Espen Ekberg is Professor of Economic History at the Centre for Business History (CBH) at BI. Ekberg holds a Master's degree in Sociology and a Ph.D. (Dr.polit) in Economic History, both from the University of Oslo.
His main research interests include financial history, maritime history, the history of retailing and historiography. He has published several books, book chapters as well as articles in leading journals such as Business History, Journal of Global History and International Journal of Maritime History.
Ekberg is the former President of the Scandinavian Society for Economic and Social History (2022-2024). From 2019-2022 he was Editor-in-Chief of the Scandinavian Economic History Review (with Fransisco Beltrán Tapia, NTNU). He previously held a position as researcher and associate professsor at the Centre for Business History (2012-2018) and as Post doctoral research fellow at the University of Agder/University of Oslo (2009-2012).
The current state of Nordic business history is by certain estimates better than ever. Nordic business historians publish extensively in leading international journals and have a strong presence at international business history conferences. Still, in this discussion article we raise a yellow flag of warning for the future of Nordic business history. We argue that the subject field is challenged along three important dimensions: (i) lack of relevant teaching, (ii) continued reliance on commissioned history and (iii) limited recruitment. The article discusses these challenges and seeks to place them in a historical perspective. For each challenge, we develop a set of concrete proposals to address the problems identified. A common theme in our proposed solutions is to intensify Nordic collaboration, particularly through the establishment of common, externally funded Nordic research projects. To create meeting grounds for the development of such projects, The Scandinavian Society for Economic and Social History – the formal collaborative body for Nordic economic historians and the owner of Scandinavian Economic History Review – should be reinvigorated.
Ekberg, Espen & Jensen, Kristoffer (2018)
The non-globalisation of modern food retailing: the case of the failed Coop Norden merger
By discussing the creation and subsequent failure of Coop Norden, set up by the Scandinavian consumer co-operatives in 2002 as a common wholesale and food retail enterprise, this article provides insights into the nature of the Scandinavian food retail sector and co-operative enterprises in an era of globalisation. The article combines recent research on the globalisation of retailing with the academic literature on the economic position and development of consumer co-operative enterprises. The article concludes that the failure of Coop Norden can be seen as the natural consequence of two inherent problems: 1. A flawed vision among co-operative managers on how globalisation would impact retailing and 2. A misalignment between Danish, Norwegian and Swedish co-operative agendas. The article is based on comprehensive studies of the internal co-operative archives in Denmark and Norway.
Recent reviewers of the current state and future direction of business history have complained that, despite the growth of business history as a distinct academic discipline in recent decades, the field has tended to become side-lined in a number of debates which traditionally have been of major concern to business and economic historians. The paper discusses this issue by focusing on one of the major fields of research among economic historians and social scientists in recent years, namely the history of economic globalisation, and specifically the spectacular growth in international trade characterising the process. The history of economic globalisation and the causes of international trade growth has been a flourishing field of research in recent years, but business historians have not managed to make their mark on the major debates. We argue that one way of altering this situation would be to reinvigorate the old established link between business history and maritime history. We present two case studies showing how maritime firms played essential roles in putting in place vital organisational, technological and institutional preconditions for international trade growth. On this basis we argue that business historians of maritime firms are uniquely placed to understand the inner workings of the economic globalisation process and provide explanatory content to the macro oriented analysis dominating the existing literature.
Ekberg, Espen (2012)
Confronting three revolutions: Western European consumer co-operatives and their divergent development, 1950-2008
This article analyses the divergent development of Western European consumer co-operatives in the period from 1950 to 2008. It asks how some consumer co-ops throughout the post-war years manage to defend and even strengthen their market share and increase their membership while others saw both market shares and membership decline or evaporate. To analyse this question the paper offers a comparative analysis of three selected consumer co-ops; one case where consumer co-ops developed positively (Norway), one case showing consumer co-operative collapse (Germany) and one case where there has been quite substantial decline but no collapse (United Kingdom). The overall argument propounded is that the success or decline of these co-ops was intimately linked to how they confronted three parallel transformations in the post-war food retail market: the ‘supermarket revolution’, the ‘chain store revolution’ and the ‘consumer revolution’. The divergent ability to confront these challenges was related both to external and internal factors.
Ekberg, Espen (2012)
Organization: top down or bottom up? The organizational development of consumer co-operatives, 1950-2000
Consumer Co-operation and the Transformation of Modern Food Retailing: The British and Norwegian Consumer Co-operative Movement in Comparison, 1950-2002
, s. 51- 66.
Ekberg, Espen & Merok, Eivind (2009)
Norwegian Shipping in the Port of Liverpool, 1855-1895: Niche Specialization and Anglo-Norwegian Networks
Coop Øst, 1991-2020. Et samvirkelag i krise – og vekst?
[Report Research].
Ekberg, Espen; Wilson, John, Webster, Anthony & Skurnik, Samuli (2023)
Consumer co-operation around the world: ‘Strategic renewal’ since 1980?
[Professional Article]. 56(2) , s. 35- 40.
Ekberg, Espen (2018)
To containerise or not to containerise? Norwegian shipping companies and the container revolution, 1960-2000
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2017)
Finansialisering på norsk
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen & Jensen, Kristoffer (2017)
The non-globalisation of modern food retailing: the case of the failed Coop Norden merger
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2016)
The transition from bulk to specialized shipping: a business history perspective
[Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2015)
Consumer co-operatives in the Nordic countries. Why have they been so succesfull?
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2015)
From national fire insurance to international reinsurane. The internationalisation of the Norwegian insurance company Stoebrand during the intewar years.
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2012)
Consumer Co-operatives in the Nordic region, 1950-2010
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2012)
Consumer co-operatives in the Nordic countries, 1950-2010
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2012)
To containerise or not to containerise? Norwegian shipping companies and the container revolution, 1960-2000
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2011)
The foray of Norwegian shipowners into car carrier shipping, 1960-2008
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2010)
Organisation: top down or bottom up? The organisational development of consumer co-operatives
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen & Merok, Eivind (2010)
Partners in World Trade: Anglo-Norwegian shipping networks, 1855-1905
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2010)
Scandinavian shipping and the global niches
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2010)
Ut av krise: Spesialisering og markedsutvikling i norsk skipsfart: 1970-2010
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen & Iversen, Martin Jes (2010)
Global Shipping – Is there a Nordic model? A comparative research project on Nordic shipping, 1960-2010
[Popular Science Article]. (December) , s. 266- 269.
Ekberg, Espen & Lange, Even (2009)
Mapping the growth of the Norwegian offshore shipping industry, 1970-2005
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen & Lange, Even (2009)
The non-containerisation of the Norwegian fleet - why Norwegian ship-owners failed to take advantage of the container revolution
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen & Merok, Eivind (2009)
Shipping from the Periphery: The Norwegian Experience, 1850-1913
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Merok, Eivind & Ekberg, Espen (2008)
Norwegian maritime expansion in the 19th century: Existing explanations and some new explorations
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Merok, Eivind & Ekberg, Espen (2008)
Sail to steam revisited: Market specialisation of the Norwegian fleet, 1880-1914
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2006)
Forbrukersamvirkets historie i Norge
[Popular Science Article]. (4) , s. 28- 41.
Lange, Even; Ekberg, Espen & Merok, Eivind (2006)
A successful latecomer: Growth and transformation of the Norwegian consumer co-operatives 1920-2000
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen; Lange, Even & Vatnaland, Jon (2006)
The Dynamics of Success and Failure: The Failed Expansions of the Norwegian Consumer Co-operatives 1990-2000
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen (2005)
Challenges to the Consumer Co-operative movement in Post War Europe: The British and Norwegian consumer co-operative movement in comparison, 1950-2002
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Ekberg, Espen & Vatnaland, Jon (2003)
Strukturendringer i norsk finanssektor. Fragmentering, makt og styringsavmakt i skjæringspunktet mellom næringsliv og politikk
[Report Research].
Ekberg, Espen & Vatnaland, Jon (2003)
Visjonen som brast : Forbrukersamvirkets møbelsatsing 1993-2001
[Report Research].
Det eksisterer lite forskning som systematisk beskriver og analyserer drivkreftene bak større tapsprosjekter i næringslivet. Denne rapporten tar for seg Forbrukersamvirkets forsøk på å etablere en landsdekkende forbrukereid møbelkjede. Satsingen foregikk fra 1993 til 2001 og var et ledd i organisasjonens langsiktige strategi om å utvide virksomheten til ulike faghandelsbransjer. Satsingen ble drevet av Norges Kooperative Landsforening (NKL), gjennom Det norske Møbelsenter. Satsingen var imidlertid ikke vellykket og samlet sett tapte NKL omlag 400 millioner kroner på engasjementet i møbelbransjen. Rapporten beskriver hendelsesforløpet i detalj. Videre gir rapporten en analyse av årsakene til at satsingen ikke lyktes. Konklusjonen er at satsingen bar preg av flere uheldige disposisjoner som samlet sett resulterte i en betydelig omsetningssvikt i butikkene. For det første vektlegges den raske veksten i prosjektets tidlige fase. Denne medførte betydelige økonomiske og organisatoriske problemer. Videre innebar samarbeidet med det private selskapet Idé Skeidar flere svært uheldige konsekvenser. Blant annet sviktet engrossystemet, den styringsmessige kontrollen ble svekket og organisasjonen mistet motivasjon og salgsfokus. Til slutt vektlegges de stadige reorganiseringene. Disse resulterte i tap av rutiner, redusert arbeidsmiljøkvalitet og ytterligere tap av salgsfokus. Det formelle ansvaret for satsingen påligger styret og representantskapet i NKL. Samtidig drøftes forhold som kan tilsi at administrasjonen i NKL har hatt en betydelig faktisk innflytelse over sentrale beslutninger. Det er imidlertid få forhold som taler for at den kooperative driftsformen i seg selv var en årsak til utfallet. De mer overordnede årsakene må knyttes til andre faktorer. For det første gikk NKL her inn i en ny bransje uten tilstrekkelig kompetanse og forståelse for denne. For det andre forsøkte NKL på feil grunnlag å revolusjonere driftsformene i denne bransjen. For det tredje var NKL svært utålmodig i forhold til resultatene. Endelig skapte styringsstrukturene problemer med å oppnå en hensiktsmessig styring og ledelse av kjeden.
Academic Degrees
Year
Academic Department
Degree
2008
University of Oslo
Ph.D.
2002
University of Oslo
Master Cand. Polit.
Work Experience
Year
Employer
Job Title
2020 - Present
School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
