Rebecca Piekkari Contributes to International Research Seminar at Hanken
On January 20, 2026, Rebecca Piekkari, Head of WP4, participated as a speaker in the Hanken Management and Organization research seminar, organized in collaboration with the Aalto Center for Qualitative Management Research (Qual+). The seminar took place at Hanken’s main building in Helsinki and was also accessible online via Teams.
The seminar, titled “Thinking Comparatively: Advancing Theory Through ‘Thick’ Comparative Designs in Qualitative Management Research,” brought together leading scholars in the field of international business and qualitative research. Alongside Rebecca Piekkari (Aalto University), the speakers included Hanna Gajewska-De Mattos (University of Leeds), Catherine Welch (Trinity College Dublin), and Sergi Casals (Universidad EAFIT).
The presentation addressed the role of comparison as a fundamental form of scientific reasoning in management research. The speakers critically examined the dominant logic of “controlled comparison” in qualitative studies, arguing that it often overlooks differences in the search for similarities and regularities. As an alternative, they introduced the concept of “thick comparisons,” an approach that emphasizes the dynamic interplay between differences and similarities across comparative units.
By advocating greater plurality in comparative research designs, the seminar highlighted how thick comparisons can serve as a powerful tool for theorizing about change, context, and diversity. The discussion also explored implications for research design, theorizing practices, and conventional understandings of generalization in management research.
Rebecca’s participation in this seminar reflects her ongoing engagement in international scholarly dialogue on qualitative research methods and theory development. While the seminar was not directly related to WP4 activities, it represents one of her recent academic contributions and underscores the active involvement of WP4 members in the broader research community.