... you have participated in two research events this summer, tell us about it?
- At the beginning of June, we traveled to Italy for the 8th Naples Forum on Service. It is a research conference that gathers service researchers from all over the world every other year to present and discuss research in service dominant logic, service science and systems theory and complexity theory, says Amie Gustafsson, PhD student in Business Administration. This time, the conference was arranged in the small and beautiful mountain town of Ravello on the Amalfi Coast.
What did you present at the conference?
– My research area is customer experiences in retail, and my conference contribution "Service experiences in the Phygital Arena" was about the complexity of catching so-called service failure, i.e., shortcomings in various types of services, in unmanned stores, says Amie Gustafsson.
– My presentation "(How) do governmental services promote sustainability?" is an idea for an article about sustainability and how authorities communicate and work to promote a sustainable lifestyle among consumers, says Anne-Charlotte Paas, PhD student in Business Administration. It was my first conference presentation, so it was extra exciting. It went well, and I received good response for my ongoing work. Amie and I also participated in the conference's doctoral consortium, where we got to present our doctoral work.
What are your takeaways from the conference?
– Conferences are fantastic, and I encourage all PhD students to participate in as many as possible! You don't need a finished paper, you can present an idea, says Amie Gustafsson. Senior researchers are usually interested and make time, so don’t hesitate to ask and discuss your research. You will receive valuable feedback and assistance along the way. Conferences provide inspiration and are an important part of the development as a doctoral student.
– I agree! Conferences are great, it's almost like going to camp, says Anne-Charlotte Paas. And, as Amie said, don't be afraid to present unfinished work. Seize the opportunity to discuss ideas and talk to different researchers who can provide new perspectives on your research – that's how you develop as a researcher.
You also participated in the 57th AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium, can you tell us about the event?
- The American Marketing Association - Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium was organized at the BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo and is the world's foremost in the Marketing discipline. The consortium brings together the best PhD students from business schools around the world to discuss research and share experiences with fellow PhD students and well-established senior researchers, says Anne-Charlotte Paas.
How was it?
– It was everything I expected and more, says Anne-Charlotte Paas. It´s a special feeling to spend time with researchers whose work I use as reference and inspiration. Participating in their seminars and panel discussions, presenting my research, and then guiding some of them through Oslo and having dinner together in the evening - it's on a whole different level. Meeting other doctoral students and gaining insight into how different doctoral processes can be depending on the country and university makes me more humble and grateful for the support we receive at Karlstad University and CTF. I left Oslo with a head full of ideas, filled with inspiration and immense gratitude.
- We got to discuss our research and what we need help with in different groups composed of both researchers and doctoral students, which was rewarding and has given me motivation and new ideas, says Aime Gustafsson. We also had time to socialize and build relationships through various social activities, among them at Oslo City Hall where Oslo's deputy mayor gave a speech to us. Everyone was welcoming and helpful, and I am so glad to be a part of this community.
What's next?
– Now, a fall filled with research and data collection in stores awaits me. I have also submitted contributions to the AMA Winter Conference which will be held in Florida in February. We'll see where that leads, says Amie Gustafsson.
– I am in a phade of data collection and thesis writing. At the beginning of the year, I started writing my thesis as a monograph instead of a compilation, and in Swedish as well, so I have a writing-intensive fall ahead of me, says Anne-Charlotte Paas.
Good luck!
