of work, well-being and responsible, ethical organizational development and sustainable management. The group collaborates with a number of internationally renowned researchers working within the confines of organization and management, future of work, occupational safety and related research areas. The purpose of the group is to extend the scientific body of knowledge concerning the related fields of organization and management and to contribute to practice, by presenting opportunities and challenges confronting Estonian organizations and beyond. The overall interest of the group is to investigate how organizations transform their knowledge and access to new digital solutions into innovative outputs to achieve and maintain sustainable business development. The group members have a broad portfolio of expertise gained from working with a variety of national and international private and public organizations. The aim is to take advantage of it and use this expertise to develop it further for the greater good.
Mari-Klara Stein is a professor at the Department of Business Administration, TalTech and an associate professor at the Department of Digitalization, Copenhagen Business School. Mari holds a doctoral degree from Bentley University (USA). Her research is focused on digital transformation of work. She has published her work in top management and IS journals (e.g., MIS Quarterly, Journal of Management Studies). Mari is the recipient of the European Research Paper of the Year award from CIONET, as well as the recipient of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Early Career Award. Mari is currently serving as AE at MIS Quarterly and as SE at Information & Organization.
Karin Reinhold is an Associate Professor.
Marina Järvis is an Assistant Professor.
Mike Wahl is an Associate Professor and Manager of Studies.
Merle Ojasoo is an Associate Professor.
Aive Pevkur is a Senior Lecturer.
Liina Randmann is an Associate Professor and Programme Director.
Maris Zernand-Vilson is a Senior Lecturer.
Marge Sassi is a Senior Lecturer.
Tarmo Koppel is a Lecturer.
Tiiu Kamdron is a Lecturer.
Velli Parts is a PhD student and Lecturer.
Piia Tint is a Professor Emeritus.
Ebru Metin is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Artur Toikka is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Amit Gupta is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Anna Litvinenko is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Mari-Liis Ivask is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Akaki Tartarashvili is a PhD student.
Mari Kurashvili is a PhD student.
Olga Tšernikova is a PhD student.
Maria Kütt is a PhD student.
Rusudan Tsiskaridze is a PhD student.
Kaspar Roost is an Industrial PhD student.
Ljudmila Linnik is an Industrial PhD student.
Mari Kurashvili. Assessment of ageing health management in healthcare: ways to increase wellbeing and sustainability (principal supervisor Karin Reinhold, co-supervisor Marina Järvis)
Velli Parts. Entrepreneurial personality from (sub)clinical perspective (principal supervisor Susanne Durst, co-supervisor Karin Reinhold)
Rusudan Tsiskaridze. The implication of Artificial Intelligence solutions in organizations (principal supervisor Karin Reinhold, co-supervisor Marina Järvis)
Olga Tšernikova. Evaluation of employee productivity (supervisor Tarmo Koppel)
Maria Kütt. Situational Human Resource Management: Context and Practices (principal supervisor Mike Franz Wahl, co-supervisor Divya Shukla)
Ebru Metin. Accountability and the governance of digital and automated management of dispute resolution (principal supervisor Mari-Klara Stein, co-supervisor Tanel Kerikmäe)
Kaspar Roost. Change management for raising design maturity in organisations (supervisor Mari-Klara Stein)
Akaki Tartarashvili. Monetization of the video gaming industry: the ways to reduce player vulnerability (principal supervisor Mari-Klara Stein, co-supervisor Merle Ojasoo)
Artur Toikka. Exploring the Future of Work: Implications for Society and the Labor Market (supervisor Mari-Klara Stein)
Amit Gupta. Uncovering ESG Criteria: Meeting Stakeholders' Expectations in Strategic Management (principal supervisor Karin Reinhold, co-supervisor Merle Ojasoo)
Ljudmila Linnik. Ohutuskultuuri juhtimise erinevate aspektide eristamine - strateegiline juhtimise lähenemisviis tervishoiuorganisatsiooni patsientide ja töötajate ohutuseks (principal supervisor Karin Reinhold, co-supervisor Jaana Sepp)
Anna Litvinenko. AI in Credit Risk Management Processes (principal supervisor Mari Avarmaa, co-supervisor Mari-Klara Stein)
Mari-Liis Ivask. Enhancing Workforce Resilience: Exploring Organizational Factors and Psychosocial Risk Management Strategies (principal supervisor Karin Reinhold, co-supervisor Marina Järvis)
Sustainable Value Chain Management Research Group
Keywords: sustainable business development; operations management; sustainable innovation; environmental economics; green economy; smart supply chain management; organizational learning; data science
Sustainable value chain management deals with tasks and processes aiming at preparing and supporting the implementation of growth opportunities and innovations within the constraints of a firm’s strategy. Thus, sustainable value chain management is focused on preparing, planning, implementing and evaluating a continuous stream of potential innovations. The research group investigates potential growth and innovation opportunities within and between organizations by using interdisciplinary approaches from business, sustainability management (e.g. “Circular Economy”) and environmental economics, operations and innovation management, engineering, IT, design and social sciences in the context of the European agenda for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Consequently, the research group deals with innovations and growth opportunities in the areas of digitalization, smart production and Industry 4.0, Big Data, strategic alliances and networks as well as industrial strategy and competitiveness studies. The research work usually takes place in the framework of European and/or national projects and in the context of the university–business cooperation.
Wolfgang Gerstlberger is a professor of operations management and the Head of the Sustainable Value Chain Management Unit at the Department of Business Administration since 2019.
He received his doctorate (Rer. Pol.) from the University of Kassel in Germany in 1998 and his habilitation in General Business Administration from the same university in 2004. Prior to TalTech, he was a professor of innovation management at the University of Southern Denmark for more than ten years.
His current research focuses on sustainable operations and innovation management, digital transformation of enterprises (e.g. "Industry 4.0"), innovation systems and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
Tarmo Kalvet is an Adjunct Professor.
Gunnar Prause is an Adjunct Professor.
Merle Küttim is an Assistant Professor.
Üllas Ehrlich is an Associate Professor.
Marek Tiits is a Senior Researcher.
Tarvo Niine is an Associate Professor and Programme Director.
Jelena Hartšenko is a Lecturer.
Ulrika Hurt is a Lecturer.
Georgi Hrenov is a Postdoctoral Researcher.
Heleri Tasane is a Postdoctoral Researcher.
Chahinez Ounoughi is a Postdoctoral Researcher.
Margit Kull is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Arseni Kotov is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Tarlan Ahmadov is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Vera Gerasimova is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Mihhail Kirejev is a PhD student.
Narmin Eynizada is a PhD student and Early Stage Researcher.
Tarmo Tuisk is a Project Specialist.
Jaana Merisaar is a Project Specialist.
Mihhail Kirejev. Implementation of the smart mobility concept in smart city model: Applying a holistic approach on the example of Tallinn (principal supervisor Wolfgang Gerstlberger, co-supervisors Tarvo Niine ja Enno Lend)
Tarlan Ahmadov. Solving Sustainability: data, digital technologies, innovation and knowledge management (principal supervisor Wolfgang Gerstlberger, co-supervisor Susanne Durst)
Vera Gerasimova. Service design models for sustainable business development (supervisor Gunnar Prause)
Tiina Viin. Economic valuation of Ecosystem Services in Estonia: Case Study of Protected Biological Species (supervisor Üllas Ehrlich)
Margit Kull. Potential cooperation between companies and the state as well as state agencies to support bottom-up industrial symbiosis in Estonia (supervisor Wolfgang Gerstlberger)
Arseni Kotov. Blending open innovation and circular economy models (principal supervisor Wolfgang Gerstlberger, co-supervisor Merle Küttim)
Narmin Eynizada. Research and Development of Novel Applications for Community and Small-Scale Energy Systems (principal supervisor Wolfgang Gerstlberger, co-supervisor Tarmo Korõtko)