Dr. Katharina Hug
Fon +49.4131.677-2161 (Sekr.), katharina.hug@leuphana.de
Associated member, Leuphana Center for Organization & Social Transformation
Vita
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Professorship of Business Administration, specializing in Social & Sustainable Entrepreneurship at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. I am currently working on the government-funded DATIpilot project for innovation communities (MEHRCE).
From 2020 to 2024, I was a PhD researcher in Strategy & Organization at the School of Management, University of Bath, UK. My thesis addresses a pressing issue in contemporary organizations: how professionals engage in internal activism within Professional Service Firms (PSFs), and how organizational structures influence these practices.
After completing a Bachelor of Arts in Management (EUFH, Brühl; Griffith University, AU), I gained six years of work experience in a global multinational management consultancy (EY). I then earned a Master of Science in Sociology and Global Change from the University of Edinburgh, UK. I draw on sociological theories of careers, particularly the work of Pierre Bourdieu, along with research on critical management studies, sustainability, (internal) activism, micro-CSR, and professional organizations, and I utilize qualitative research methods.
Projects
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DATIpilot - Communities - MEHRCE - Communitymanagement für Innovative Mehrwegsysteme, TP3: CM-MEHRCE-C
Steffen Farny (Project manager, academic) , Katharina Hug (Project staff)
→Project: Research
Publications
Journal contributions
- A Bourdieusian perspective on internal activism and professional careers
Katharina Hug (Author) , Stefanie Gustafsson (Author) , Katharina Chudzikowski (Author) , 24.08.2026 , in: Human Relations , 34 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- NAVIGATING PROFESSIONAL CAREERS AND INTERNAL ACTIVISM: A BOURDIEUSIAN LENS
Katharina Hug (Author) , Katharina Chudzikowski (Author) , Stefanie Gustafsson (Author) , 01.01.2025 , in: Academy of Management Proceedings, 2025, 1 , 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Conference article in journal › Research › peer-review
- When and how to engage with employee environmental activism: Lessons learned from a global service firm
Katharina Hug (Author) , Ling Eleanor Zhang (Author) , 01.06.2024 , in: European Management Journal, 42, 3 , p. 288–294 , 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Transfer › peer-review
Prizes
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Arnon Reichers Best Student Paper Finalist
(Recipient) ,Prize: external Prizes, scholarships, distinctions, appointments › Research
Courses
However, activism can penetrate organisations from more angles. CEOs can be activistic and include a political dimension to their organisational practices. Here examples include Ben & Jerries‘ founders who from the onset included political messages in their marketing and setup of the company. Other forms of activism include shareholder activism, that tries to stir the organisation into a for the shareholder favoured direction or brand activism which at times can be used as a marketing stunt.
In this course we will dissect activism in organisations from all these different angles and discuss literature on responsible careers, employee activism/ internal social change agents, CEO, shareholder and brand activism. We will critically examine if activism always has to be for the greater social good or if there can also be a downside of activism for the wider public.
The students will learn about the broad set of activisms in organisations and critically distinguish different forms and their purposes. Presentations about current examples of each form and a final project work about this example will help students to link theory learned in class with the practical reality outside.