Alf Steinar Sætre

About

Alf Steinar Sætre is a Professor of innovation and strategy at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. He initiated and led the Norwegian Research School in Innovation's Program in Innovation Management and Innovation Strategy (NORSi-PIMS). PIMS is a doctoral program in innovation and strategy in collaboration with leading institutions such as Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Wharton Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Technion, Politechnico di Milano, University of Texas, Copenhagen Business School and UC Berkeley.

Sætre´s reasearch interests include the management of ambiguity in the innovation process, termination of innovation projects, organizational search, organizational adaptation and absorptive capacity, and innovation strategy.

Sætre has a MsC in Economics and Business Administration from the Norwegian Schoolf of Economis and Business Administration in Bergen. He earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a Fulbright Scholar and Research Associate at the Institute for Creativity and Capital (IC2). Where he was part of a team researching ”agile business practices.” After completing his Ph.D. he worked as an Associate Professor at Lillehammer College.

Teaching:

Dr. Sætre teaches courses and lectures on such topics as:

Innovation Management and Strategy (TIØ 4180)
Enganged Scholarship (ØK8101) co-taught with Andrew Van de Ven
Communication and Negotiations
Organizational adaptation and strategy
Exploration and Exploitation
Organizing for Innovation

Publications

Generating theory by abduction

Abduction provides a mode of reasoning for achieving this. It is a form of generative reasoning that begins with observing and confirming an anomaly, and generating and evaluating hunches that may explain the anomaly.

Browse a selection of research activities below.

2023

Daly, John A.; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2023) The consequences of face-threatening feedback on innovators’ psychological safety, affect, and willingness to engage in future innovation projects. Frontiers in Psychology. volum 14.
Academic article

2021

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Van de Ven, Andrew H.. (2021) Generating Theory by Abduction. Academy of Management Review. volum 46 (4).
Academic article

2020

Morais-Storz, Marta; Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2020) Post-failure success: sensemaking in problem representation reformulation. Journal of Product Innovation Management. volum 37 (6).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Brun, Eric Christian. (2020) Managing exploration–exploitation. Managing medical technological innovations : Exploring multiple perspectives.
Chapter

2011

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Erikson, Truls. (2011) Deep Sea Fishing Inc.: Acquiring the 'right' capital for a new technology-based firm. Entrepreneurship: Perspectives and cases.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

2010

Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2010) The Challenge of Doing Corporatized Research Revisited: Contrivances and the Presentation of Self. Qualitative Inquiry. volum 16 (1).
Academic article

2009

Aspelund, Arild; Moen, Øystein; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørheim, Roger; Widding, Lars Øystein. (2009) Teknologibasert nyskaping i Norge. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 2009. ISBN 978-82-519-2481-8.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2009) Managing ambiguity in new product development projects. Creativity and Innovation Management. volum 18 (1).
Academic article
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Gjelsvik, Martin. (2009) Classification of ambiguity in new product development projects. European Journal of Innovation Management. volum 12 (1).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2009) Kommunikasjon i organisasjoner: Perspektiver og prosesser. Fagbokforlaget. 2009. ISBN 978-82-450-0277-5.
Academic monograph
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Brun, Eric Christian; Gjelsvik, Martin. (2009) Håndtering av tvetydighet i de tidligste fasene i innovasjonsprosessen. Teknologibasert nyskaping i Norge.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Wiggins, Joel; Atkinson, Ola Thomas; Atkinson, Beate Kristin Ellerås. (2009) University spin-offs as technology transfer: A comparative study among Norway, the United States, and Sweden. Comparative Technology Transfer and Society. volum 7 (2).
Academic article
Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Stephens, Keri; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Browning, Larry. (2009) The reflexivity between ICTs and business culture: Applying Hofstede's Theory to Compare Norway and The United States. Organizational Communication and Technology: Information and Communication Technology Use in Organizations in Norway and the United States.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

2008

Browning, Larry; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Stephens, Keri; Sørnes, Jan-oddvar. (2008) Information and Communication Technologies in Action: Linking Theory and Narratives of Practice. Routledge. 2008. ISBN 0415965470.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2008) Ambibuity reduction in new product development projects. International Journal of Innovation Management. volum 12 (4).
Academic article
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Gjelsvik, Martin. (2008) Benefits of ambiguity in new product development. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM). volum 5 (3).
Academic article
Stephens, Keri; Sørnes, Jan Oddvar; Rice, Ronald E.; Browning, Larry D.; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2008) Discrete, Sequential, and Follow-Up Use of Information and Communication Technology by Experienced ICT Users. Management Communication Quarterly. volum 22 (2).
Academic article

2007

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Browning, Larry; Stephens, Keri. (2007) Enacting media use in organizations. Journal of Information, Information Technology, and Organizations. volum 2.
Academic article

2006

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Stephens, Keri. (2006) Tricking Your Customers Without Cheating Them: Minimal Details as an Information Strategy. Case Studies in Organizational Communication: Ethical Perspectives and Practices.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørnes, Jan-oddvar. (2006) Working at Home and Playing at Work: Using ICTs to Break Down the Barriers Between Home and Work. Case Studies in Organizational Communication: Ethical Perspectives and Practices.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

2005

Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Stephens, Keri; Browning, Larry; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2005) A reflexive model of ict practices in organizations. Informing Science. volum 8.
Academic article
Sørnes, Jan Oddvar; Stephens, K.K.; Browning, Larry D.; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2005) A reflexive model of ICT practices in organizations. Informing Science. volum 8 (1).
Academic article

2004

Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Stephens, Keri; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Browning, Larry. (2004) Leveling differences and reinforcing similarities: The impact of Information and Communication Technologies on national culture. Informing Science. volum 7 (1).
Academic article

2003

Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2003) Entrepreneurial Perspectives on Informal Venture Capital. Venture Capital : an International Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance. volum 5 (1).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Erikson, Truls. (2003) Dealcrafting the right capital for a venture: the case of Deep Sea Fishing Inc. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. volum 4 (3).
Academic article

2001

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2001) Intrapreneurship: An exploratory study of select norwegian industries. 2001.
Report
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2001) The Demand Side of The Informal Venture Capital Market: Four Norwegian Cases. 2001.
Report

2000

reitan, bjørnar; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørheim, Roger. (2000) Kartlegging av rammebetingelser og markedsmekanismer for private investorer i utvalgte land. 2000.
Report

1996

Sætre, Alf Steinar. (1996) The new American workplace: The impact of information technology education and demographics. The Mirror.
Popular scientific article

Journal publications

Daly, John A.; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2023) The consequences of face-threatening feedback on innovators’ psychological safety, affect, and willingness to engage in future innovation projects. Frontiers in Psychology. volum 14.
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Van de Ven, Andrew H.. (2021) Generating Theory by Abduction. Academy of Management Review. volum 46 (4).
Academic article
Morais-Storz, Marta; Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2020) Post-failure success: sensemaking in problem representation reformulation. Journal of Product Innovation Management. volum 37 (6).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Nguyen, Nhien. (2019) Organizational ambidexterity: two modes of learning. Learning Organization. volum 26 (4).
Editorial
Sæther, Erik Andreas; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2017) The impact of individual motivations on idea submission and future motivation to participate in an organization's virtual idea campaign. Creativity and Innovation Management. volum 26 (4).
Academic article
Branstad, Are; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2016) Venture creation and award-winning technology through co-produced incubation. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. volum 23 (1).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Brun, Eric Christian. (2013) Ambiguity and learning in the innovation process: Managing exploitation-exploitation by balancing creativity and constraint revisited. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM). volum 10 (4).
Academic article
Daly, John A.; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Brun, Eric Christian. (2012) Killing mushrooms: The realpolitik of terminating innovation projects. International Journal of Innovation Management. volum 16 (5).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Brun, Eric Christian. (2012) Strategic management of innovation: managing exploration-exploitation by balancing creativity and constraint. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM). volum 9 (4).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2010) The Challenge of Doing Corporatized Research Revisited: Contrivances and the Presentation of Self. Qualitative Inquiry. volum 16 (1).
Academic article
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2009) Managing ambiguity in new product development projects. Creativity and Innovation Management. volum 18 (1).
Academic article
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Gjelsvik, Martin. (2009) Classification of ambiguity in new product development projects. European Journal of Innovation Management. volum 12 (1).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Wiggins, Joel; Atkinson, Ola Thomas; Atkinson, Beate Kristin Ellerås. (2009) University spin-offs as technology transfer: A comparative study among Norway, the United States, and Sweden. Comparative Technology Transfer and Society. volum 7 (2).
Academic article
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2008) Ambibuity reduction in new product development projects. International Journal of Innovation Management. volum 12 (4).
Academic article
Brun, Eric Christian; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Gjelsvik, Martin. (2008) Benefits of ambiguity in new product development. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM). volum 5 (3).
Academic article
Stephens, Keri; Sørnes, Jan Oddvar; Rice, Ronald E.; Browning, Larry D.; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2008) Discrete, Sequential, and Follow-Up Use of Information and Communication Technology by Experienced ICT Users. Management Communication Quarterly. volum 22 (2).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Browning, Larry; Stephens, Keri. (2007) Enacting media use in organizations. Journal of Information, Information Technology, and Organizations. volum 2.
Academic article
Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Stephens, Keri; Browning, Larry; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2005) A reflexive model of ict practices in organizations. Informing Science. volum 8.
Academic article
Sørnes, Jan Oddvar; Stephens, K.K.; Browning, Larry D.; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2005) A reflexive model of ICT practices in organizations. Informing Science. volum 8 (1).
Academic article
Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Stephens, Keri; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Browning, Larry. (2004) Leveling differences and reinforcing similarities: The impact of Information and Communication Technologies on national culture. Informing Science. volum 7 (1).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2003) Entrepreneurial Perspectives on Informal Venture Capital. Venture Capital : an International Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance. volum 5 (1).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Erikson, Truls. (2003) Dealcrafting the right capital for a venture: the case of Deep Sea Fishing Inc. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. volum 4 (3).
Academic article
Sætre, Alf Steinar. (1996) The new American workplace: The impact of information technology education and demographics. The Mirror.
Popular scientific article

Books

Aspelund, Arild; Moen, Øystein; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørheim, Roger; Widding, Lars Øystein. (2009) Teknologibasert nyskaping i Norge. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 2009. ISBN 978-82-519-2481-8.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2009) Kommunikasjon i organisasjoner: Perspektiver og prosesser. Fagbokforlaget. 2009. ISBN 978-82-450-0277-5.
Academic monograph
Browning, Larry; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Stephens, Keri; Sørnes, Jan-oddvar. (2008) Information and Communication Technologies in Action: Linking Theory and Narratives of Practice. Routledge. 2008. ISBN 0415965470.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings

Part of book/report

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Brun, Eric Christian. (2020) Managing exploration–exploitation. Managing medical technological innovations : Exploring multiple perspectives.
Chapter
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Erikson, Truls. (2011) Deep Sea Fishing Inc.: Acquiring the 'right' capital for a new technology-based firm. Entrepreneurship: Perspectives and cases.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Brun, Eric Christian; Gjelsvik, Martin. (2009) Håndtering av tvetydighet i de tidligste fasene i innovasjonsprosessen. Teknologibasert nyskaping i Norge.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Sørnes, Jan-oddvar; Stephens, Keri; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Browning, Larry. (2009) The reflexivity between ICTs and business culture: Applying Hofstede's Theory to Compare Norway and The United States. Organizational Communication and Technology: Information and Communication Technology Use in Organizations in Norway and the United States.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Stephens, Keri. (2006) Tricking Your Customers Without Cheating Them: Minimal Details as an Information Strategy. Case Studies in Organizational Communication: Ethical Perspectives and Practices.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørnes, Jan-oddvar. (2006) Working at Home and Playing at Work: Using ICTs to Break Down the Barriers Between Home and Work. Case Studies in Organizational Communication: Ethical Perspectives and Practices.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

Report

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2001) Intrapreneurship: An exploratory study of select norwegian industries. 2001.
Report
Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2001) The Demand Side of The Informal Venture Capital Market: Four Norwegian Cases. 2001.
Report
reitan, bjørnar; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Sørheim, Roger. (2000) Kartlegging av rammebetingelser og markedsmekanismer for private investorer i utvalgte land. 2000.
Report

Teaching

Courses

Dr. Sætre teaches and lectures on such topics as:

Innovation Management and Strategy (TIØ 4180)
Enganged Scholarship (ØK8101) co-taught with Andrew Van de Ven
Communication and Negotiations
Organizational adaptation and strategy
Exploration and Exploitation
Organizing for Innovation

In January 2019, Sætre was pleased to be awarded Indøk's Lecturer of the Year for 2018.

Media

Kommunikasjon i organisasjoner perspektiver og prosesser

Boka gir leseren en bred oversikt over fagfeltet samt et grunnlag for å bedre egne ferdigheter til å kommunisere i og utenfor organisasjoner. Boka kobler teorien i hvert kapittel med relevante problemstillinger i dagens organisasjoner.

PIMS Executive Forum in Innovation Management and Innovation Strategy

Three or four times a year, we bring together a small group of executives from each of the participating companies with leading thinkers and scholars in the fields of innovation and strategy to discuss central issues in innovation management and strategy.

2019

Academic lecture

Morais-Storz, Marta; Sætre, Alf Steinar; Edmondson, Amy C.. (2019) Unpacking Strategic Problem Formulation in Top Management Teams. Academy of Management Annual Meeting ; Boston. 2019-08-09 - 2019-08-13.

2018

Academic lecture

Morais-Storz, Marta; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2018) A behavioral measure of strategic problem formulation: scale development and validation. DRUID 18 Academic Conference ; Copenhagen. 2018-06-11 - 2018-06-13.

2016

Academic lecture

Morais-Storz, Marta; Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2016) The power of failure to ignite sensemaking and problem setting. DRUID 16 Conference . DRUID; Copenhagen. 2016-06-13 - 2016-06-15.
Academic lecture

Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2016) Bringing new knowledge into the organization: Scanning, framing and connecting. The XXVII ISPIM Innovation Conference: Blending Tomorrow’s Innovation Vintage . ISPIM; Porto. 2016-06-19 - 2016-06-22.

2015

Academic lecture

Harrison, J. Richard; Kemp, Ayenda; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) PR Landscapes for strategic search. SMS 35th Annual International Conference - Strategy Expanding: Making Sense of Shifting Field and Firm Boundaries . Strategic Management Society; Denver, CO. 2015-10-03 - 2015-10-06.
Academic lecture

Nguyen, Min Thu Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) How size of failure affects learning from it in innovation. The 75th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management . . The Academy of Management; Vancouver. 2015-08-07 - 2015-08-11.
Academic lecture

Nguyen, Minh Thu Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) How size of failure affects learning from failure in innovation. The 75th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management . AOM committee; Vancouver, British Columbia. 2015-08-07 - 2015-08-11.
Academic lecture

Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) How failure size affects learning in innovation. DRUID15 . DRUID society and LUISS University; Rome. 2015-06-15 - 2015-06-17.
Academic lecture

Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) How size of failure affects learning from failure in innovation. Research School Conference 2016 . The National Research School in Business Economics and Admin; Trondheim. 2015-08-25 - 2015-08-26.
Academic lecture

Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) How size of failure affects learning from it in innovation. NORSI conference . NORSI; Trondheim. 2015-05-06 - 2015-05-07.
Academic lecture

Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) Learning from failure: The impact of size. SCANCOR Friday seminar . Scandinavian Consortium for Organizational Research; Stanford University. 2015-12-04 - 2015-12-04.
Academic lecture

Nguyen, Nhien; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2015) The effect of failures' size on learning from them: Implication for innovation. The 2015 EGOS Colloquium . EGOS committee and ALBA Graduate Business School; Athens. 2015-07-02 - 2015-07-04.

2014

Academic lecture

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Harrison, J. Richard; Brun, Eric Christian. (2014) Innovation strategy and the management of ambiguity: A simulation approach. 30th EGOS Colloquium . EGOS; Rotterdam. 2014-07-03 - 2014-07-05.

2013

Interview

Gjerde, Anne Skalleberg; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2013) Døren på gløtt for forskere. Dagens Næringsliv [Avis]. 2013-08-12.
Interview

Myklemyr, Anita; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2013) Geniforklarer Amazon sjefen. Ukeavisen Ledelse [Avis]. 2013-11-01.
Interview

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Myklemyr, Anita. (2013) Se opp for forstyrrende innovasjon. Ukeavisen Ledelse [Avis]. 2013-06-14.

2012

Interview

Braathen, Frøydis; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2012) Facebook ikke lenger fy på jobb. Nyhetene 24 [Internett]. 2012-08-10.
Interview

Braathen, Frøydis; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2012) Facebook ikke lenger fy på jobb. Aftenposten [Avis]. 2012-08-10.
Interview

Meland, Svein Inge; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2012) Innovasjonsutdanning i verdensklasse. Adresseavisen [Avis]. 2012-09-15.
Interview

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Grøttum, Eva-Therese. (2012) Skei Grande er Twitter-dronningen. VG Nett [Internett]. 2012-12-30.
Interview

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Meland, Svein Inge. (2012) Verdenseliten med når NTNU starter forskerskole. Adresseavisen [Avis]. 2012-01-30.
Interview

Sætre, Alf Steinar; Olsen, Ole N.; Larsen, Sissel Kruse. (2012) Youtube-video har en halv milliard klikk: - Disse to har skutt gullfuglen. VG [Avis]. 2012-04-04.
Interview

Tonstad, Per Lars; Hansen, Jon Terje Hellgren; Sætre, Alf Steinar. (2012) Innovasjon - Hard nøtt for ledere. Magasinet Tekna [Avis]. 2012-04-15.