VU KNF Researchers' Paper Wins Global “Emerald” Award

This year's winners of Outstanding Paper in the 2024 Emerald Literati Awards are Anna-Maija Lämsä (Faculty of Communication and Kaunas Faculty, Vilnius University, Vilnius and Kaunas, Lithuania) (School of Business and Economics, University of Jyväskylä, Jyvaskyla, Finland), Merle Ojasoo (Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia), Marjut Jyrkinen (Department of Cultures, Gender Studies, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland), and Raminta Pučėtaitė (Kaunas Faculty, Vilnius University, Kaunas, Lithuania), who wrote the article “Discrimination against Young Women Due to their Appearance in Workplaces. Appearance-based discrimination against young women in the workplace” published in “Qualitative Research in Organizations and Managemen”: An International Journal”. The article won the 2024 Emerald Literati Award for Excellence.

This award is given for the societal relevance of the problem being analysed, the quality of the research and the relevance of the results to the management of organisations. The article is open to the public until September 2025.

"Research that allows you to look at the same phenomenon from the different conceptual and epistemological perspectives that come with working in an international team is definitely nurturing for any researcher. It is gratifying when personal development becomes an internationally recognised result for both the employee and the institution," said Associate Professor R. Pučėtaitė, who was delighted with the programme of international cooperation with high-level foreign researchers that VU has implemented.

In 2022-2023, the VU KnF and VU KF jointly recruited a high-level researcher from Finland, Prof. Anna-Maija Lämsä, who is researching diversity and equality in employment relations, leadership and gender, career and gender interfaces, reconciliation of work and family responsibilities, as well as management and leadership ethics in different socio-cultural contexts. Anna-Maija is the author of numerous publications both abroad and in Finland. She has received several significant international and national awards for her research, publications and career achievements.

“Emerald Publishing” is one of the world's leading digital publishers, commissioning, curating and showcasing research that can make a real difference. It collaborates with thousands of universities and business schools across the world to share knowledge and provoke the kind of debate that leads to positive change. Since 1993, the Emerald Literati Awards have celebrated and rewarded the outstanding contributions of authors and reviewers, not only for their journals and books, but for the body of knowledge itself. The 2024 awards continue the tradition, and it brings us great pride to acknowledge the efforts of individuals worldwide.