Research themes

At Score, we conduct research how society is organized and governed, at different levels and within different settings. To describe and discuss our research, and to structure the ongoing discussions about future multidisciplinary research efforts, we refer to "themes". Our themes are intentionally broad and heterogeneous in nature, allowing different theoretical and methodological approaches. The shared common ground are the research problems we address, and join in multidisciplinary dialogue around.

Photo: Juliana Wiklund

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Theme: Organizing Knowledge

This research theme entails studying different types of knowledge processes, including how knowledge is produced, categorized, evaluated, legitimized and applied. The overall objective is to generate a better understanding of the organization of knowledge production and knowledge use in society.

We conduct research on the processes where-in knowledge is applied, spread, legitimized, and categorized in different settings, for example, in decision-making, advice and strategy development and in evaluation of resources, performance and outcomes. We are also interested in knowledge production in science, public administration and other contexts, primarily focusing on knowledge practices and knowledge cultures. A common focus across all these areas is how knowledge relates to organization in various ways.

We ask the following types of questions: How is knowledge and expertise formalized and codified into rules, standards, advice, strategies, rankings, quantifications and calculations, accounting systems, etc.? Who are the legitimate experts, and what disciplinary background do they have? How is knowledge produced in different contexts, by whom and for what end? 

Photo: Juliana Wiklund

Theme: Rule Setting and Rule Following

Within the theme, we examine how laws, rules and regulatory systems are formed, organized and received by organizations, groups and individuals. The overall aim is to understand the implications of regulation for organizing in society.

We try to understand different regulatory processes such as standardization, certification, accreditation, bureaucratization and soft law. Particular focus is on rules, which unlike laws, do not have mandatory sanctions connected to them. We also study the driving forces and consequences of judicialization including how courts and legal processes are used to achieve different political purposes.

We ask questions such as: How and by whom are rules and regulatory systems created and is there competition between them? How do rule setters achieve legitimacy and authority? What role does regulation play for trust patterns in society? Who controls compliance with rules and how do these auditors establish themselves as credible and "independent"? What sanctions are available and why is some regulation more widespread than other? What characterizes regulation in situations and contexts characterized by great complexity and uncertainty? What are expressions and consequences of 'pragmatic bureaucracy' with its focus on judgment, exceptions and adaptations of rules and systems? What do rules mean for the development of organizational conformity or diversity in society?

Photo: Juliana Wiklund

Theme: Organisation of markets

Within the theme, we examine how markets to organize central societal functions, and how such attempts are implemented, developed, consumed and opposed. The overall aim is to understand the implications of the organisation of markets for society.

We study how market-related ideas enter decision-making processes related to the organization of different areas of society; what the organisers behind such developments do, how they do it, and how consumption is affected in the contexts where market solutions are used. We also develop theory that can explain how the organization of markets affects the development of society

Many actors are involved in the organizations of markets. Some examples are states, companies, international organizations, standardization organizations, lobby organizations, industry associations, and voluntary organizations (including consumers). We examine how these organizations engage in the organization of markets, why they do so and what consequences this has for the functioning of markets society.

We ask questions such as: How and who create assumptions about buyers, sellers, consumption and production? How and who create rules and standards for market exchange? How does the shaping and qualification of environmentally friendly and socially just goods and services take place? How and by whom are markets controlled, represented in media, debate, statistics, tables, and how is this used in decision-making, politics and in communication? How are such things materialized in different types of representations and tools?

Photo: Juliana wiklund

Theme: Democracy, Legitimacy and Power

In this research theme we study how politics and power is formed and legitimized by organization and the democratic consequences of this.

Many organizations take part in the shaping of politics and policy. In addition to obvious actors like states and international inter-governmental organizations – lobby organizations, trade organizations, think tanks, consultants, non-profit organizations and companies actively work to influence politics and policy locally and globally. We seek to understand the democratic consequences of a society in which questions about transparency, influence and responsibility are changing, and further complicated by emerging technologies and an increased role of digitalisation and automation.

We pose questions such as: Who participates, on what conditions, and what issues are in focus? How can individuals and groups gain influence in political/policy decisions? How do different governance organizations gain legitimacy in the eyes of the surrounding environment? How do they gain authority for their decisions? And how can they be held accountable for them? Where can we see friction and resistance?

Within the theme we develop theories about who or what is in control or shapes current developments, and who has access to, and takes responsibility for the public sector, which is constantly shaped and reshaped at the intersection of state, market and civil society.