Arild Wæraas

Arild Wæraas serves as Professor of public policy and administration at Oslomet Business School within the Faculty of Social Sciences at Oslomet - Oslo Metropolitan University. His office is located at Pilestredet 35, 0166 Oslo (Office PI641) with contact information including phone +47 672 35 509 and email arild.waeraas@oslomet.no.

Wæraas earned his PhD in political science from the University of Tromsø in 2004, establishing his foundation in organizational dynamics within public sector contexts. His research program centers on organizational studies with particular emphasis on public organizations, examining how these entities interact with their environments across healthcare, state agencies, regulatory bodies, and higher education sectors.

Professor Wæraas investigates critical questions about reputation management, organizational branding, identity construction, and the diffusion of management concepts. Theoretically, he draws extensively from new institutional theory, particularly the Scandinavian institutional school, providing a distinctive framework for understanding organizational behavior in Nordic welfare states. His work bridges theoretical sophistication with practical relevance for organizational leaders and public administrators.

His scholarly output demonstrates remarkable consistency with 56 scientific publications, 3 research reports, and 19 dissemination pieces. Recent work (2023-2025) shows significant productivity across high-impact journals including Journal of Management Studies, Public Management Review, and Harvard Business Review, with a consistent focus on values-based leadership, organizational identity, and civil society organizations' role in welfare service provision.

Wæraas has made notable methodological contributions to value research, particularly through his development of thematic analysis approaches for studying organizational values. His work provides practical guidance for organizations seeking to authentically implement core values rather than creating superficial value statements.

Within the Public administration and governance department, Wæraas contributes to the Organization and Management in the Public Sector research group. His expertise in institutional theory and organizational identity offers valuable perspective for understanding contemporary challenges in public sector management and nonprofit governance.