Research

Our main research interests center around processes of organizational change, with a particular emphasis on routines and practices. In this vein, we study the procedural antecedents of organizational dynamics, which contributes to a better understanding of the role of rules and routines in complex coordination processes. A specific focus builds on the question as to how organizations cope with and manage the unexpected. Of particular interest is the question as to how high-reliability organizations such as firefighters and rescue operators that prepare for and deal with extreme situations like catastrophes and crises manage resilient operations.

In our research, we build upon the increasingly recognized practice perspective because of our overarching interest in developing an understanding of the procedural and communicative antecedents underpinning organizational change, routines, and knowledge sharing processes.

Our studies are conceptual as well as empirical in nature and are oriented toward making creative, theoretical contributions to current management research. We adopt qualitative research methods, including ethnography, practice-based studies, and narrative analysis in our research endeavors to capture different dimensions underpinning the complex, deeply embedded social phenomena we are studying. In order to understand how unexpected events evolve and are handled, a process perspective is of the utmost importance.

Among other things, we study multinational firms, public and nonprofit organizations in the area of catastrophe protection and public safety, as well as more local, entrepreneurial corporations with whom we are either already collaborating or are seeking to establish research partnerships. Although our research is primarily theoretically oriented, we also aim to make more practical contributions in cooperation with our research partners. In addition we cooperate with many national and international scholars in the field of management research. New joint projects are currently underway.

Our research is published in leading international and national research journals such as the Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Organization Studies, Organization, Management Learning, the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Culture and Organization, Schmalenbach Business Review (sbr), Die Betriebswirtschaft (DBW), and Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung (zfbf). We also regularly present our research at leading international conferences such as the Annual Academy of Management Meeting and the Annual Meeting of the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS).