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2024
Prof. Dr. Stefan Razinskas
Prof. Dr. Stefan Razinskas is holding the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Organization and Management at the Faculty since October 1, 2024. He is moving to Dresden from the FU Berlin, where he has been an Assistant Professor of Management since 2020. Stefan Razinskas successfully completed his doctorate at WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management in 2016 and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at LMU Munich until 2019.
1) I would like to convey to students that ...
... collaboration and constructive cooperation skills will be of great benefit to them both during their studies and in their future careers. It is therefore particularly important to me to highlight interpersonal aspects of modern organizational and management theory in my courses and to make them tangible through practical examples. Since organizational structures are designed and lived by people, I hope to prepare students for their professional work in such a way that they can critically question simplistic views of complex issues and use the scope they are given to shape them in a theory-based way.
2) When building up my Chair team, it is important to me ...
... not only to ensure a thematic fit between the research interests of my staff and the core topics of the Chair, but also to grow together as a team on an interpersonal level. A trusting relationship within the team is not only important for the staff members' independent research and teaching, but also for dealing with the setbacks that usually accompany academic careers. A supportive and appreciative working atmosphere within the team is therefore particularly conducive to maintaining the joy of working together in the Chair team and teaching in the lecture hall, even in challenging times.
3) My most exciting research project to date has been about ...
... the role of diversity and time pressure in teams. Using an experimental study, my co-authors and I were able to show that gender-diverse teams have an advantage over homogeneous teams in terms of performance due to their team composition. However, under time pressure, these teams cannot sufficiently develop the advantages of their diversity. This project has not only made an important scientific contribution to the framework conditions of effective collaboration in diverse teams, but has also enriched me personally. During our data collection, in which we accompanied around 150 teams in the experimental laboratory, I was able to gain a better understanding of various aspects of teamwork as an observer and was inspired for subsequent research projects.
4) Current research topics that I am working on ...
... continue to be strongly influenced by my interest in successful collaboration despite not always favorable conditions. Using a broad spectrum of methodological approaches in organizational and management research, I am not only concerned with the design of team-based organizational structures, but also with cooperation between managers and leaders. I am particularly interested in how conscious (e.g. spatial and hierarchical) and unconscious (e.g. social and personal) differences between the participants in team and leadership contexts affect their cooperation. I am confident that I will be able to successfully continue these interdisciplinary research topics together with my team at TU Dresden.
Dr. Andreas Leibing
Andreas Leibing has been a research Associate and postdoc at the Chair of Quantitative Methods, in particular Econometrics since May 2024.
1) What has your professional/academic career been like so far?
After completing my Bachelor's degree in Economics in my hometown of Göttingen in 2016, I went to LMU Munich for my Master's degree in Economics, where I worked for a long time as a Student Assistant at the ifo Institute. In 2019, my journey then continued to Berlin, where, after a year of doctoral studies at the Berlin School of Economics, I started and recently completed my doctorate at Freie Universität. I have been employed as a Research Associate at DIW Berlin since 2020. Particularly nice moments during this time were also my semester abroad in the Master's program at the Université Paris-Saclay and my research stay at Stanford last year.
2) Why did you decide to move to Dresden?
I am convinced that TU Dresden offers me ideal framework conditions to prepare for a Chair. On the one hand, there is excellent funding here for postdocs and in the acquisition of third-party funding, and on the other, I have the freedom to pursue my research projects in a targeted manner. The proximity to Berlin allows me to maintain and expand my existing networks and, after many years at research institutes, I am delighted to be able to develop a comprehensive teaching concept. Finally, the beautiful campus also offers an absolute feel-good factor. I am looking forward to being here and to many collaborations.
3) What are your research interests?
I would like to contribute to a better understanding of the factors that influence individual educational decisions and educational success. On the other hand, I want to show how the state can create optimal framework conditions that enable young people to fully exploit their potential and meet the changing demands of the labor market. A current and perhaps the most exciting project from the TUD's point of view is concerned with the effects of degree program rankings (such as the CHE ranking) on students' choice of subject and university.
4) And what topics are you interested in from a methodological point of view?
I primarily use microeconometric methods. However, I am less interested in individual methods per se, but rather in the question of how to select and carry out the right method given the right question and data. I would also like to impart this knowledge to students. Above all, however, I am also interested in the tension that arises from the identification of local causal effects (design-based approach) and their transferability to theoretical questions and policy recommendations.
Assistant Professor Ignas Bruder
Ignas Bruder has been working at the Faculty as an Assistant Professor of Business Administration, in particular Strategy and Business Ethics since August 2024. He studied Management & Marketing at the FU Berlin. In July 2020, he completed his dissertation entitled "Essays on Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Organizing - An Ethically Focused Practice-Based Perspective", also at the FU Berlin. Until his move to Dresden, Ignas' brother had been a postdoctoral researcher at the Hertie School Berlin since 2022, where he worked as part of the Horizon Europe-funded project REBALANCE: Investigating the Relationship between Social enterprises and Democracy.
For me, being an Assistant Professor means ....
... a great honor and recognition that brings with it a lot of creative freedom. I am looking forward to developing my own courses, which I hope the students will find exciting. I can also hardly wait to implement my research projects in such an excellent environment and to contribute to the faculty.
I would like to convey to the students that ...
... that business practice is riddled with ethical issues and that as a manager you are better equipped if you have the academic tools to reflect on these issues in an informed way. I want to provide students with orientation knowledge so that they can not only carry out tasks later in their careers, but also make well-founded assessments as critical thinkers. The focus areas of strategy and business ethics in particular require that teaching goes beyond the mere transfer of knowledge to include skills development. My aim is for students to develop strategic competence and the ability to reflect on business ethics.
3) My most exciting research project to date has been about ...
... it's really difficult to single out just one, because my heart beats for every single one of my research projects. When I talk about my research, my ethnographic work in social enterprises and other alternative organizations in particular resonates with the public because it provides detailed insights into the strategic processes of these extraordinary organizations. For example, many people find it fascinating how a social enterprise in the natural cosmetics sector manages to prioritize sustainability over profit interests and still survive economically.
Current research topics that I am working on are ...
... social entrepreneurship, corporate sustainability, democratic organizing, practical theories and integrative business ethics. In the field of social entrepreneurship, I am interested in how social enterprises try to organize social transformation. For example, I am researching how social enterprises manage to influence profit-oriented companies to pursue their social purposes. In terms of corporate sustainability, I am investigating how sustainability-oriented companies can use self-reinforcing mechanisms to ensure their economic survival while, paradoxically, prioritizing social and ecological aspects over profit interests. In democratic organizing, I am particularly interested in how the reproduction of democratic principles within a company develops repercussions outside the company, be it in business relationships or in the communities in which these companies are embedded. In relation to theories of practice, I conduct basic social science research on how practices drift unnoticed and on recursive processes of accumulation. Currently, I am also working on the development of an integrative business ethics view of strategy with a special focus on strategy-as-practice.
Assistant Professor Jacqueline Schmidt
Jacqueline Schmidt holds the newly established Assistant Professorship for Business Education and Management Training, in particular Digitalization in Educational and Working Environments and has been working at the faculty since 01.01.2024. Jacqueline Schmidt studied Business Education and Management Training at Leipzig University, where she also completed her doctorate. She successfully completed her dissertation entitled "The basic knowledge of artificial intelligence of (prospective) teachers in the vocational education sector - model-based test development and validation" in September 2023.
1) For me, being an Assistant Professor means ...
... great recognition and great responsibility at the same time. I am delighted to have the opportunity to further develop my teaching and research activities in an excellent environment and to be able to set priorities independently. At the same time, I see it as my duty, especially towards the students, to represent those topics in my teaching that I consider to be particularly relevant and forward-looking.
2) I would like to convey to students that ...
...that Business Education and Management Training is an incredibly exciting and multifaceted field with numerous interfaces to other disciplines and that researching the complex issues is really fun! Particularly in the field of (vocational) education, we can not only react to transformation processes, but can also initiate them as an important shaping factor. By incorporating current research projects and results into teaching, I want to share not only my enthusiasm for the subject, but also my enthusiasm for research and scientific work with the students and enable a lively discourse.
3) My most exciting research project to date has been about ...
This is a very difficult question, as all the projects I have had the opportunity to work on are and have been very interesting without exception! As a rule, they are about changes in vocational education and training that are either caused by digitalization or made possible by it. One very exciting joint project that I was able to work on as part of a collaboration, for example, involved the use of video napkins that confront students with challenging situations in their future professional practice while they are still studying. This allows them to be sensitized to these challenges and develop initial strategies for overcoming them in a protected environment.
4) Current research topics that I am working on are ...
Questions of digital transformation in vocational education and training contexts driven by developments in the field of artificial intelligence. For example, the question of which AI-related skills vocational training personnel need and to what extent these skills facets are developed. So far, I have primarily focused on school education personnel. In the future, I also want to look at the specific needs and challenges in vocational education and training. These studies are so important because it is only on the basis of these findings that we are in a position to develop (further) training courses that are appropriate for the target group. In this context, I am also interested in questions relating to the acceptance of AI-supported systems and what measures can be used to promote this.
2023
Dr. Philipp Richter
Dr. Philipp Richter has been at the faculty since 01.10.2023. He completed his doctorate in corporate management on the topic of shared service centers at ESCP Europe in Berlin. He has published his research projects in international journals such as the European Management Review, European Management Journal and the Journal of General Management as well as practice-oriented journals such as WPg - Die Wirtschaftsprüfung.
1) What has your professional/academic career been like so far?
I studied Business Administration in Magdeburg, Vienna and Bielefeld and specialized in the subject combination of Finance, Accounting, Controlling and Taxation (FACT). I worked as a Research Associate at the Chair of Business Ethics and Controlling at ESCP Europe in Berlin and completed my cumulative dissertation on "The Emergence of Shared Service Centers in Multidivisional Corporations: Theoretical Considerations and Empirical Evidence" with summa cum laude. I found the doctoral period enormously enriching, as I gained a view beyond the FACT area and this has strongly influenced my research interests.
After my doctorate, I wanted to get a taste of practical experience. I therefore worked in two Berlin start-ups (most recently as Head of Finance) and built up the finance and accounting departments. Despite the exciting and mostly time-consuming projects, I remained loyal to science in various research projects during my practical phase. In Dresden, I am now very much looking forward to an intensive exchange and the start of my habilitation.
2) Why did you decide to move to Dresden?
I was particularly attracted by the strong research profile of the new Chair of Management Accounting and Control . I see excellent opportunities here to develop further in terms of content and methodology. The framework conditions also played an important role for me. The TU enjoys an excellent reputation as a university of excellence. As a native Saxon, I also know that Dresden is a beautiful city!
3) What are your research interests?
I am interested in both management and accounting topics, which is why I find this area of business administration so appealing. I am particularly interested in aspects that are answered in the interaction between the CFO and CEO. Specifically, I research questions relating to corporate governance, aspects of sustainability performance and non-market strategies (i.e. CSR and lobbying) of companies. A current example: Do different preferences regarding the attitude towards sustainability between shareholders and board members lead to the introduction of sustainability targets in the remuneration system of CEOs? Or in other projects: Does effective corporate governance have an impact on the non-financial capabilities of companies?
4) And what topics are you interested in from a methodological perspective?
Methodologically, I have gone through a development process. For example, my cumulative publication projects in the dissertation were quite heterogeneous in terms of methodology. I worked with conceptual, qualitative and quantitative methods. In my current research, I use quantitative-empirical methods, especially archival-empirical and survey-based methods to answer my research questions.
Prof. Dr. Kamila Cygan-Rehm
Prof. Dr. Kamila Cygan-Rehm has held the Chair of Quantitative Methods, in particular Econometrics, since 01.10.2023. Kamila Cygan-Rehm completed her doctorate in 2013 at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) and subsequently worked there for several years as an academic advisor. Until she moved to TU Dresden, she headed the research group "Outcomes of Education Across the Lifespan" at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) in Bamberg.
1) I would like to convey to the students that ...
a correlation between certain phenomena does not imply a causal relationship. Understanding this principle is fundamental for decision-making processes in business, science and politics. A central question is how to design an analysis with available data so that a causal interpretation is possible. You can find tips on this in my courses, to which I cordially invite you. From the coming winter semester, I will be expanding the range of courses in the field of econometrics and empirical methods. Hopefully, I will also be able to share my passion for empiricism with the students.
2) When building up my Chair team, it is important to me ...
to create a working atmosphere of mutual esteem and respect. Everyone in the team should receive both the support they need and sufficient freedom to develop their individual skills and interests. There are many exciting and varied activities in research and teaching that we will work on together. This requires commitment and mutual support. I am currently looking for committed Student Assistants. Please get in touch with me if you are interested in economic and socio-political issues.
3) My most exciting research project so far has been about ...
I find all my previous research projects exciting. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have started them. Most of them deal with the econometric evaluation of various political interventions. From the impact of parental allowance to mini-job reforms and school enrolment regulations - I investigate the direct and indirect effects of political decisions on the individuals or organizations affected. The main goal is to better understand their impact on our society in order to derive solid foundations for evidence-based policy.
4) Current research topics I am working on are, ....
Currently, the focus of my work is on two core areas. First, I am investigating the financial and non-financial effects of school policies over the life cycle. For example, I analyze the lifelong consequences of missed schooling on labor market success using the example of shortened school years in the 1960s in Germany. On the other hand, I explore how policy interventions set the course for early childhood inequalities and children's later life trajectories. A new project is looking at the consequences of universal screening for gestational diabetes.
Dr. Ilka Weissbrod
Ilka Weissbrod has been working as a postdoc at the Junior Professorship in Sustainability Assessment and Policy since 01.09.2023. She brings a lot of international and practical experience to her new role, as she explains in the interview.
1) What has your professional/academic career been like to date?
I am a sustainability scientist with a passion for business. My anchor point is innovation processes and, fortunately, over the years I have been able to deal in depth with various facets of sustainability, for example systems thinking, metrics, learning alliances and transitions. At Imperial College London, I did my PhD at the Centre for Environmental Policy on 'Business Experimentation for Sustainability', with close research links to the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge. In Germany, I was a postdoc at the Leuphana University Center for Sustainability Management. At the same time, I had exciting assignments in practice, for example the last 2 years as 'Director Sustainable Circularity' at an industrial design and innovation agency in Hamburg and, in the course of a secondment, as 'Sustainable Circular Economy Systems Expert' in a national research-oriented innovation project for the manufacturing industry in Ireland.
2) Why did you decide to move to Dresden?
As a visiting researcher, I was enthusiastic about the national and international collaborative approach and the multidisciplinary research approach of Samanthi Dijkstra-Silva. The content and framework conditions of this temporary postdoc position were simply perfect. I am very happy to be able to get to know a second German university and a Faculty of Business and Economics.
3) What are your research interests?
I summarize my research interests as 'learning for sustainable innovation processes', specifically entrepreneurial experimentation for sustainability. I am particularly interested in the inclusion of urgency in the implementation of sustainable innovation. Two other research interests are defining the impact of operationalizing a circular economy on innovation processes in business and industry, and applying systems thinking to scale sustainable innovation.
4) And what topics are you interested in from a methodological perspective?
It is very important to me that research in the field of sustainability in business is relevant for the 'researched'. That's why I follow the action research approach and mainly use qualitative methods. In the UK, I have experienced the action research approach as valuable at prestigious universities during my PhD and this has deeply shaped my research methodology. For example, I am a research collaborator at the Innovation Agency where I have worked for the last 2 years: this means we are interested in answering a common research question and I will work on this question with data from and within the agency, while deciding independently on research design, data collection modes and outputs.
Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer
As of 01.07.2023, Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer will hold the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Management Accounting & Control. Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer comes from the TU Munich. Among other things, he researches and teaches Executive Compensation and Top Management Incentives and Management Controls.
1) I would like to convey to the students that . ..
... you can do a lot right and a lot wrong with the selection and design of controlling systems in a company. Small changes can have big effects. It is important to first realize what goal you want to achieve with a controlling system. Do I want to support decisions such as pricing or product design? Do I want to create incentives? Do I want to support non-financial goals, such as environmental or social goals? What is good for one goal can be harmful for the other. A key question is therefore how to select and design the most suitable system. I would therefore like to invite you to my lectures and seminars. Starting in the winter semester, I will be supplementing the existing courses in the field of controlling already offered by Prof. Günther and his team.
2) When building up my Chair team, it is important to me...
... to convey enthusiasm for our subject to the staff and to provide them with the best possible support. There are many exciting questions that we want to research with joint commitment. This enthusiasm also shapes our teaching. Regular exchange and a lively culture of academic discussion and debate are the basis for mutual success. I am currently looking for employees who are passionate about this.
3) My most exciting research project to date has been about ...
I find the vast majority of research projects exciting. We work on new questions that are important for business practice. In our field, we look at how companies can best design their controlling systems. One example: some companies evaluate their management boards not only on the basis of their own success, but also in comparison with competitors. How well have we done compared to other companies in our sector? We have found that boards with such a relative performance measurement tend to align their strategies more closely with those of other companies. They are less likely to choose innovative strategies that would differentiate their company from standard industry approaches - a highly relevant finding especially for innovation-driven companies.
4) Current research topics that I am working on are,....
... remuneration systems and evaluation of board members or other controlling systems such as transfer pricing and budgets. A current example: Do supervisory boards learn a lot about whether their board members are suitable for the job during crises? Or in another project: How can companies reduce budget slack, i.e. the buffer that managers sometimes build into their target figures? In addition to the classic topics from controlling, I am also interested in questions at the interfaces to other research areas. I'm looking forward to exchanging ideas with my new colleagues here at TU Dresden.
Prof. Dr. Lars Hornuf
Lars Hornuf has held the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Finance, at the Faculty since March 1, 2023. He is moving to Dresden from the University of Bremen, where he had held the Chair of Financial Services and Financial Technology since 2017.
1) I would like to convey to students that ...
... that finance is undergoing fundamental change and is one of the most exciting topics in Business Administration and Economics.
2) When building my Chair team, it is important to me that ...
... the team is passionately committed to research and teaching.
3) My most exciting research project to date has been ....
Every research project is exciting! Otherwise you wouldn't start it. But the questions under which circumstances people donate their data for a good cause, whether East or West Germans generally cheat more or less and whether celebrities are better investors were particularly exciting.
4) Current research topics I am working on are, ....
- Financial technology (FinTech), in particular crowdfunding, blockchain technology and robo-advice
- Sustainable Finance
- Data economy and data protection
- crowdworking
Archive
Further interviews can be found in the archive.