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Research and development program 2027 | Emergy and Häme University of Applied Sciences collaboration:
Enhancing capabilities for organizational renewal – through psychological flexibility and emotional agency
We are currently seeking partner organizations to participate in a research and development program launching in spring 2027. The program explores how strengthening psychological flexibility and emotional agency can enhance organizational renewal.
Why are we launching this program?
Working life is changing faster than ever before. Rapid change, uncertainty, and increasing competence demands challenge organizations to continuously adapt and renew themselves – and people feel the impact every day.
Emergy and Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) are preparing a research and development program to study how psychological flexibility and emotional agency can support organizational renewal in an environment of constant change.
The primary target group of the program consists of people in leadership roles. In addition, the program’s themes will be extended to their team members through a targeted intervention, helping the learning and new practices become embedded more broadly across the teams and organization.
1. Program objectives
The aim of the program is to develop an impactful, research-based framework that can be widely utilized in workplaces in the future.
The workshops are designed to strengthen organizational renewal in a sustainable way by enhancing the ability of both individuals and work communities to:
1.
Respond to change constructively and with a stronger sense of agency
2.
Navigate uncertainty and pressure more effectively
3.
Promote learning and collaboration in alignment with organizational goals in a changing environment
The program examines impacts at both the individual and organizational levels, including:
- Development of psychological flexibility
- Development of emotional agency
- Conditions that support learning
- Transfer of learning into everyday work practices
2. Program approach
The program develops and studies an intervention based on:
- Psychological flexibility skills (ACT / psychological flexibility model)
- Psychological flexibility refers to the ability to face thoughts, emotions, and uncertainty in ways that support purposeful action, even during periods of change.
- It enables people to focus their actions on what matters most from both personal and organizational perspectives, even under pressure.
- Strengthening emotional agency
- Emotional agency refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions while also influencing the emotional climate of interactions and everyday organizational life in a constructive way.
- Research shows that emotional agency supports collaboration, learning, engagement, and the successful implementation of change initiatives.
3. The program will be delivered in collaboration between Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) and Emergy:
- Emergy is responsible for the design and delivery of the intervention
- HAMK is responsible for the research
4. Structure and approach of the intervention:
- Six half-day in-person workshops for participants in leadership roles over a six-month period
- Three virtual workshops (2 hours each) for a selected group of employees
- Learning exercises, peer learning activities, and practical exercises between workshops
- Planned surveys and interviews conducted throughout the program by the research team
5. Workshop themes for participants in managerial and leadership roles:
1.Understanding the current situation – tools for making sense of reality
Identifying current challenges, strengths, and opportunities while clarifying where influence and action are possible
2. What matters most to us? – clarifying values and bringing them into everyday actions and behaviour
Exploring what guides our actions and how values are reflected in daily work and decision-making.
3. Goals and action planning – committing to values-based actions
Creating concrete goals and agreeing on actions that move the organization in the desired direction
4. Thoughts and emotions behind behaviour – how do they shape our actions?
Exploring how thoughts and emotions influence behaviour and learning practical ways to act constructively in challenging situations
5. Balancing empathy and assertiveness in leadership – leading yourself and others effectively
Developing skills that strengthen both human-centred leadership and goal-oriented action.
6. Reflection and evaluation – making progress and learning visible
Reviewing learning outcomes, recognizing progress, and agreeing on how insights will be integrated into everyday work.
1. Understanding the current situation – tools for making sense of reality
Identifying current challenges, strengths, and opportunities while clarifying where influence and action are possible.
2. What matters most to us? – clarifying values and bringing them into everyday actions and behaviour
Exploring what guides our actions and how values are reflected in daily work and decision-making.
3. Goals and action planning – committing to values-based actions
Creating concrete goals and agreeing on actions that move the organization in the desired direction.
4. Thoughts and emotions behind behaviour – how do they shape our actions?
Exploring how thoughts and emotions influence behaviour and learning practical ways to act constructively in challenging situations.
5. Balancing empathy and assertiveness in leadership – leading yourself and others effectively
Developing skills that strengthen both human-centred leadership and goal-oriented action.
6. Reflection and evaluation – making progress and learning visible
Reviewing learning outcomes, recognizing progress, and agreeing on how insights will be integrated into everyday work.
6. Workshop themes for employees:
Three virtual workshops (2 hours each):
1.Pause and notice
Recognizing the current situation and developing acceptance-based awareness of thoughts and emotions.
2. What matters most to us?
Exploring values, emotions, and workplace interaction.
3. Building sustainable practices
Understanding the difference between goals and values, strengthening commitment, and transferring learning into daily work.
1. Pause and notice
Recognizing the current situation and developing acceptance-based awareness of thoughts and emotions.
2. What matters most to us?
Exploring values, emotions, and workplace interaction.
3. Building sustainable practices
Understanding the difference between goals and values, strengthening commitment, and transferring learning into daily work.
7. Who is this program for?
We are looking for organizations that:
- Have identified a need to strengthen strategic capability, collaboration, and organizational renewal
- Want to move beyond simply coping with change and instead thrive within it
- Aim to foster a sustainable culture of learning and well-being
Expected group size:
- Participants in leadership roles: up to 30 participants per organization
- Employees: up to 250 participants per organization
8. Funding opportunity for participating organizations
The total value of the program is 41 990 EUR. Participating organizations can apply for an external development funding covering up to 80 % of the program costs. If the grant is awarded, the organization’s contribution will be only 8 398 EUR.
Interested in participating?
Get in touch and let’s explore the opportunities together, we are happy to help!
Contact details Emergy:
Jarkko Rantanen
jarkko@emergywork.com
+358 50 5284808
Book a short appointment here!
Ira Leppänen
ira@emergywork.com
+358 40 7200365
Book a short appointment here!
Ellariina Rautio
ellariina@emergywork.com
+358 40 538 2885
Book a short appointment here!
Kristiina Räihä
kristiina.raiha@hamk.fi
+358 50 4794419
Katja Vähäsantanen
katja.vahasantanen@hamk.fi
+358 50 5601451
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