Dr Lena J. Jaspersen (née Kruckenberg)

Profile

Profile Overview

Since taking up a Fellowship in Innovation Management, I have been developing a portfolio of interdisciplinary research projects on technology innovation. I investigate categorization dynamics in medical technologies (in collaboration with Dr Sanaz Sigaroudi and Dr Sarah Holland), and innovation ecosystems developing technology-enabled healthcare solutions for low-resource settings, with a special focus on innovative solutions for urinary incontinence (with Dr Dani Barrington, University of Western Australia and Dr Bethan Davies, School of Linguistics). In collaboration with Co-I Dr Samit Chakrabarty (School of Biomedical Sciences), I am working on a long-term project on collaborative innovation in community-based rehabilitation in rural India.

With a strong interest in qualitative research methods, I am co-author of ‘Management and Business Research’ (working on the 8th edition) and I have published on visual methods for qualitative network research (with Christian Stein). Currently, I am exploring arts-based methods, reflexivity and the important topic of decolonialisation in qualitative research. Together with colleagues working on global development, I have published an interdisciplinary volume on conducting field research in development contexts (‘Understanding Global Development Research’).

In recent years, I have collaborated in a team with Tony Morgan, Dr Sanaz Sigaroudi and Dr Sarah Bostan, co-creating an award-winning innovation module where interdisciplinary teams of students tackle real-world innovation challenges in collaboration with external partners. The module has an emphasis on design thinking and reflective learning and has been subject to pedagogical research on teamwork and collaboration. It also led to the publication of a related textbook (‘Design Thinking for Student Projects’).

Together with Owen Johnson (School of Computing) and Dr Rebecca Randell (University of Bradford), I have co-supervised two PhD scholarships on technology innovation and social innovation for the adoption of open-source eHealth systems in low resource settings. I have co-supervised Dr Dave Larkin’s study of a public-private partnership developing a smart city. Currently, I supervise Veronica Gonzalez-Navarro doctoral research on CSR understandings in the Latin American context. I welcome applications from potential postgraduate researchers. 

I am on phased return from a second maternity leave and work part-time.

Citizenship:
Member of Editorial Board of Journal of Participatory Research Methods
Member of ESRC IAA Panel, University of Leeds
Reviewer for Energy Policy and California Management Review amongst others
Co-founder of Management Research Seminar Series @ Leeds

Recent Awards

2024 Sustained Collaborative Teaching Award, University of Leeds Teaching Awards

2023 Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence

2021    LITE Fellowship, with Tony Morgan and Louisa Hill, Supporting the new ‘Leeds Curriculum’: Developing an evidence base for digitally enhanced, interdisciplinary, student-centred and team-based learning that enhances employability skills and addresses global innovation challenges in collaboration with external partners.

2018    Best Full Paper Award. British Academy of Management Conference 2018 (Inter-Organizational Collaboration Track). Paper: Inter-organisational Partnership Strategies for Technology Transfer to Marginalised Contexts

2018    Research Development Funding. Project: Open innovation for community-based rehabilitation in rural India, with Samit Chakrabarty. 

2018    Research Development Funding & Civil Engineering Research Development Fund. Project: Open innovation for addressing gendered experiences of incontinence: Developing a patient-led research agenda, with Lata Narayanaswamy & Dani Barrington. 

2018    ESRC International Development NGO Data Impact Acceleration Account. Project: Open innovation for community-based rehabilitation in rural India; PI with Dr Samit Chakrabarty. 15. June 2018 - 15 February 2019. In collaboration with Mobility India, Association for People with Disability (APD) India and Birla Institute of Technology & Science.

2018    ESRC WRDTP Collaborative Studentship, with Owen Johnson. Funding for a three-year PhD or a 1+3 programme covering the cost of fees and maintenance. Project: A culture for success? How the culture of open source communities shapes eHealth solutions for developing countries

 2018    University of Leeds, Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship for a three-year PhD covering the cost of fees and maintenance. Project: Technology innovation and social innovation for the adoption of open-source eHealth systems in urban slums

2017    Small Research Grant. Project: Categorization dynamics in medical technologies, with Sanaz Sigaroudi. Leeds University Business School

2016    Session Leader, Session at 2016 UNESCO Conference on Technologies for Development, 2-4 May, EPFL, Lausanne. Session Title: Social Innovations for Energy Access: Organizing Sustainable Energy for All

2015    White Rose DTC Best Paper 2015, White Rose Social Science Doctoral Training Centre

Research interests

Research Interests:

• Qualitative research methods, in particular ethnographic & participatory methods; visual and arts-based methods
• Technology innovation; technology transfer; regulation & categorization processes; innovation networks & partnerships; innovation management
• Sustainable development; cross-sector collaboration; global/local partnerships; international development cooperation; knowledge-power dynamics and decolonialisation
• Relational theory
• Reflexivity

Qualifications

• PhD (with Recognition of Research Excellence) in Sustainability Research, University of Leeds
• MRes/ Diplom  (Distinction) in Sociology, Bielefeld University, Germany
• MA (Distinction) in International Relations, Keele University, UK 

Professional memberships

• European Group for Organizational Studies
• British Academy of Management

Student education

1. Qualitative research methods, research design & advanced qualitative methods (UG to PhD level): LUBS5281M Advanced Qualitative Methods (module leader), LUBS5285 Introduction to Research Design and Methods (qualitative methods workshops)

2. Innovation management and design thinking: LUBS3990 – Innovation Thinking and Practice

3. Supervision of dissertations

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Technology Innovation and Engagement

Current postgraduate researchers

• Matt
• Veronica Gonzalez-Navarro