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Petter Braathen

Associate Professor

Researcher in CREDS

Email: petter.braathen@inn.no

Inland School of Business and Social Sciences
Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management
Campus Kongsvinger, Room 3Ø204

Short description

Petter Braathen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Organization, Management, and Governance, and a researcher at CREDS (Centre for Research on Digitalization and Sustainability). He is also an engaging speaker with an extensive background in strategy, organizational development, and innovation. Holding a Ph.D. in Philosophy, an M.Sc. in Robotics, and an M.Sc. in Strategy, his interests span a wide range of complex societal challenges. Over twenty-five years of experience in Norwegian and international business, he has made significant contributions to strategic innovation, organizational development, and digital transformation. Braathen has founded several companies and led projects across various sectors, including energy, real estate and urban development, infrastructure, technology, and media. His academic background and professional roles in the private sector reflect his interest in interdisciplinary work and his commitment to bridging the gap between theoretical insight generated through research and practical application in development and value creation.

Research interests

I am particularly interested in systems—especially complex systems where many different elements are mutually interconnected. My research seeks to understand how complex social and organizational systems emerge, stabilize, and change over time. I explore the conditions that enable interaction between actors to develop into lasting patterns, and how such patterns are shaped by both structural frameworks and the actors’ scope for action. By integrating insights from systems theory, organization studies, and philosophy, I aim to develop concepts and theoretical frameworks.

This theoretical orientation has direct relevance to complex societal challenges where multiple actors, levels, and considerations must be coordinated. This includes governance relationships between state and municipality, organizational transitions driven by digitalization and sustainability goals, as well as the more fundamental questions of participation in work and education. Such processes are characterized by mutual interdependence, conflicting objectives, and uncertainty about future states. By understanding the underlying dynamics of complex socio-economic systems, we can identify the conditions for more robust coordination and governance, thereby enabling solutions that safeguard overarching goals while also accommodating local contextual needs that demand flexibility.

Projects

Lyons-Kokkin, Sarah Joy; Braathen, Petter & Solvoll, Mona Kristin (2026). Rethinking integration: Paradoxes as systemic tensions in thesis-based work-integrated learning. Current Issues in Work-Integrated Learning (CIWIL). 2(2), p. 52–52. doi: 10.64775/ciwil.2026.64206. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is frequently framed as integration of theory and practice through collaboration between higher education and workplace organisations. This article examines practice-based bachelor’s and master’s theses as a demanding form of WIL, where workplace relevance and academic assessment must be coordinated around a shared student project. Drawing on 17 semi-structured interviews with academic staff and workplace representatives in Norwegian higher education in business administration and cultural industries, the study analyses how tensions concerning belonging, learning and organising shape the conditions for collaboration in thesis-based WIL. The findings show that collaboration can be experienced as meaningful and workable even when integration remains partial. Integration unfolds less as full alignment than as translation, coordination and adjustment across different academic and organisational criteria. The study shows that the coupling between higher education and workplace organisations is asymmetrical: academic criteria of validity remain central, while organisational relevance must be translated into academically assessable knowledge. Responsibility for managing these tensions is often shifted to individual actors, particularly students and supervisors. Thesis-based WIL is therefore both productive and vulnerable, as it depends on local coordination, individual commitment and informal solutions. The article contributes by conceptualising thesis-based WIL as a loosely coupled arrangement rather than seamless integration
Braathen, Petter & Tronvoll, Bård (2026). Fra kunstig til kollektiv intelligens: KI som strategisk ressurs i verdiskaping. Magma forskning og viten. ISSN 1500-0788. 29(1), p. 69–78. doi: 10.23865/magma.v29.1530. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Den dominerende betegnelsen kunstig intelligens gir et misvisende bilde av moderne språkmodeller. Denne artikkelen argumenterer for at språkmodeller bør forstås som muliggjørere av kollektiv intelligens (KI), forstått som en emergent kapasitet i sosiomaterielle systemer snarere enn som en egenskap ved teknologien i seg selv. Språkmodeller opererer syntaktisk og ikke semantisk, og de produserer tekstlige fremstillinger uten egen forståelse som først får mening i samspill med menneskelig dømmekraft. Samarbeidet mellom modellens tekstbearbeidende kapasitet og menneskelig kognisjon åpner for nye former for verdiskaping, men utfordrer samtidig etablerte forestillinger om kunnskapsarbeid og profesjonell identitet. Dette perspektivskiftet har betydelige implikasjoner for organisasjoner. Fremtidig verdiskaping forutsetter kapabiliteter som gjør det mulig å integrere kollektiv intelligens i organisatoriske prosesser på en ansvarlig måte. Artikkelen identifiserer tre analytiske mekanismer for samskaping av verdi – kompleksitetskomprimering, refleksiv resonans og kognitiv katalyse – som idealtypiske handlingslogikker snarere enn deterministiske effekter av teknologien. Videre viser studien at verdiskaping gjennom kollektiv intelligens forutsetter utvikling av metakognitive og refleksive kapabiliteter. Artikkelens bidrag er tredelt: å introdusere kollektiv intelligens som et mer presist analytisk rammeverk for å forstå språkmodellers rolle i organisatorisk verdiskaping, å utvikle en betinget og ikke-deterministisk forståelse av samskaping mellom menneskelig dømmekraft og modellbasert kapasitet, og å vise hvordan organisasjoner forankrer samskapingen i praksis gjennom ansvarlig integrasjon i rutiner. Dermed flyttes forståelsen av kunstig intelligens fra en forutbestemt fortelling om substitusjon til et handlingsrettet perspektiv på organisatorisk verdiskaping. English abstract From Artificial to Collective Intelligence: Language Models as Strategic Resources for Value Creation The dominant label artificial intelligence offers a misleading account of contemporary language models. This article argues that language models should instead be understood as enablers of collective intelligence (CI), conceived as an emergent capacity in socio-material systems rather than as a property of the technology itself. Language models operate syntactically rather than semantically and generate textual representations without intrinsic understanding; meaning arises only through interaction with human judgment. The interplay between models’ text-processing capacity and human cognition opens up new forms of value creation, while simultaneously challenging established assumptions about knowledge work and professional identity. This perspective shift has significant implications for organizations. Future value creation depends on capabilities that enable the responsible integration of collective intelligence into organizational processes. The article identifies three analytical mechanisms of value co-creation—complexity compression, reflexive resonance, and cognitive catalysis—which are conceptualized as ideal-typical action logics rather than deterministic effects of the technology. Furthermore, the study shows that value creation through collective intelligence presupposes the development of metacognitive and reflexive capabilities. The article makes three contributions: (1) introducing collective intelligence as a more precise analytical framework for understanding the role of language models in organizational value creation; (2) developing a conditional and non-deterministic account of co-creation between human judgment and model-based capacity; and (3) demonstrating how organizations anchor such co-creation in practice through the responsible integration of language models into routines. In doing so, the article shifts the understanding of artificial intelligence away from a predetermined narrative of substitution toward an action-oriented perspective on organizational value creation.
Braathen, Petter & Findsrud, Rolf (2025). A Typology of Human–AI Value Cocreation. Journal of Creating Value. ISSN 2394-9643. 11(2), p. 238–252. doi: 10.1177/23949643251389315. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
While automation replaces human labour in structured and repetitive tasks, augmentation enhances human capabilities through artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration. This article develops a typology of human–AI value cocreation, distinguishing between automation and augmentation capabilities across varying levels of task complexity. The proposed framework is structured along two dimensions: mode of technology engagement (automation vs augmentation) and complexity of task-in-context. The four resulting models of value creation are analyzed in terms of their temporal, spatial and hierarchical complexity, which shapes human–AI interaction in performing a given task. Temporal complexity relates to sequencing, timing and feedback loops; spatial complexity refers to physical environments and the integration of dispersed resources; and hierarchical complexity captures interdependence and interaction across micro- and macro-level structures. By introducing this structured analytical lens, the article contributes to a more holistic understanding of AI-enabled value creation. The findings may also inform a research agenda for future inquiry.
Solvoll, Mona Kristin; Lyons, Sarah Joy & Braathen, Petter (2025). Bridging Academia and Industry in bachelor’s and Master thesis Projects. WIL Proceedings. p. 167–177. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Artikkelen undersøker hvordan studenter, veiledere og bedrifter håndterer spenninger i arbeidslivsintegrert læring (WIL) i bachelor- og masteroppgaver. Tilhørighetsparadokset viser hvordan studentene må finne balansen mellom to verdener – akademiets krav til teori og metode, og arbeidslivets vekt på relevans og nytte. Dette skaper ulike forståelser av hva oppgaven skal være, og gjør samarbeidet skjørt. Læringsparadokset handler om at det som vurderes som faglig kvalitet ikke alltid samsvarer med det som gir læring i praksis. Studentene utvikler dømmekraft og samarbeidsevne i møte med virksomheten, men dette blir sjelden anerkjent i vurderingen. Organiseringsparadokset peker på at vellykket samarbeid krever fleksibilitet, mens institusjonelle systemer bygger på standardisering og kontroll. Initiativene blir derfor personavhengige og lite bærekraftige. Funnene viser at WIL i norsk høyere utdanning ofte forblir et ideal snarere enn en etablert praksis.
Braathen, Petter (2025). Socio-Economic Ecosystems Seen as Process of Complexification. p. 75–93. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-81942-1_4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This chapter explores socio-economic ecosystems as processes of complexification. A conceptual model is introduced where isomorphic structures of complexity grow within nested hierarchies, progressing from individuals to practices and routines, organizations, and market systems. Rather than viewing these systems through a reductionist lens—as static entities or aggregates of resources—this analysis emphasizes how structures emerge through relational dynamics and interdependencies. Drawing on complex adaptive systems theory, we propose a framework based on a relational ontology of process that offers a systemic-evolutionary perspective on how socio-economic systems emerge and adapt. The study positions complexity theory as a versatile framework applicable across disciplines. Its systemic-evolutionary approach provides a unifying lens for fields such as management, organizational theory, and service theory, facilitating an integrated perspective that spans traditional disciplinary boundaries. Such transdisciplinarity resonates with a growing body of work advocating for frameworks that can address the complex, interconnected, and dynamic nature of modern socio-economic phenomena.
Awan, Usama; Keprate, Arvind & Braathen, Petter (2025). A Conceptual Framework of An Integrative Leadership for Cybersecurity Management and Designing Digital Road Map for Organizations. In Behl, Abhishek & Sampat, Brinda (Ed.), Digital Transformation: A Business Imperative. Routledge. ISSN 9781003626640. p. 1–13. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
There is a conceptual tension between leadership styles in designing a course of action for organisational transformation towards digitalization. Although a broad range of conceptual frameworks has been developed, there is little information regarding how and when integrative leadership styles are effective for organizing digital transformation. Previous studies do little to capture the complex activities and processes a leader can implement in cyber security risk management practices. However, despite the imperative need for cyber security in the development of Industry 4.0, the literature on cyber security leadership has been overlooked in the digital economy literature. As a result, a pertinent question arises: how to develop and realize the anticipated benefits of cyber security leadership. We suggest that developing a cyber security culture, employee agility and mindfulness to address organizational transformation is necessary. For managers, the intention to start organizational learning on cyber security should start by developing employee agility and mindfulness. Mindfulness can affect an organization's change initiatives. Therefore, managers should hire employees with creativity and mindfulness to gain positive outcomes of their leadership style to bring adequate organizational learning change.
Braathen, Petter (2025). Striking dynamic balance between functional and structural sustainability in service ecosystems. AMS Review. ISSN 1869-814X. 15, p. 112–126. doi: 10.1007/s13162-025-00305-0. Full text in Research Archive
Awan, Usama; Braathen, Petter & Hannola, Lea (2023). When and how the implementation of green human resource management and data-driven culture to improve the firm sustainable environmental development? Sustainable Development. ISSN 0968-0802. 31(4). doi: 10.1002/sd.2543. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
The process by which manufacturing firms incorporate data-driven culture into existing routines and use them to generate organizational learning (OL) and improve sustainable environmental development is a central concern in the green management literature. For this, the study examines how and to what extent data-driven culture contributes to developing and integrating organizational learning capability (OLC) for environmental performance (EP). The analysis is informed by theory on a knowledge-based view and dynamic capabilities. We propose a conceptual model that examines the moderation-mediation impact of data-driven culture on green human resource management (HRM) and EP through OLC. We empirically test our model using primary survey data from 274 manufacturing enterprises in Pakistan. Partial least-square structural equation modeling and moderated-mediation regression analysis were used to assess the hypothesized correlations between the variables. The study implies that green HRM practices can facilitate OLC to achieve and gain high EP in contexts of rapid change. Further, the findings show that firms adopting a data-driven culture may have better EP. Having a robust data-driven culture makes organizations focus more on learning capability development that promotes increased EP. This research offers several significant contributions to green management literature and theory. Managers should promote green human resource strategies and the importance of data-driven culture for greening organizations. In today's data-rich and unpredictable world, these empirical studies provide relevant and practical advice for managers to implement data-driven culture to make shift and support sustainable development issues.
Duhon, Howard & Braathen, Petter (2019). Paradox of Control in Large Project Organizations. SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition. doi: 10.2118/195960-MS. Full text in Research Archive
Lenartowicz, Marta; Weinbaum, David R. & Braathen, Petter (2016). Social systems: complex adaptive loci of cognition. Emergence. ISSN 1521-3250. Full text in Research Archive
Lenartowicz, Marta; Weinbaum, David & Braathen, Petter (2016). The Individuation of Social Systems: A Cognitive Framework. Procedia Computer Science. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2016.07.400. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2016). Paradox in organizations seen as social complex systems. Emergence. ISSN 1521-3250. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter & Hannaford, Blake (2004). Sliding Control of Force Reflecting Teleoperation:Preliminary Studies. PRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality. ISSN 1054-7460. doi: 10.1162/pres.1994.3.2.158. Full text in Research Archive

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Braathen, Petter (2026). Problematisering av det fundamentale ved kunstig intelligens. Nasjonal konferanse for spesialsykepleiere. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2025). Situating Service-Dominant Logic within Process Philosophy. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This paper explores a theoretical positioning of Service-Dominant Logic (S-D L) (Lusch & Vargo, 2014) within the tradition of process philosophy (Rescher, 2000), arguing that S-D L's dynamic and interactive focus on value co-creation aligns closely with the core tenets of a process-based epistemology. As articulated by thinkers such as Alfred North Whitehead (Whitehead, 1929), Henri Bergson (Bergson, 1912), and Nicholas Rescher (Rescher, 2000), process philosophy emphasizes becoming over being, relationality over static entities, and the primacy of interactions over fixed structures. S-D L’s emphasis on the action of service as the fundamental basis of exchange, value co-creation, and relational resource integration mirrors these philosophical principles (Vargo et al., 2023).
Braathen, Petter (2025). Rundebordsdialog - transisjoner i kommunale tjenester. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Dialog rundt utfordringer kommunal ledelse står i som krever transisjonsledelse.
Braathen, Petter (2025). Rundebordsdialog - KI i bygg og anleggsbransjen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Utfordringer og muligheter ved bruk av KI i bygg og anleggsbransjen
Braathen, Petter (2025). Selvledelse mot utenforskap. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Hvem definerer hvem som er utenfor og innenfor? Samtaler med deltagere i Frog programmet om derees erfaringer med å lede seg selv tilbake til innenforskap.
Braathen, Petter (2025). Skogen inn i fremtiden: Hvordan drive strategisk utvikling i en verden av kaos? En systemisk tilnærming. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Reduksjonisme eksponerer kompleksitet på feil sted, tid og nivå. Fører til styringsparadokser. For å håndtere økt kompleksitet må vi «redusere» kompleksitet
Braathen, Petter (2025). MedSIM Norge: De fundamentale spørsmål rundt kunstig intelligens. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Problematisering av de fundamentale spørsmålene ved kunstig intelligens. Stille grunnleggende spørsmål rundt hva bevissthet og intelligens er. Videre utforske hvordan KI påvirker betydningen av danning og utdanning for deltagelse i et samfunn.
Braathen, Petter (2025). På Innsiden - store spørsmål i lokale forhold. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Vi diskuterer arbeidsgivers rolle og ansvar i å bringe mennesker i utenforskap inn i en meningsfull deltagelse i samfunnet
Braathen, Petter (2025). Store spørsmål i lokale forhold. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
En drøfting av utenforskap som fenomen. Intervju med NAV og Karriere Innlandets satsning på korte praksisnære utdannningsløp.
Tronvoll, Bård & Braathen, Petter (2025). Future Agenda for Service Ecosystems Research. doi: https:/naplesforumonservice.com/the-9th-naples-forum-on-service/. Full text in Research Archive
Findsrud, Rolf; Braathen, Petter & Hanssen, Martin (2025). Conceptualizing the actor in Service Dominant Logic: A hierarchy of performability. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2024). Kunnskapskonferansen: Deltager eller tilskuer til det grønnne skiftet? Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2024). Striking Dynamic Balance between Functional and Structural Sustainability in Service Ecosystems. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2024). Emergence of organizational routines. Full text in Research Archive
Hansen, Caroline Berge; Okkenhaug, Gudny; Baardvik, Gunvor; Totland, Christian & Braathen, Petter (2024). Reuse of lime and cement stabilized clay: Geochemical and geotechnical challenges. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2024). Relevans for bruk av KI i utdanning og arbeidslivet. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2024). KI, hva er det og hva kan det utvikle seg til? Teknologiske, etiske og filosofiske perspektiver på AIs inntreden i helsevesen, forskning, utdanning ( - og i livet og verden). Full text in Research Archive
Awan, Usama & Braathen, Petter (2024). Navigating Global Stakeholder Challenges: Typology Approach to Circular Economy Management. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter (2023). Deltager eller tilskuer i det grønne skiftet? Full text in Research Archive
Kask, Johan & Braathen, Petter (2023). How Organizational Routines Evolve: Identity and Stability by Action. Full text in Research Archive
Kask, Johan; Hanssen, Martin & Braathen, Petter (2023). Tragedy of Common Access: How to Offset Rebound Effects of Mobility-as-a-Service. Full text in Research Archive
Findsrud, Rolf; Sörhammar, David & Braathen, Petter (2023). Race with the machines: a service ecosystems perspective. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter & Tronvoll, Bård (2023). Emerging and self-organizing service ecosystems. Full text in Research Archive
Braathen, Petter & Vada, Øyvind (2008). Smarte som maur – Morgenbladet. Morgenbladet. ISSN 0805-3847. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Bør vi tenke på oss selv som maur i en maurtue for å løse våre globale problemer?

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Addresses

Visiting Address

Hovedbygg Østre fløy
Telthusveien 12, N-2450 Rena
Room 3Ø204
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Postal Address

University of Inland Norway
Postboks 400 Vestad
2418 Elverum
Norway