University teachers construe their work as important and creative (Swedish National Agency for Higher Education, 2008), contributing not only to the development of their students but also to the sustainable development of modern societies. However their working conditions have deteriorated during the last centuries (see e.g. Kallio, 2014, Swedish National Agency for Higher Education, 2008; Swedish Association of University Teachers, 2013). The negative trend can to a large extent be explained by fundamental changes in management and administration (Vakkuri & Meklin, 2003; Modell, 2003, 2005, 2006). This NPM-style management is often found in conflict with and having negative effects on the scholars’ intrinsic motivation and their knowledge-intensive work (Kallio & Kallio, 2014). In this study Swedish university teachers explore their professional role and work life experiences using a constructivist technique called rivers of experience (Denicolo & Pope, 2011).