Anne Jørgensen Nordli

• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen; Wedum, Gunhild; Lien, Stine & Nilsen, Trond (2026). KIBS as changemaker in green transition: Innovation sprints in peripheral regions. Local Economy. ISSN 0269-0942. doi: 10.1177/02690942261487096. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The role of KIBS as essential actors in regional renewal processes is well demonstrated in the literature. However, less is known about how they enact change agency through concrete mechanisms in peripheral regions. This study examines how KIBS facilitate the development of agent-specific opportunity spaces for green innovation through innovation sprint processes. Drawing on a 3-year greening program in a Norwegian peripheral region, the paper analyzes how a KIBS provider mobilizes and orchestrates actors through structured, time-bound interventions. The findings show that KIBS act as a changemaker by enacting multiple and overlapping roles, including place leader, facilitator, mentor, critic, and connector, thereby shaping how firms perceive and engage with green innovation challenges. Innovation sprints serve as a key mechanism for operationalizing these roles, enabling firms to explore and expand their opportunity spaces through collaborative, future-oriented processes. The outcomes of these processes include a range of differentiated futures, such as realized, non-realized, and discarded green innovation pathways. The study contributes to economic geography and green regional development literature by demonstrating how KIBS-facilitated mechanisms shape the conditions for future-oriented innovation in peripheral regions. In particular, it shows how innovation sprints link agency, opportunity spaces, and temporal dynamics by structuring the generation, exploration, and selection of multiple possible futures. The findings underline the importance of combining short-term intervention mechanisms with long-term support to translate opportunity spaces into realized green innovations.

• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen; Slåtten, Terje; Lien, Gudbrand & Thoner, Halvor Korbøl (2026). The Interplay between Brand Relationship Quality and Sustainability Dimensions in the Context of Sports Events. In Breiby, Monica Adele; Elvekrok, Ingunn & Slåtten, Terje (Ed.), Services, Experiences, and Sustainability. Routledge. ISSN 9781003477839. p. 158–171. doi: 10.4324/9781003477839-15. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In an era where sustainability is increasingly vital, companies, particularly in the event and tourism sectors, are faced with the challenge of aligning their operations with sustainable practices. This is further complicated by factors such as participants’ travel distances, the sustainable organization of events, and increasing participant concerns around sustainability. This chapter explores the potential for event companies to foster participant loyalty through the cultivation of strong relationships centered on sustainability actions. Specifically, we investigate the concept of Brand Relationship Quality (BRQ) within the context of sports events that are open for everyone to participate. We empirically test whether the BRQ between the event and its participants influences satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to pay for the event. This is done by applying Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to an empirical study of the Norwegian ski event, ‘Birkebeinerrennet’, in which we collected and analyzed data from 728 participant responses. Findings indicate a significant positive impact of BRQ on satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to pay. This indirectly means strengthening the economic sustainability of the event. These results are moreover discussed in relation to the two other sustainability dimensions and how strategies to enhance BRQ through organizing and managing sustainable events may positively affect both BRQ and sustainability. The implications underline the potential benefits for event managers in building strong, high-quality relationships with participants, emphasizing a focus on sustainability. This study is among the first to explore BRQ within the context of sports events, offering both theoretical and practical implications.

• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen; Nilsen, Trond & Lien, Stine (2024). Collaborative routes to innovation success in the periphery – a configurational approach. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift. ISSN 0029-1951. 78(2), p. 102–114. doi: 10.1080/00291951.2024.2362761. Full text in Research Archive
• Gesierich, Stefanie; Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Arundel, Anthony (2024). NGO engagement in the creation of public service innovations: A configurational, explorative approach. Public Money & Management. ISSN 0954-0962. doi: 10.1080/09540962.2024.2410806. Full text in Research Archive
• Nesse, Per Jonny & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2024). Connected forestry - Proposed method for impact assessment of 5G/IoT enabled solutions, 2024 4th International Conference on Electrical, Computer, Communications and Mechatronics Engineering (ICECCME). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9798350391183. doi: 10.1109/ICECCME62383.2024.10796464. Full text in Research Archive
• Calignano, Giuseppe & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2024). Less-advanced regions in EU innovation networks: Could nanotechnology represent a possible trigger for path upgrading? PLOS ONE. 19(1), p. 1–23. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288669. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen; Arundel, Anthony; Katona, Márton & Rosta, Miklós (2024). Does User Involvement in Developing Public Sector Innovations Improve Outcomes? A Set-Theoretic Analysis of European Data. Administration & Society. ISSN 0095-3997. 57(1). doi: 10.1177/00953997241287780. Full text in Research Archive
• Slåtten, Terje; Mutonyi, Barbara Rebecca; Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Lien, Gudbrand (2023). The role of ambidextrous leadership and employee ambidexterity in enhancing service quality of care and creativity - a study of health professionals. BMC Health Services Research. 23(1), p. 1–16. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10275-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: This study aims to empirically examine the role of ambidextrous leadership on employees’ ambidexterity and job-directed performance. Ambidextrous leadership encompasses a leader’s capability to stimulate exploitative and explorative activities in employees. Specifically, the study explores in detail how ambidextrous leadership is linked to two types of job-directed performance in health professionals, namely service quality of care and creativity, in addition to what role employee ambidexterity has in this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed, and data were gathered through convenience sampling of N=258 health professionals of in-home care services across municipalities based in Norway. The study’s conceptual model was analyzed through structural equation modeling partial least squares with SmartPLS 3 software. Mediation by Bootstrap was used to analyze the indirect relationships. Results: Ambidextrous leadership was found to have a direct impact on both employee service and quality of care (β = 0.236) and employee ambidexterity (β = 0.395). The direct relationship between ambidextrous leadership and employee creativity was nonsignificant. However, the relationships between ambidextrous leadership and service quality of care and creativity were both mediated by employee ambidexterity. Finally, the results reveal that employee creativity mediated the relationship between employee ambidexterity and service quality of care. Conclusions: The results show that ambidextrous leadership and employee ambidexterity promote the job-directed performance of health professionals. Thus, a practical implication is that health-care organizations should recruit, train, and develop their leaders to become ambidextrous leaders, in addition to being aware of the multiple direct and indirect effects of practicing ambidextrous leadership. Doing so will have a direct positive impact on the level of service quality and employee ambidexterity. Keywords: Ambidextrous leadership, Employee ambidexterity, Exploration, Exploitation, Service quality of care, Creativity, Health professionals, Home-care services

• Nilsen, Trond; Calignano, Giuseppe; Lien, Stine & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2023). Norwegian wood, isn't it good? Narratives of the lumber industry and development paths in the Nordic periphery. Journal of Rural Studies. ISSN 0743-0167. 105. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103182. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper discusses how and in what way different regional industrial development paths emerge through narratives about a natural resource-based industry in a peripheral region. The way in which industries are portrayed can shape how individuals or groups interpret the role of the industry, and thereby foster positive or negative attitudes towards it. We explore the dynamics in the traditional and slow-innovative lumber industry in Norway where digitalisation has recently ‘turned the table’ and contributed to upscaling and renewal of the production process. We identify heterogenic narratives among policy makers and within the industry itself. The pro-innovative narrative articulates a viable source of economic growth in the region and the industry as a key player in the bioeconomy, contrasted with a traditionalist view of the industry as containing low-skilled workers, low innovation performance and strong vulnerability towards extra-regional market changes. We argue that there are important reasons to concentrate on the role of narratives and discursive practices in regional development.

• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Gesierich, Stefanie (2023). Measuring the use of design thinking and co-creation for innovation. In Fred, Gault; Arundel, Anthony & Kraemer-Mbula, Erika (Ed.), Handbook of Innovation Indicators and Measurement. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800883017. p. 342–362. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Providing nuanced insight into key areas of innovation studies, this erudite second edition acknowledges the significance of innovation within the informal economy. It contributes to the broader scholarly discourse on innovation indicators and measurement, exploring the nature and rate of recent developments within the field. The Handbook of Innovation Indicators and Measurement showcases recent advancements within the field of innovation and provides an expansive commentary on contemporary issues such as the effect of the general definition of innovation on zero price products. Updated chapters emphasise rapid changes brought about by digital developments and provide a further examination of the influence of people on social and frugal innovation. This essential second edition will be valuable for university lecturers and academics of economics, public policy and innovation aspiring to update their course content. It will additionally be beneficial for those working in government departments pursuing more effective policy intervention.

• Calignano, Giuseppe; Nilsen, Trond; Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Hauge, Atle Jensen (2022). Beyond ‘periphery’: a detailed and nuanced taxonomy of the Norwegian regions. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography. ISSN 0435-3684. doi: 10.1080/04353684.2022.2141654. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Increasing attention is being paid towards the influence of regional contexts on innovation activities within regional development studies. Some of the literature in economic geography tends to consider the various peripheral areas as being homogenous and partly characterized by their remote location, weak innovation inputs and lack of knowledge exchange. This paper questions this approach by examining the role of innovation activities in peripheral regions. We offer a detailed and multifaceted taxonomy of the Norwegian economic regions. From an empirical viewpoint, the adoption of cluster analysis and a broad set of innovation, economic and territorial indicators allowed us to provide a nuanced picture of the current fabric of Norwegian innovation and economic-production. With the benefit of insights from relevant strands of literature (e.g. regional development, innovation systems and multi-scalar innovation networks), the case of Norway presented in our paper contributes to the scholarly debate on the role of structural preconditions for the innovation of firms in diverse peripheral areas.

• Ebersberger, Bernd; Herstad, Sverre Johan & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2021). Hospitality innovation strategies: Robustness analysis of paths to firm performance. Tourism Management. ISSN 0261-5177. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104310. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Rønningen, Martin (2021). Tracking hidden innovations in tourism. Creativity and Innovation Management. ISSN 0963-1690. p. 1–17. doi: 10.1111/caim.12440. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hidden innovations are innovations that have been overlooked, forgotten or ignored. In this context, this study explores hidden innovations in tourism—innovations not captured by frequently used quantitative instruments such as the Eurostat's community innovation survey (CIS). The study also explains why several innovations have remained hidden in the tourism industry. It identifies and analyses processes producing hidden innovations and determines the characteristics and types of these innovations. The study analyses 13 interviews in four tourism businesses—one Alpine centre and three hotels. Empirical testing indicates the inadequacy of CIS measurement in capturing these innovations. The findings reveal several hidden innovations. In the tourism context, we find two types of hidden innovations—hidden stage-wise and stage-merged innovations. These hidden innovations have two triggers. The first trigger refers to the evaluation of work processes carried out at the decentralized levels of companies. The second trigger is the work climate combining staff willingness (W) and opportunities (O) (WO-oriented work climate)—where the employees are willing to engage with innovation and are provided with an innovation opportunity. This study has important implications for extending the understanding of hidden innovations, especially in tourism, and guiding managers to facilitate, motivate and support work environments that allow employees' freedom and help them take responsibility to generate ideas and innovations.

• Fuglsang, Lars & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2018). On Service Innovation as an Interactive Process: A Case Study of the Engagement with Innovation of a Tourism Service. Social Sciences. 7(12), p. 1–17. doi: 10.3390/socsci7120258. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the innovation studies literature, the process of innovation has been described as an interactive process that engages many different actors over time in the development and regeneration of goods and services. In the development and regeneration of tourism services, this often includes community actors. Yet, little attention has been paid to the way in which actors grasp the societal environment with which they interact, for example in intimate relationships or interactions with a wider community, and how such interaction formats may in turn affect the innovation process; for example, its desirability and visibility. The paper contributes to service and tourism innovation research by drawing on the concept of engagement to explain three cognitive formats of social interaction between innovators and their social environment. These are familiar engagement, engagement in plan, and engagement in justifiable action. The contribution to service and tourism innovation literature is to show how the varied capabilities of engagement impact innovation. Furthermore, based on a case study on a tourism service, the paper argues that the different formats of engagement typically must be combined and balanced in the innovation process.

• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2018). Information use and working methods as drivers of innovation in tourism companies. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. ISSN 1502-2250. 18(2), p. 199–213. doi: 10.1080/15022250.2017.1343682. Full text in Research Archive
• Fuglsang, Lars; Sørensen, Flemming & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2016). Bridging conflicting innovation spheres of tourism innovation: the role of diplomacy. Journal of Innovation Economics & Management. 2(20), p. 109–130. doi: 10.3917/jie.020.0109. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2016). Measuring innovation in tourism with Community Innovation Survey: a first step towards a more valid innovation instruments. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. ISSN 1502-2250. 17(4), p. 423–440. doi: 10.1080/15022250.2016.1247382. Full text in Research Archive
• Rønningen, Martin & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2016). Er reiselivsnæringene innovative eller ikke? In Arnesen, Tor; Merok, Eivind & Lerfald, Merethe (Ed.), Innovasjon i fragmenterte næringer. Oplandske Bokforlag. ISSN 9788275182546. p. 71–95. Full text in Research Archive

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• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen; Wedum, Gunhild; Lien, Stine & Nilsen, Trond (2025). KIBS as a facilitator of green innovation in the periphery: the use of innovation sprints. 19th Regional Innovation Policies Conference. Full text in Research Archive
• Wedum, Gunhild; Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Lien, Stine (2025). Co-creation as a key in Regional Development Future Planning in Rural Regions. 19th Regional Innovation Policies Conference. Full text in Research Archive
• Lien, Stine; Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Wedum, Gunhild (2025). Rethinking Rural Development: Place-based Policy beyond Growth Paradigms. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen; Wedum, Gunhild & Slåtten, Terje (2025). Exploring User Conditions for Technology Adoption: A QCA Approach to Sustainable Waste Management. Full text in Research Archive
• Alnes, Per Kristian; Hauge, Atle Jensen & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2024). Beyond the Hype: Does Innovation Really Drive Regional Economic Growth? Full text in Research Archive
• Haus-Reve, Silje & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2024). The Impact of STI and DUI Modes on Environmental Innovation. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2023). The Impact of STI and DUI Modes on Environmental Innovation. A QCA Analysis of green configurations of firms in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Wedum, Gunhild & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2023). Facilitating green innovation in peripheral regions. The use of service design as RIS co-creation technique. Full text in Research Archive
• Haus-Reve, Silje & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2023). The Impact of STI and DUI Modes on Environmental Innovation: A QCA Analysis of green configurations of firms in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Nilsen, Trond & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2022). Thin but strong? Full text in Research Archive
• Slåtten, Terje; Lien, Gudbrand; Thoner, Halvor Korbøl & Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2019). THE ROLE OF BRAND RELATIONSHIP QUALITY (BRQ) IN THE CONTEXT OF EVENTS - A study of participants of the Norwegian mega ski event “Birkebeinerrennet”. Full text in Research Archive
• Slåtten, Terje; Lien, Gudbrand; Nordli, Anne Jørgensen & Thoner, Halvor Korbøl (2018). WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS TO BRAND RELATIONSHIP QUALITY OF SPORT EVENTS? A STUDY OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE NORWEGIAN BIRKEBEINER RACE 2018. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordli, Anne Jørgensen (2018). Exploring the CIS and hidden innovation in a service context. Universitetet i Innlandet. ISSN 9788271844127. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The overall goal of this thesis is to investigate the use of the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) in a service context. The CIS is a quantitative innovation instrument originally designed to measure innovation in manufacturing but after some years expanded to be used for services innovation research also. One objective of this thesis is to determine whether the CIS is a useful instrument for measuring innovation in services. Another is to discover more about what the CIS measures and what it may not measure. The literature points out that some innovation is not identified by the CIS (hidden innovations). This thesis examines the CIS from different perspectives using tourism as an empirical service context. This thesis argues that understanding the processes behind services innovations provides better insights into the measurement of innovation and hidden innovation; for example, how innovations start and develop, and who is involved. Such knowledge may reveal how and why some innovations remain hidden. It is argued that the process of a services innovation is so crucial to the innovation outcome that it should be acknowledged in innovation measurement. This thesis addresses how the CIS tends to focus excessively on innovation output, and it is unclear whether the process that leads to services innovation is acknowledged. Consequently, this thesis investigates CIS measurement of innovation and hidden innovation by relating process perspectives on services innovation to the measurement of the services innovation output. This thesis uses both quantitative and qualitative methods/designs to investigate and analyse the research goals. It argues that such combined insights into the phenomenon will provide a deeper understanding of measurement of innovation and may contribute to the development of a better measure. Accordingly, this thesis uses a mixed methods approach to achieve the research goal. The thesis consists of four papers that contribute to the overall goal of the thesis. Paper 1 is quantitative, Paper 2 is a theoretical and methodological discussion, and Papers 3 and 4 are qualitative. The findings of the thesis reveal several examples of hidden innovation and suggest four different types of hidden innovation. These types follow one of two locally anchored services innovation processes, and both are categorized as accelerated innovation processes. One of them is a new type of service innovation process that has not been addressed in the services innovation literature previously. Additionally, because hidden innovations follow one of two accelerated processes, they seem to be either unknown, misinterpreted or forgotten by senior management. The thesis also examines the drivers of services innovation and how the inclusion of indicators of these drivers in the CIS is important to reflect distinct activities of the process of services innovation. The thesis identifies two drivers of CIS-measured innovation—“use of external information” and “use of cross-functional work-teams”—and two drivers of hidden innovation: “formal and informal evaluation”. The analysis of the CIS, CIS-measured innovation and hidden innovation suggest that there are four ways to improve the CIS for use in tourism or similar services in the future. These four areas of improvement relate to operationalization of the services innovation concept, respondents’ interpretation of questionnaires and the importance of including specific driver indicators. First, innovation should not be separated into four different innovation types as in earlier CIS surveys. Second, it should be clearer in the CIS that innovation can be a series of incremental changes that together constitute an innovation. Third, to make it easier for respondents to understand, to interpret and to answer the survey questions, the language and format should be improved, along with guidelines about the type of information required in the survey answers. Fourth, the drivers identified in the thesis should be included in future CIS questionnaires. In summary, this thesis suggests that the CIS can be used to measure innovation in tourism and services. The CIS instrument should not be dismissed but rather improved. One way of improving the instrument for innovation measurement in tourism or similar services would be to follow the suggested recommendations in this thesis.

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