Christina Björklund

About me

I am a senior researcher and a research group leader at Karolinska Institutet. I have my PhD in psychology and docent in Business administration from Stockholm School of Economics. 

Research description

My research is focused on social and organizational factors in the work environment, work motivation, leadership and its association with mental ill- health and productivity. The reason for my chosen research interest is primarily that I  believe, and have also seen in my research, that the success of organizations will benefit greatly from 1) a greater understanding of what drives human beings to do their best at work, 2) having a well-functioning leadership, and 3) knowing  what factors in the work environment promote good health. I have also been involved in projects targeting workplace health promotion. These include the development of occupational-health guidelines for the prevention and treatment of mental ill-health and projects on interventions to prevent ill-health.  

One group that I have focused on in my research is managers. The first study I led was Hierarchies of Health, which looked at  managers on different levels in the public sector. The second project was Managers in the Firing Line, which examined managers as targets of bullying. The latest research project on managers is young managers in the private sector https://www.afaforsakring.se/forskning/program/ung-i-arbetslivet/ .

I have also conducted studies concerning work environment and productivity as well as  bullying/harassment in academic settings.  am also a part of the research and collaboration programme on gender-based vulnerability at KI. https://ki.se/genusprogrammet.

Another project I am involved in is an implementation research study which aims to identify effective implementation strategies for the implementation of an occupational-health guideline to prevent mental ill-health among school teachers.

January 1, 2023, I was appointed as the Chairperson of the Work Environment Committee at KI. Arbetsmiljönämnden | Medarbetare (ki.se). 

The projects are presented at https://ki.se/imm/enheten-for-interventions-och-implementeringsforskning-inom-arbetshalsa.

Teaching portfolio

Course leader and examiner of the Assessment and Intervention course (7.5hp), Master’s programme Work and Health, IMM.

Course leader for a Leadership course for Educational leaders at KI financed by KIs Committee for Higher Education.

Education

Docent, Stockholm School of Economics, Busniess Adminstration, 2014.  

PhD in psychology, Stockholm School of Economics, Economic psychology unit, 2001.

Licentiate,  Stockholm School of Economics, Economic psychology unit, 1997.

B.A in psychology , University of Stockholm, 1993

B.A. in psychology and business administration, Bethany College, Kansas, USA, 1991