Mikko Ranta

Research

I'm an associate professor of accounting (tenure track) at the School of Accounting and Finance, and a member of the Digital Economy research platform. My research interests include data analytics, FinTech, and machine learning and their impact and applications on the accounting profession and research.

I have published in several top-tier academic journals and my research has been featured in many international media outlets including The Financial Times (UK), The Wall Street Journal (USA) and Harvard Business Manager (Germany).

Ongoing projects

TENTA: Tools for Enterprises to Leverage Artificial Intelligence - Funded by the European Regional Fund

EU Green Claims Directive and Company Sustainability Reporting - Funded by OP Research Foundation

Harmonizing Profit and Planet: A Geo-Informed Machine Learning for Environmental Accounting  - Funded by Foundation for Economic Education (Finland)

Spacecasting: Economic and ESG Assessment of Companies Using Satellite Data - Funded by Business Finland (Finland)

• Spacecasting project is chosen as one of the most interesting data projects in Finland by The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, https://www.sitra.fi/en/news/the-most-innovative-data-driven-solutions-could-be-finlands-next-success-stories/

A few recent publications

Agapova, A., King, T., & Ranta, M. (2024). Navigating transparency: The interplay of ESG disclosure and voluntary earnings guidance. International Review of Financial Analysis, 103813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103813

Ranta, M., & Ylinen, M. (2024). Employee benefits and company performance: Evidence from a high-dimensional machine learning model. Management Accounting Research, 64, 100876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2023.100876

Shahzad, K., Helo, P., Ranta, M., & Nousiainen, E. (2024). Blockchain technology for operational excellence and supply chain resilience: A framework based on use cases and an architecture demonstration. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 0(0), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2024.2304698

Kohtamäki, M., Bhandari, K. R., Rabetino, R., & Ranta, M. (2024). Sustainable servitization in product manufacturing companies: The relationship between firm's sustainability emphasis and profitability and the moderating role of servitization. Technovation, 129, 102907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2023.102907

Ylinen, M., & Ranta, M. (2024). Employer ratings in social media and firm performance: Evidence from an explainable machine learning approach. Accounting & Finance, 64(1), 247–276. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.13146

Kumar, A., King, T., & Ranta, M. (2024). Corporate governance characteristics and involvement in ESG activities: Current trends and research directions. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 24(8), 175–209. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-09-2023-0397

Nousiainen, E., Ranta, M., Ylinen, M., & Järvenpää, M. (2024). Using machine learning and 10-K filings to measure innovation. Accounting & Finance, https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.13245

Toivonen, N., Salo-Lahti, M., Ranta, M., & Haapio, H. (2024). AI-Enhanced Fresh Starts: Proactive Financial Health Care with AI as a Personalized Coach. Jusletter IT

Bhandari, K. R., Zámborský, P., Ranta, M., & Salo, J. (2023). Digitalization, internationalization, and firm performance: A resource-orchestration perspective on new OLI advantages. International Business Review, 32(4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2023.102135

Salo-Lahti, M., Ranta, M., & Haapio, H. (2023). AI tools for sustainability. Jusletter IT, 30-maerz-2023.

Talaoui, Y., Kohtamäki, M., Ranta, M., & Paroutis, S. (2023). Recovering the divide: A review of the big data analytics—strategy relationship. Long Range Planning, 56(2), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2022.102290

Ranta, M., & Ylinen, M. (2023). Board gender diversity and workplace diversity: A machine learning approach. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 23(5), 995–1018. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-01-2022-0048

Ranta, M., Ylinen, M., & Järvenpää, M. (2023). Machine Learning in Management Accounting Research: Literature Review and Pathways for the Future. European Accounting Review, 32(3), 607–636. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638180.2022.2137221

Ahmed, S., Ranta, M., Vähämaa, E., & Vähämaa, S. (2023). Facial attractiveness and CEO compensation: Evidence from the banking industry. Journal of Economics and Business, 123, 106095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconbus.2022.106095

Bhandari, K. R., Ranta, M., & Salo, J. (2022). The resource-based view, stakeholder capitalism, ESG, and sustainable competitive advantage: The firm's embeddedness into ecology, society, and governance. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(4), 1525–1537. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2967

Garanina, T., Ranta, M., & Dumay, J. (2021). Blockchain in accounting research: Current trends and emerging topics. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 35(7), 1507–1533. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-10-2020-4991

Teaching

I teach mainly FinTech, advanced data analytics and machine learning methods for accounting and finance students. The courses include Introduction to Analytics in Accounting, Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning in Accounting, and Artificial Intelligence: Concepts, Challenges, and Opportunities.