My research interest evolves around how discourses related to sustainability, CSR and circular economy are verbalised and materialised in different contexts and what social impacts these concepts lead to. I focus particularly on corporate-community relations in extractive industry areas, and I have done empirical research in extractive industry settings in Albania (oil) and Sweden (mining). The interest in extractive industries is based on my previous work experience with Stakeholder Engagement and Social Impact Assessments in the hydropower and oil industries in Albania.

I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher with the project The battle for sustainability - sustainability discourses and perspectives on the Swedish mining industry External link. funded by a Wallander scholarship. In this project I look at how potential mining projects for ‘transition minerals’ are motivated and criticized based on contrasting perspectives on sustainability.

I am also involved in in the Formas funded project Taking lead in the circular transition - closing implementation gaps in sustainable public procurement External link. which focuses on how circular economy is verbalized and materialized in public procurement.

In addition, I have a great interest in creative academic writing, especially autoethnographic methods, and I am currently a guest editor for a special issue External link. on this topic for Culture and Organization.

I am a member of Södertörn's research platform EcoJust and the Energy and Climate Hub which works with the critical exploration of climate change and energy transitions, including their consequences and conflicts.

I teach at the Master's programme Leadership for sustainable development.

Recent publications:

Persson, S. (2025). Hegemony, in McCann, L., Granter, E., Bozkurt, O., Finn, R., Hunter, C., Kivinen, N., Kumar, A. & Wierman, B. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Critical Management Studies. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/elgar-encyclopedia-of-critical-management-studies-9781800377714.html External link.

Persson, S. (2024). Deliberative ideals and hegemonic practices – political CSR in extractive industries, Critical Perspectives on International Business, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 539-559. https://doi.org/10.1108/cpoib-12-2023-0113 External link.

Brock, M. & Persson, S. (2024). Female desire in phallocentric industries: A duo-ethnographic interrogation. Organization, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13505084231224024 External link.