Masterprogram i industriell organisation och innovation på Utexpo
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Navigating the Paradox of Demand: Complacency and Innovation in Swedish Student Housing
- Participants: Arsha Suresh and Sangay Nima Dolma.
This master’s thesis examines how Swedish student housing providers navigate the paradox of demand: the tension between complacency and innovation under persistent housing shortages. While high occupancy can reduce pressure to improve services, changing student expectations, seasonal vacancies, regulations, and competition continue to require innovation. The study applies paradox theory, particularly Smith and Lewis’s dynamic equilibrium model and the Paradox System framework, to understand how organisations manage these competing demands.
A qualitative abductive design was used, based on nine semi-structured interviews with ten participants from five student housing providers in Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg and Halmstad. Data were analysed through thematic analysis.
The findings show that the paradox of demand is cyclical rather than constant. High autumn occupancy can encourage complacency, while spring vacancies increase pressure to innovate. Two forms of acceptance emerged: reactive acceptance, in which innovation occurs only under pressure, and embedded acceptance, in which innovation becomes integrated into organisational routines and culture. Leadership and organisational culture supported sustained innovation, while regulation and financial pressures constrained it. The study contributes to paradox theory by showing how paradoxes emerge through seasonal cycles and remain structurally constrained.
Reconfiguring the Automotive Value Chain: The Emergence of Energy-Autonomous Vehicles
- Participants: Shane Sebastian and Dheeraj Jayadev.
- Samarbetspartner: VTI – Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.
This master’s thesis, conducted in collaboration with VTI (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute), examines the emergence of energy-autonomous vehicles (EAVs) in Europe and their potential implications for the automotive value chain.
Energy-autonomous vehicles are electric vehicles equipped with integrated solar technologies that generate part of their own electricity. While the concept remains in an early stage of development, it raises important questions regarding industrial structure, value creation, charging systems, and the future roles of automotive and energy-sector actors.
The study investigates how stakeholders operating across production, technology/design, and operational stages of the automotive ecosystem perceive this development. Empirical data is generated through semi-structured interviews with experts from automotive manufacturing, solar technology, energy systems, and transport-related organisations. The analysis applies directed content analysis informed by theories of disruptive innovation, competence destruction, and socio-technical transition.
The project contributes to understanding how emerging solar-integrated mobility solutions may influence future automotive and energy systems and provides insights into stakeholder responses to technological change.
