Torbjørn Hekneby

Torbjørn Hekneby is an Associate Professor at the Department of Strategy and Management, University of Agder, and Head of the Department of Management and Innovation. He teaches on the Executive MBA program at the School of Business and Law. His research focuses on change management, organizational learning in multinational companies, and implementation of Lean systems in process industries. He holds a PhD (2021) on Lean implementation and has extensive consulting experience in organizational development across private and public sectors.

Education:

• PhD in Management (2021), University of Agder
• Army War College graduate
• Studies in organizational psychology
• Sports degree and elite sports coaching background

Research Themes: Hekneby's work bridges academia and practice, emphasizing:

• Lean Production Systems: Designing company-specific XPS frameworks for global industries
• Organizational Learning: Leadership roles in knowledge transfer across MNCs
• Ethics & Governance: Past contributions to anti-doping policies in sports organizations
• Cross-Cultural Management: Global cultural adaptation of production systems

Collaborations: His research with Elkem ASA illustrates real-world applications of orchestrated learning and global process improvement strategies. No scientific awards are specifically cited, but his work has been published in reputable journals like Learning Organization and International Journal of Lean Six Sigma.