Research

The research projects of our department comprise a range of research questions in the areas of management, organization theory, organizational behavior, and human resource management. In our projects, we combine scientific theory with empirical analyses, i.e., we test theoretically expected relationships between phenomena with real-world data. In this respect, the collaboration with corporate research partners plays a crucial role.

Methodologically, social network analysis plays a crucially important role. This methodology – in contrast to other approaches in empirical social research – is able to assess and analyze social and organizational structures as a whole. Applying social network analysis, we are able to recognize structures and aspects influencing the emergence, persistence, and resolution of relational ties both positively and negatively. We are particularly interested in the interaction of different levels of social networks, e.g., interdependencies between interpersonal and interorganizational relationships, as well as structural changes in networks over time.

A central goal of all our research projects is to combine scientific excellence with practical relevance. In addition to publishing the findings in leading international journals, we devote considerable attention in deriving practical implications for our research partners.