Strategic Management, People, and Knowledge in Organisations (SMPKO) direction develops and promotes scientific and applied research in strategic management, HR management, psychology, and sustainability by developing the scientific activity of FEB’s academic programmes and engaging students/graduates/collaboration partners in research.
Business modelling, dynamic capabilities, human capital, and value innovation for competitive business advantages have seen rapid development in management science over last twenty years. The research focuses on creating and developing competitive advantage based on the ability to apply and transform the company’s resources, including human capital, knowledge, and culture, for companies to adapt to changing market conditions optimally, responsibly, and promptly.
Leading researchers: Professor, Lead Researcher, Dr Andrejs Čirjevskis, Professor, Lead Researcher, Dr. Iveta Ludviga
Business modelling, dynamic capabilities and value innovation leading to a competitive advantage for a company have seen rapid development in strategic management science over the last twenty years. The subject of research focuses on the creation and development of competitive advantage based on the ability to apply and transform the company’s resources (including cultural resources) and will illustrate the dynamic ability of the company to adapt to changing market conditions optimally and in a timely manner.
The real options theory has experienced dynamic global development in recent years. The inclusion of real options analysis allows one to assess more optimal strategic alternatives, more profitable investment projects and to identify the most important drivers of business value creation.
The aim of the field is to promote scientific research in strategic management by developing the scientific activity of the academic Bachelor’s programme “European Business Studies”, Master’s programmes “Strategic Business Management”, “Health Management”, “Sports Management” and Doctoral programme “Business Management”, involving students, graduates and cooperation partners in research work.

Head of the field:
Professor, Lead Researcher, Dr Andrejs Čirjevskis
Participants, partners:
- Dr. Jevgenijs Kurovs, Assistant Professor, Lead Researcher
- Andrei Davydovitch, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Viateur Nkurunziza, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Kevin Wilclif Mukem, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Assoc. Prof. Som Sekhar Bhattacharyya, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Nagpur (India)
- Students on Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes
Local partners (SMPKO direction):
Latvian Association for Human Resource Management, Latvian Association of Project Management, Latvian State Administration School, Latvian Association of Supervisors
International partners (SMPKO direction):
multiple partners from CEEMAN (International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies), Lyon Catholic University, France; Jyväskylä University, Finland, GLOBE Project (Global Leadership and Organisational Effectiveness); EHRM (European Human Resource Management) consortium: Italy (LUISS Business School), Belgium (VLERIC Business School), Germany (University of Bamberg), Netherlands (Radboud University Nijmegen), Spain (University of Cadiz), France (Aix-Marseille University); Portugal (De Maia University, Porto); individual researchers: Assoc.Prof. S.S.Bhattacharyya, Indian Institute of Management; Dr. J. Nieżurawsa, Torun University, Poland; Dr. N.Duarte, Dr. C.Pereira, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal and more.
In many Latvian organisations, HR management is still undervalued as a strategically important business function that can make a significant contribution to improving efficiency. The latest global achievements in HR management and their role in organisational development are not sufficiently communicated and understood in Latvia.
The aim of the research field is to adapt global achievements to Latvian organisations and, by examining Latvian companies, to contribute to the development of HR management theory and approaches. The main tasks of the field are to identify the contribution and potential of human resources to the development and competitiveness of organisations.
The rationale of the research field is related to one of the objectives of the Latvian Association for People Management “to promote the professional view of human resource management and the role of the profession in raising public and employer awareness of quality human resource management”.
Current research topics:
- HR Analytics;
- employee engagement and the factors that influence it;
- performance management;
- organisational design;
- organisation and contribution of remote work;
- gamification as a tool to improve employee engagement, including human resource management;
- generational differences in the labour market and organisations;
- employer image;
- management decision-making and awareness;
- embodied cognition

Head of the field:
Professor, Lead Researcher, Dr. Iveta Ludviga
Participants:
- Agita Kalviņa, Doctoral Student at LU, Director of the Latvian School of Public Administration
- Inese Slūka, Assistant Professor, Researcher, Doctoral Student, RISEBA Programme Director
- Edgars Joksts-Bogdanovs, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Sanita Leimane, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Irina Serbinenko, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Dr. Emil Velinov, Professor, Lead Researcher
- Dr. Irina Senņikova, Professor, Lead Researcher
- Olga Dzene, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Elīna Pence, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Jeļena Budanceva, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Zanda Gobniece, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Samuel Kwame Arthur, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Jeļena Mičule, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Diāna Arāja, Doctoral Student at RISEBA
- Students of the Master’s programme “Human Resource Management”
Local partners (SMPKO direction):
Latvian Association for Human Resource Management, Latvian Association of Project Management, Latvian State Administration School, Latvian Association of Supervisors
International partners (SMPKO direction):
multiple partners from CEEMAN (International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies), Lyon Catholic University, France; Jyväskylä University, Finland, GLOBE Project (Global Leadership and Organisational Effectiveness); EHRM (European Human Resource Management) consortium: Italy (LUISS Business School), Belgium (VLERIC Business School), Germany (University of Bamberg), Netherlands (Radboud University Nijmegen), Spain (University of Cadiz), France (Aix-Marseille University); Portugal (De Maia University, Porto); individual researchers: Assoc.Prof. S.S.Bhattacharyya, Indian Institute of Management; Dr. J. Nieżurawsa, Torun University, Poland; Dr. N.Duarte, Dr. C.Pereira, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal and more.
The aim of the field is to promote scientific research in business psychology and supervision by developing scientific activity in the academic Bachelor’s programme “Business Psychology” and the Master’s programme “Management Psychology and Supervision”, involving students, graduates and cooperation partners in research work.
The “Business Psychology” programme is currently one of the most popular Bachelor’s programmes at RISEBA. The Master’s programme “Management Psychology and Supervision” was successfully implemented in 2015.
In order to develop research in the subfields of business psychology and supervision, it is important to organise regular conferences, publish scientific materials and research results in internationally recognised journals. It is important to involve not only academic staff but also different students in research work.
Participants:
- Dr psych. Solveiga Blumberga, Assistant Professor, Lead Researcher
- Dr paed. Raina Vīra, Assistant Professor
- Students of the Bachelor’s programme “Business Psychology”
- Students of the Master’s programme “Management Psychology and Supervision”
Local partners (SMPKO direction):
Latvian Association for Human Resource Management, Latvian Association of Project Management, Latvian State Administration School, Latvian Association of Supervisors
International partners (SMPKO direction):
multiple partners from CEEMAN (International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies), Lyon Catholic University, France; Jyväskylä University, Finland, GLOBE Project (Global Leadership and Organisational Effectiveness); EHRM (European Human Resource Management) consortium: Italy (LUISS Business School), Belgium (VLERIC Business School), Germany (University of Bamberg), Netherlands (Radboud University Nijmegen), Spain (University of Cadiz), France (Aix-Marseille University); Portugal (De Maia University, Porto); individual researchers: Assoc.Prof. S.S.Bhattacharyya, Indian Institute of Management; Dr. J. Nieżurawsa, Torun University, Poland; Dr. N.Duarte, Dr. C.Pereira, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal and more.