Research • University of Passau

Our Research

The research of our Chair integrates a broad set of empirical research methods and strategies (conceptual, large-scale quantitative, qualitative case studies) to contribute to current interdisciplinary conversations within the scientific community.

In almost all our studies, we collaborate with a wide network of partners both in Germany and abroad. Particularly longstanding relationships link us with Prof. Christophe Boone (Universität Antwerpen, Belgien), Prof. Jonathan Bundy (Arizona State University), Prof. John Busenbark (University of Notre Dame), Prof. Theresa S. Cho (Seoul National University), Prof. Cecily Cooper (University of Miami), Prof. Albrecht Enders (IMD, Lausanne), Prof. Victor Gilsing (VU Amsterdam), Prof. Lorenz Graf-Vlachy (TU Dortmund), Prof. Dr. h.c. Donald Hambrick, PhD (PennState University), Prof. Marvin Hanisch (University of Groningen), Ciaran Heavey (University College Dublin), Prof. Nathan Hiller (Florida International University), Prof. Harald Hungenberg (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), Nadine Kammerlander (WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management), Ajay Kohli (Georgia Tech), Prof. David Kroon (VU Amsterdam), Prof. Niels Noorderhaven (University of Tilburg), Prof. Mike Pfarrer (University of Georgia), Prof. Tim Quigley (University of Georgia), the Dr. Theo and Friedl Schöller Forschungszentrum für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Prof. Zeki Simsek (Clemson University), Wouter Stam (VU Amsterdam), Prof. Stephan Stubner (HHL Leipzig) and Prof. Torsten Wulf (Philipps-Universität Marburg). We maintain these and other research partnerships through conference visits and all sorts of other personal exchange.

Throughout our projects, we conduct basic management research – i.e., we illuminate general phenomena in and around organizations. Much of our research occurs in close interaction with partners from various industries. The Chair’s objective is to deepen and extend the relationship with practitioners through research and knowledge transfer.

Currently, members of our Chair focus particularly on three main topics:

DFG Research Training Group "Digital Platform Ecosystems (DPE)"

From October 2022, the Research Training Group "Digital Platform Ecosystems" will be the University’s pivotal hub for leading-edge, international, and interdisciplinary research and advanced academic qualifications around a central phenomenon of the digital economy.

How do organizations adopt to discontinuous strategic and technological innovations, particularly in the context of digitalization?

Again and again, established organizations have great difficulty in adapting internal systems, processes and structures to discontinuous change. The problems of publishers, educational institutions and commercial enterprises to adapt to online-based media and platform-based e-commerce exemplify this problem.

How do executives’ personalities, as reflected in the word use of these managers, affect strategic decision making and innovation in large organizations?

One of the central tenets of strategic management research is that top managers’ characteristics influence their decision making behavior and, in turn, organizational outcomes. However, opening the black box of corporate leaders’ minds and exploring their characters and personalities has shown to be highly challenging.

How does the social and consumption-related behavior of individuals develop through new media, especially social networks, and what impact do these changes have on enterprises and society?

Hardly any technological developments have had economic and social impact as profound as digitization and internet-based networking. To study these effects, our Chair collaborates closely with McKinsey & Company.