Özbek, Nurgül

My principal research interest lies in practices and processes that tend to shape organizing and change in markets. I aim to contribute to better understanding of driving change by enhancing the understanding of value and value conflicts in markets, and how they are coordinated through dominant valuation practices and tools. More specifically, I am interested in research questions such as how different actors partake in shaping market practices; whose value judgements come to count when valuing a new product/service; and how various frameworks motivate and justify the resources mobilized in markets toward change.

The main empirical areas of my inquiries are markets for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and other health related products such as those for prevention of diseases. This extends my empirical interest even to markets of wellness and food with health claims.

Recently, I have been also involved in projects that deal with innovation in public organisations, particularly in the health care sector (Uppsala University, Leapfrog: Innovation Management for Societal Transformation toward sustainability).

Studying markets for health products is important due to the confluence of several challenges in today’s society such as aging populations, rising costs, and lack of equity in access to essential goods and services. On the other hand, we know that there are often multiple, and sometimes competing efforts of social, cultural, and technical solutions to these problems.

I defended my doctoral dissertation entitled "Entering a Global Play: Insights into Swedish Small Life Science Firms’ Legitimation in International Networks" in February 2016 at the Department of Marketing and Strategy, Stockholm School of Economics (SSE).

 My current research projects at the Center for Market Studies:

• Valuing for innovation?: The consequences of value-based assessments of medical devices 
• International challenges of digitalization

Teaching areas:

• Various courses related to marketing, management, innovation and organizational studies
• Supervision of M.Sc. and B.Sc. theses related to one or more of these topics: valuation studies, economic sociology, innovation, STS, pharmaceuticals, e-health, health care sector, health equity, market practices, market shaping, market devices, medical devices, access to essential public goods, food with health claims, preventive care, wellness industry