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Prof. Dr. Armin Beverungen

21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C5.237
Fon +49.4131.677-2020, armin.beverungen@leuphana.de
Professor, Professorship of the Sociology of Organisation and Economy
Associated member, Centre for Digital Cultures
Associated member, Leuphana Center for Organization & Social Transformation

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Vita

Armin Beverungen is professor for the sociology of organization and economy. Previously, he has held research and teaching positions at the University of the West of England, Leuphana University and the University of Siegen. From September 2022 to August 2023, he was on leave at Leuphana and a visiting professor at the Institute for Media Studies at Ruhr-University Bochum. He regularly teaches in the technologies section of the contextual studies program at the University of St. Gallen. He is an organization scholar and sociologist by training, and received his PhD for a history of critical management studies from the University of Leicester. His research interests have included the financialization of the university, corporate governance and business ethics, the politics of labour, and open access publishing. At Leuphana, he has been involved over most of the last nearly ten years in establishing the Centre for Digital Cultures. In this context, his research has increasingly engaged with media studies and science and technology studies.

Armin’s current research revolves around digital (media) technologies and organization; algorithmic management, automation and artificial intelligence; and smart, logistical cities. He is currently occupied with three projects in particular: as co-speaker of the key subject area „Climate Futures in Digital Cultures“ he is setting up a new strategic research area as part of the Centre for Digital Cultures. In a consortial research project funded by the VolkswagenFoundation on “Smartness as Wealth” Armin explores with Randi Heinrichs, Orit Halpern (TU Dresden), Marc Steinberg (Concordia University, Montreal), Liza Cirolia (African Center for Cities, Kapstadt) and Anindita Nag (Jindal Global, Delhi) the promises of wealth associated with smart technologies in cities. In a research project funded by the VolkswagenFoundation and the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Education (as part of zukunft.niedersachsen) entitled Automating the Logistical City: Space, Algorithms, Speculation (2021-2025) Armin explored with his collaborators how Amazon’s logistical urbanism speculates on urban, automated futures.

Armin is the director of the international BA program in „Cultural Studies: Organization, Society, and the Arts“, deputy director of the MA program in Cultural Studies: Culture and Organization, and a member of the study commission for the MA programs in the School of Culture and Society. He teaches regularly in the school’s programs and regularly supervises BA and MA theses. Armin is available for PhD supervision in his field of research.

Projects

  1. Embracing Transformation: Climate Futures in Digital Cultures
    Armin Beverungen (Project manager, academic) , Jan Müggenburg (Project manager, academic) , Daniel Irrgang (Coordination) , Jana Hitziger (Project staff)
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    Project: Research

  2. Smartness as Wealth
    Armin Beverungen (Project manager, academic) , Orit Halpern (Project manager, academic) , Marc Steinberg (Project manager, academic) , Anindita Nag (Project manager, academic) , Liza Rose Cirolia (Project manager, academic)
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    Project: Research

  3. Automating the Logistical City: Space, Algorithm, Speculation
    Armin Beverungen (Project manager, academic) , Ned Rossiter (Partner) , Shannon Mattern (Partner) , Orit Halpern (Partner) , Ilia Antenucci (Project staff) , Maja-Lee Voigt (Project staff) , Laura Hille (Project staff)
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    Project: Research

  4. Digital Cultures Research Lab (2017 - 2022)
    Andreas Bernard (Project manager, academic) , Erich Hörl (Project manager, academic) , Claus Pias (Project manager, academic) , Armin Beverungen (Project manager, academic) , Timon Beyes (Project manager, academic) , Götz Bachmann (Project manager, academic) , Martina Leeker (Project staff)
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    Project: Research

  5. Digital Cultures Research Lab (2013 - 2016)
    Claus Pias (Project manager, academic) , Timon Beyes (Project manager, academic) , Armin Beverungen (Project staff) , Götz Bachmann (Project manager, academic) , Martina Leeker (Project manager, academic) , Paula Bialski (Project manager, academic) , Irina Kaldrack (Project manager, academic) , Sascha Simons (Project manager, academic) , Florian Sprenger (Project manager, academic) , Nadine Sander (Partner) , Samantha Gupta (Coordination) , Paul Feigelfeld (Project manager, academic)
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    Project: Research

View all projects

Publications

Books and anthologies

  1. Media Organize: A Companion to Technological Objects
    Lisa Conrad (Editor) , Timon Beyes (Editor) , Armin Beverungen (Editor) , Claus Pias (Editor) , Simon Denny (Editor) , Bettina Steinbrügge (Editor) , 2021 Hamburg , 196 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Conference proceedings › Transfer

  2. Politics of Reproduction
    Ben Trott (Editor) , Armin Beverungen (Editor) , Randi Michaela Heinrichs (Editor) , Sascha Simons (Editor) , Clemens Apprich (Editor) , Inga Luchs (Editor) , Laura Hille (Editor) , 2020 Lüneburg

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Special Journal issue › Research

  3. Neue Rechte und Universität
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , Pablo Abend (Author) , Marcus Burkhardt (Author) , Timo Kaerlein (Author) , Tatjana Seitz (Author) , Nadine Taha (Author) , 2019 , 162 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Special Journal issue › Research

View all publications

Journal contributions

  1. «Primed»: Über Amazon in der Wissenschaft
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 01.04.2026 , in: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft, 18, 34 , p. 139-142

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  2. Automated Delivery: Amazon's Urban Stack
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 01.10.2024 , in: Navigationen, 24, 2 , p. 47-62 , 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  3. Medienpraxislehre in der Medienwissenschaft. Empirie und Exploration
    Paul Heinicker (Author) , Armin Beverungen (Author) , Paul Hoffstiepel (Author) , Mace Ojala (Author) , Antonia Wulff (Author) , 01.09.2023 , in: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft, 15, 29-2 , p. 149-158 , 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Education › peer-review

  4. The Invisualities of Capture in Amazon’s Logistical Operations
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 01.08.2022 , in: Digital Culture & Society, 7, 2 , p. 185-202 , 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  5. The wonderfully organized and mediated endurance of ephemera
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 01.12.2021 , in: Ephemera: Theory & Politics in Organization, 21, 4 , p. 289-306 , 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  6. Politics of Reproduction
    Ben Trott (Author) , Armin Beverungen (Author) , Randi Michaela Heinrichs (Author) , Sascha Simons (Author) , Clemens Apprich (Author) , Inga Luchs (Author) , Laura Hille (Author) , 01.03.2020 , in: spheres - Journal for Digital Cultures, 2000, #6 , p. 1-10 , 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research

View all publications

Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

  1. Automatisiertes Verhalten?: Regierungskünste bei Amazon
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 13.01.2025 Berlin , p. 557-577 , 21 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review

  2. Collectivizing Convenience?: From Delivery to Logisticality
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 01.12.2024 Amsterdam , p. 66-81 , 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Chapter › Research › peer-review

  3. Kybernetischer Kapitalismus?: Amazon, algorithmisches Management und Aneignung
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 24.03.2021 Berlin , p. 95-109 , 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

  4. Remote Control: Algorithmic Management of Circulation at Amazon
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 01.01.2021 Lüneburg , 18 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review

  5. Executive Dashboard
    Armin Beverungen (Author) , 12.12.2019 Oxford , p. 225-237 , 13 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

View all publications

Activities

  1. ‚Silicon Washington‘: Begriffe und Konzepte zur Macht von Neurechten und Big Tech: Extrastatecraft
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  2. Climate Futures
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker) , Jan Müggenburg (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  3. Digital Twins before Ruins
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker) , Randi Michaela Heinrichs (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  4. Digital Twins and Speculative Futures of Wealth
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker) , Orit Halpern (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  5. Global Platform Studies
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker)

    Activity: Guest lectures › Research

  6. Extrastatecraft
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  7. Amazon, die logistische Stadt und die Convenience
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker)

    Activity: talk or presentation in privat or public events › Transfer

  8. Engineering emotion: Reading Amazon’s patents on emotion recognition in voice
    Armin Beverungen (Speaker) , Friese Klara (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  9. Researching around the Brown Box - Notes from a Critical Ethnography of Amazon’s Urbanism
    Armin Beverungen (presenter) , Maja-Lee Voigt (presenter)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

View all activities

Courses

Master Forum Culture and Organization (English)
Armin Beverungen
Next appointment:
Tuesday, 2026-11-24 at 16:15
Room: C 40.153 Seminarraum
Organization, Society, and the Arts: An Introduction
Armin Beverungen
This is the introductory module for the bachelor major organization, society and the arts. The module introduces students to the subject of the program at the intersection of organization, society and the arts, and through exemplary cases shows how cultural organization and the arts are involved in processes of societal change and transformation.
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-10-14 at 12:15
Room: C 40.256 Hybridraum
Platform Economies
Armin Beverungen
Platforms have become one of the dominant ways of organizing in contemporary capitalism. Nowadays, it is practically impossible for media and cultural professionals not to come into contact with platforms. Whether as product platforms such as Spotify or Netflix or as AI-based production platforms such as Dall-E (for images) or ChatGPT (for text) - platforms are inscribing themselves into our cultural practices as intermediaries and infrastructures. This makes them new cultural mediators, for example when they algorithmize recommendations or impose new exploitation concepts on cultural creators and consumers. New cultures of media and cultural production, reception and circulation are thus emerging on, with and through these platforms. The seminar deals with platforms in various media and cultural fields (art, music, film, journalism, games, literature, etc.) and critically examines business models, logics of datafication and algorithmic recommendations. Students deal with the cultural practices of media and cultural professionals and creatively and exploratively discuss how platforms change the media practices of cultural professionals in a group project.

Next appointment:
Thursday, 2026-10-15 at 10:15
Room: C 40.255 Seminarraum
Research Colloquium
Armin Beverungen
This seminar is to prepare you for writing your BA thesis. We will review your knowledge of methods, ascertain your fields of interest, provide you with some basic guidance on how to set up a project, and give you space to develop your ideas leading towards an draft outline for your project.
Next appointment:
Thursday, 2026-10-15 at 12:15
Room: C 40.254 Seminarraum