Employee Profile

Pål Nygaard

Professor

Department of Law and Governance

Image of Pål Nygaard

Biography

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I am a business historian with special interest in the professional history of engineers, history of technology and management history. I have a masters degree from University of Oslo and PhD from Oslo University College of Applied Sciences. I wrote a master thesis on the engineers' role in Norsk Hydro, and expanded on the same topic with my PhD-thesis on the professional history of norwegian engineers. I have written a book on the history of the norwegian road administration 1912-1960.

In my research, I have an affinity towards ideal-typical concepts and transnational history. Currently, I am working on systems of innovation, digitalization and software history. In addition, I have a special interest in the history of road construction and traffic regulation, currently working on projects related to WW2 on this topic.

Publications

Shows 5 of 16 publication(s)

Anthology Pål Nygaard, Knut Grove, Håvard Brede Aven (2025)

Teknologibyggerne. SINTEF 1950-2025

Fagbokforlaget

Chapter Pål Nygaard, Knut Grove, Håvard Brede Aven (2025)

SINTEF og SINTEF-modellen

Kunnskap og politikk: Forskning, forvaltning og forskningsinstitutter p. 188-210 Doi: https://doi.org/10.55669/oa5301

Article Pål Nygaard, Trond Holmen Erlien, Tine Petersen Malonæs (2023)

The role of projects in shaping businesses capabilities and structure since the 1960s

Business History p. 1-24 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2023.2204230

Management & Organizational History 15(3) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17449359.2020.1758148

Chapter Tina Åsgård, Pål Nygaard (2019)

From Theoretical to Practical Competence on Health and Safety

Volume 2 - 10th Nordic Conference on Construction Economics and Organization p. 473-479 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/S2516-285320190000002046

Chapter Haldor Byrkjeflot, Pål Nygaard (2018)

How and Why Management Has Not Become a Profession

Professionalizing Leadership. Debating Education, Certification and Practice p. 49-68 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71785-2_3

Historisk tidsskrift 97(4) p. 316-336 Doi: https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.1504-2944-2018-04-03

Anthology Kristin Alsos, Åsmund Arup Seip, Pål Nygaard (2016)

I arbeidsfredens tjeneste. Arbeidsretten 100 år.

Pax Forlag

Historikere i oppdrag. Festskrift til Trond Bergh, Sverre Knutsen og Lars Thue i anledning 70-årsdagen i 2015 og 2016

Fortidsminneforeningens årbok 2016 p. 101-116

Næringsliv og historie p. 125-144

Profesjonshistorier p. 177-208

Dreyer Forlag A/S

Professions and Professionalism 2(1) p. 11-26 Doi: https://doi.org/10.7577/pp.v2i1.164

Historisk tidsskrift 90(2) p. 275-279

Shows 5 of 11 publication(s)

Feature article Melina Antonia Buns, Pål Nygaard (2022)

25 millioner til atomforskning er et dyrt villspor

Feature article Pål Nygaard (2017)

De ukjente datapionérene

Feature article Pål Nygaard (2015)

Tiåret de norske veiene ble forsømt

Feature article Pål Nygaard (2015)

Veiselskapet - en oppklaring

Feature article Pål Nygaard (2015)

I ubehagelig veiselskap

Interview Pål Nygaard (2014)

De usynlige arbeiderne

Interview Pål Nygaard (2014)

Dagens gjest. Her og nå

Feature article Pål Nygaard (2014)

Kunne de stoppet massedrap?

Feature article Pål Nygaard (2010)

Hvorfor er så få kvinner ingeniører?

Shows 5 of 47 publication(s)

Conference lecture Trond Holmen Erlien, Tine Petersen Malonæs, Pål Nygaard (2025)

The paradoxes of becoming a project based firm. A case study of Aker Stord, 1960-2020.

Annual Congress of the European Business History Association

Conference lecture Trond Holmen Erlien, Tine Petersen Malonæs, Pål Nygaard (2024)

Projectification by demand. The Norwegian shipbuilding industry, 1950-2000.

European Business History Association (EBHA) Annual Congress 2024

ICOHTEC congress

Norske Historiedager 2022

World Congress of Business History

Conference lecture Pål Nygaard, Adoración Álvaro Moya (2021)

The engineering-way to top management positions. Norway and Spain, 1950s-1990s

World Congress of Business History

Handelshøyskolen BI

Lecture Pål Nygaard, Tine Petersen Malonæs, Trond Erlien (2019)

Projectification of business and its implications for business history

European Business History Association Annual Congress

European Business History Association Annual Congress 2019

European Business History Association 22nd Annual Congress

Teknologihistorisk gruppe i TEKNA

The 7th Norwegian Conference on the History of Science

Article Pål Nygaard (2017)

Vegvesenet under okkupasjonen

Norgeshistorie.no

Norske historiedager

Conference lecture Pål Nygaard, Haldor Byrkjeflot (2017)

How and why management has not (yet) become a profession

33rd EGOS Colloquium

European Business History Association 21st annual congress

Mare Aqua Vitae: Nye perspektiver på akevittens historie

Interim Conference of the ISA Research Committee 52, Sociology of Professional Groups

EBHA World Congress of Business History

Profesjonsetisk årskonferanse 2016: Profesjon, teknologi og etikk

Conference lecture Pål Nygaard (2016)

Creating OLGA - why certain technologies prevail

S.Net meeting The Co-Production of Emerging Bodies, Politics and Technologies

Forskningskonferanse med Norsk olje- og gassarkiv & Norsk Oljemuseum

Conference lecture Pål Nygaard (2016)

Vei:Fra hestetransport til motorisert ferdsel

Samkultsymposium

Temaomvisning på Norsk vegmuseum

Seminar og boklansering av "Store drømmer - harde realiteter

Forum for politi, rett og historie

Article Pål Nygaard (2014)

Veiarbeidernes glemte streik

Klassekampen

Conference lecture Pål Nygaard (2013)

Andre verdenskrig sett fra Vegdirektoratet

Arbeid på vegen. Vegvesenet og Organisation Todt 1940-45

Teknologihistorisk gruppe

Conference lecture Pål Nygaard (2011)

Professionalization of engineers. The case of Norway

Professions, expertise and the knowledge society

Third conference on the history of science in Norway

Forum for kunnskapshistorie

Article Pål Nygaard (2008)

Kuppet som endret ingeniørenes historie

Magasinet Tekna p. 28-29

Article Pål Nygaard (2008)

Sivilingeniør: Tittelen ingen ville ha

Magasinet Tekna p. 28-29

5th Interim Conference of the International Sociological Association

Article Pål Nygaard (2008)

Da nazistene splittet ingeniørene

Magasinet Tekna p. 28-29

Academic Degrees
Year Academic Department Degree
2012 Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences Ph.D.
2003 University of Oslo Master Cand. Philol.
2000 University of Oslo Bachelor
Work Experience
Year Employer Job Title
2015 - Present BI Norwegian Business School Researcher
2014 - 2015 Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences Researcher
2014 - 2014 Fafo Researcher
2012 - 2014 BI Norwegian Business School Researcher
2012 - 2012 Fafo Researcher
2011 - 2012 Senter for profesjonsstudier, HiOA Researcher
2007 - 2011 Senter for profesjonsstudier, HiOA PhD candidate
2005 - 2007 Politiets utlendingsenhet Arkivmedarbeider