Jonathan Schunnesson successfully defended his doctoral dissertation
18 September, 2025
On September 15th, Jonathan Schunnesson defended his doctoral dissertation in a packed KAW on the subject of young professionals and their navigation of work life.
Through his studies, he shows how young professionals pursue flexibility and opportunity, often at the expense of stability and direction, to avoid getting caught in commitments that might limit their future. This approach has implications for their sense of identity, their career thinking, and their engagement in work, as they come to orient themselves around performance and employability rather than any single workplace, profession, or organization. He ties this finding to a broader observation: the social contract, that hard work and dedication will lead to fulfilling careers and job security, is increasingly met with disbelief among the younger generation.
In his thesis, he worked with both quantitative and qualitative methods, going through surveys, collecting diaries and conducting interviews with young professionals. He found that engagement in the job generally increases with age and career stage, that young professionals stretch the boundaries of performance across life when falling short of their own standards, and that they try to optimize their future by maximizing their prospects in the present.
The findings were keenly discussed during the defense. Questions were raised as to why this phenomenon occurs now, what role recruiters and organizations play in this process, and how this varies across different occupations and contexts. Many ideas for future expansions of the study emerged from this discussion. This fact, as well as the crowded room, bear witness to the importance of the topic, and after all, work and identity are subjects that we all can relate to.
On behalf of the department, Jonathan Schunnesson is warmly congratulated on finishing his doctoral studies at SSE! Sincere thanks are also due to the opponent Professor Jana Costas (Europauniversität Viadrina Frankfurt Oder) and the assessment committee consisting of Professor Laura Empson (Bayes Business School, City St George's University London), Professor Stefan Haefliger and Professor Emma Bell (both SSE).
Schunnesson has already stepped into the next phase of his academic career, collaborating with Associate Professor Emma Nordbäck and Associate Professor Katja Einola (SSE) in their new research project about hybrid work, while also continuing in his teaching capacities at SSE. We are glad and grateful to have him with us for some time yet!
More photos from the defense and mingle
