About Step

Academic workplaces are becoming increasingly international. At NHH, the number of international employees has grown steadily in recent years, spanning all roles—from administrative staff to professors.

The STEP project aims to better understand how to include and support international employees as they transition into more senior roles.

When talented employees feel unsupported, they are more likely to leave. Diverse and well-supported teams are more innovative and productive, and inclusive workplaces are better positioned to generate the knowledge society needs.

STEP work packages

STEP is organised into three work packages:

• STEP Together focuses on cross-cultural communication, equipping staff with practical tools to communicate more inclusively across cultures, generations, and professional backgrounds.
• STEP Up focuses on career development, supporting new and international faculty in navigating the unwritten norms of academic life and identifying pathways to permanent positions and leadership roles.
• STEP Well addresses work–life balance by exploring the challenges staff face and offering evidence-based workshops on sustainable ways of working.

Project team

The project team is interdisciplinary and consists of 

• Krisztina Molnar, Dept. of Economics 
• Malin Arve, Dept. of Business and Management Science
• Evelina Gavrilova-Zoutman, Dept. of Business and Management Science
• Annelise Ly, Dept. of Professional and Intercultural Communication

The project is funded by NFR and part of Balanse Hub