Dr. Aleksandra Kekkonen is an Associate Professor and head of Green, Circular Economy and Resources Knowledge Team at the Development and Innovation Unit of Estonian Business School. She is a transdisciplinary researcher, trainer and sustainability consultant whose work focuses on supporting organisations and communities in the transition towards more sustainable and circular economic models. Her research combines academic rigour with practical engagement, contributing to policy development, higher education and industry collaboration in the fields of sustainability, green transition and circular economy.
Dr Kekkonen's research examines company green transition, community engagement and sustainability awareness across different stakeholder groups. She has extensive experience in interdisciplinary research, project development and international collaboration, with expertise spanning green economy, sustainable development, human capital, innovation, regional development and macroeconomics. Alongside her research, she contributes to curriculum development, sustainability education and capacity-building initiatives at national and international levels.
Areas of Expertise
- Green economy and sustainable development
- Circular economy and circular business transition
- Company green transition and sustainability strategies
- Sustainability literacy and stakeholder engagement
- Human capital and regional development
- Innovation and macroeconomics
- Qualitative research methods
- Survey and interview design, data collection and analysis
- Project development, fundraising and international collaboration
- Higher education teaching and curriculum development
Recent publications
Selected recent publications include:
- Performance Challenges in Organizational Sustainability (co-editor, Springer, 2024).
- Pesor, R., Täks, M., & Kekkonen, A. (2024). Factors shaping Estonian entrepreneurs’ green transition awareness. Business Strategy and the Environment, 1–20.
- Kekkonen, A., Pesor, R., & Täks, M. (2023). Stepping towards the green transition: Challenges and opportunities of Estonian companies. Sustainability, 15(4172).
- Wojtczuk-Turek, A. et al. (2024). Sustainable human resource management and job satisfaction—Unlocking the power of organizational identification: A cross-cultural perspective from 54 countries. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.
- Wojtczuk-Turek, A. et al. (2026). Putting Sustainable Human Resource Management and Workplace Eudaimonic Well-being into Cross-Cultural Context. European Management Journal.
Ongoing and recent projects
Dr Kekkonen has contributed to and led research within several national and international projects, including:
- From Regional Relevance to Transnational Value (FutureFoodS / Estonian Research Council, 2026–2029), exploring resilient regional food systems.
- Creating Opportunities for Resilience, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Training in European Forestry (Erasmus+, 2026–2028).
- Learning to be Green (L2BGreen) (Erasmus+, 2024–2027), developing AI-enhanced multilingual learning for green entrepreneurship.
- A Nordic Baltic Sustainable Framework for Sustainable Food Systems (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2024–2026).
- The Impact of Green Transition on External Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia).
- Innovative Finance Inclusion in Academia and Field (IFI) (Erasmus+, 2021–2023).
Awards and Honors
- EBS Green Ambassador 2022