Field of work

Ola's research examines civil society organizations and their role within societies. He studies how nonprofit organizations are shaped by institutional logics, how ideas, talk and action relate to one another, and how governance, independence, co-production and resource conditions influence organizational practices. A recurring theme is the distinctiveness of nonprofit organizations and how this distinctiveness is expressed, challenged or reshaped in encounters with state regulation, market mechanisms and professional norms. Ola works with both qualitative and quantitative methods and participate in several ongoing projects, including studies of co-production in welfare services, municipal guidelines, and working conditions in the nonprofit sector. He is also active in international research networks and serve as a guest editor for special issues on civil society education.

In his teaching, he contributes to and leads courses at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, typically focusing on organization, leadership and the institutional conditions of civil society. He supervises students across multiple levels and places strong emphasis on bridging research and practice. Ola's pedagogical approach aims to strengthen students’ analytical capacity and to prepare them for work within or in relation to complex nonprofit and welfare-oriented settings.

He collaborates extensively with nonprofit organizations, public agencies and other societal actors through lectures, commissioned reports, training programs and research partnerships. Ola has led leadership and quality development programs, contributed to government-commissioned studies, and conducted analyses for welfare and civil society organizations. Collaboration is a core component of his research profile.