our idea of research

At IMO, we want to achieve a better understanding. Specifically, we want to advance the theoretical understanding of managing and developing organizations and the people in the organizations by conducting research on strategy, management, entrepreneurship, innovation, and HR management. Furthermore, we believe that only research in line with the highest academic standards leads to scientific advancements that are meaningful for developing people and organizations.

Therefore, the institute is dedicated to research that is excellent with regard to the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological approach. We regard publishing in international top tier journals and conferences as a benchmark of excellence in research. Furthermore, we consider quantitative and qualitative research as complementary in identifying the drivers and processes of successfully managing and developing organizations and the people in organizations.

The members of the institute are widely acknowledged as internationally high profile scholars and prolific experts in the areas of strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, organizational behavior, and (international) HR management. They combine expertise from the domains of business administration and psychology. They have published their research in international top tier entrepreneurship and management journals.

At IMO, we engage in collaborative initiatives and joint research projects. We bundle resources and foster a climate of permanent (formal and informal) exchange of ideas. The results are large research projects, for example on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship trainings, entrepreneurial learning from failures, global mobility, and integrating refugees into the workforce.

The research projects of the institute have a strong international orientation. The research collaborations of the institute span universities from countries across the globe (e.g., USA, East and West Africa, Asia). For example, the institute conducts research projects on:

  • entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship trainings in several countries in East and West Africa, Asia, and Latin America;
  • global leadership, selection, and development in collaboration with several international universities;
  • topics of international business, in particular questions of global mobility, expatriate management, and international HR practices in countries around the globe.