Prof. Dr. Steffen Farny
Werdegang
Steffen Farny ist Professor für Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insbesondere Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship an der Fakultät Management und Technologie an der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. Seine Forschungsschwerpunkte sind (1) resilientes Unternehmertum und Disrtuptionen (zB Naturkatastrophen, Klimawandel, Biodiversitätsverluste) und (2) Unternehmtum in Nachhaltigkeitstransformationen. Hierfür bedient er sich vorwiegend qualitativer Forschungsmethoden um Praktiken, Affekt und institutionelle Prozesse zu erforschen. Darüber hinaus engargiert er stark in der Umsetzung von neuen Lehransätzen (zB. challenge-based entrepreneurship education), um gezielt unternehmerische Kompetenzen der Studierenden zu fördern.
Vita:
> seit 04/2024 Professor für Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insbesondere Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship an der Fakultät Management und Technologie an der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
> 08-12/2024 Gastprofessor an der Aalto Universität, Finnland.
> 2020-2024 Juniorprofessor für International Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Centre for Sustainability Management, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
> 2017-2020 Post-Doc in Entrepreneurship, Department of Management Studies, Aalto University, Finlannd.
> 04-05/2019 Gastwissenschaftler, Mendoza School of Business, University of Notre Dame, USA.
> 2016 Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, Faculty of Business Studies, University of Vaasa, Finnland.
> 2012-2016 Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter in Entrepreneurship, Department of Management Studies, Aalto University, Finnland.
Ausgewählte Publikationen:
Farny, S., Kibler, E. & Down, S. (2019). Collective Emotions in Institutional Creation Work, Academy of Management Journal, 62 (3), 765-799.
Farny, S, Kibler, E., Hai, S. & Landoni, P. (2019), Volunteer Retention in Prosocial Venturing: The Role of Emotional Connectivity, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 43 (6), 1094–1123.
Farny, S., Frederiksen, S.H., Hannibal, M. & Jones, S. (2016). A CULTure of Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 28 (7-8), 514-535.
Projekte
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Embracing Transformation: Auf dem Weg zu einer regenerativen Gesellschaft
Joern Fischer (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Steffen Farny (Wissenschaftliche Ko-Projektleiter*in) , Maria Wolters (Projektmitarbeiter*in) , Rowan Alden Hull (Projektmitarbeiter*in)
→Projekt: Forschung
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Holistic Impact Incubator 2.0 - hands on impact
Markus Reihlen (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Steffen Farny (Wissenschaftliche Ko-Projektleiter*in) , Andrea Japsen (Koordinator*in) , Ele Jansen (Projektmitarbeiter*in)
→Projekt: Transfer (FuE-Projekt)
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DATIpilot - Communities - MEHRCE - Communitymanagement für Innovative Mehrwegsysteme, TP3: CM-MEHRCE-C
Steffen Farny (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Katharina Hug (Projektmitarbeiter*in)
→Projekt: Forschung
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TrICo Teilprojekt: Community Social Innovation und Entrepreneurship
Robert Hoyer (Projektmitarbeiter*in) , Matthias Wenzel (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Markus Reihlen (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Steffen Farny (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Boukje Cnossen (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Jacob Hörisch (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Ursula Weisenfeld (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Frederic Penz (Projektmitarbeiter*in) , Lillan Lommel (Projektmitarbeiter*in) , Charlotte Wulffen (Projektmitarbeiter*in)
→Projekt: Transfer (Wissenschaftliche Dienstleistung)
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Sozial-Innovative Transformation durch inklusive Arbeitswelten (SInTrA)
Steffen Farny (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Oliver Genschow (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , David D. Loschelder (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Svenja Rehwinkel (Projektmitarbeiter*in) , Monika Imschloß (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in) , Melissa Striethörster (Projektmitarbeiter*in) , Josephine Führer (Projektmitarbeiter*in)
→Projekt: Forschung
Publikationen
Bücher und Anthologien
- Wie genau die Welt retten?: Denkanstöße zum Club-of-Rome-Bericht "EARTH FOR ALL"
Steffen Farny (Herausgeber*in) , Ines Lietzke-Prinz (Herausgeber*in) , 2024 München , 228 S.Publikation: Bücher und Anthologien › Sammelwerke und Anthologien › Forschung
Beiträge in Zeitschriften
- Collectively Committing to 'What Is Interesting' in Qualitative Research: A methodological application of interactional sociolinguistics
Ewald Kibler (Autor*in) , Virva Salmivaara (Autor*in) , Eleanor Lutman-White (Autor*in) , Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Jo Angouri (Autor*in) , 26.01.2026 , in: Organization Studies , 33 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
- Resilience and regeneration for a world in crisis
Joern Fischer (Autor*in) , Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Manuel Pacheco-Romero (Autor*in) , Carl Folke (Autor*in) , 01.01.2026 , in: Ambio, 55, 1 , S. 24-34 , 11 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
- An attention-based perspective on how climate impact affects opportunity entrepreneurship
Mirko Hirschmann (Autor*in) , Christian Fisch (Autor*in) , Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , 01.12.2025 , in: Small Business Economics, 65, 4 , S. 2217-2257 , 41 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
- Biodiversity loss and entrepreneurship: Empirical evidence on threat perceptions among primary-sector entrepreneurs in 28 European countries
Mirko Hirschmann (Autor*in) , Christian Fisch (Autor*in) , Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , 01.06.2025 , in: Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 23 , 12 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
- Social identity and place-based dynamics in community resilience building for natural disasters: an integrative framework
Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Domenico Dentoni (Autor*in) , 01.05.2025 , in: Ecology and Society, 30, 2 , 14 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
Beiträge in Sammelwerken
- Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education
Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Theres Konrad (Autor*in) , 01.01.2025 UKPublikation: Beiträge in Sammelwerken › Lexikonbeiträge › Forschung
- Resource Allocation in Startup Teams: Exploring Entrepreneurial Coping with Radical Uncertainty during the Corona Pandemic
Yasmine Yahyaoui (Autor*in) , Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Eva Jakob (Autor*in) , Holger Steinmetz (Autor*in) , 14.06.2022 , S. 331-334 , 3 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Sammelwerken › Aufsätze in Konferenzbänden › Forschung › begutachtet
- Collective intentionality in entrepreneurship-as-practice
Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Ewald Kibler (Autor*in) , 01.01.2022 Cheltenham , S. 127-140 , 14 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Sammelwerken › Kapitel › Forschung › begutachtet
- Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Julia Binder (Autor*in) , 19.01.2021 2. Aufl. , S. 605-611 , 7 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Sammelwerken › Lexikonbeiträge › Forschung
- A CULTure of entrepreneurship education
Steffen Farny (Autor*in) , Signe Hedeboe Frederiksen (Autor*in) , Martin Hannibal (Autor*in) , Sally Jones (Autor*in) , 01.01.2018 London , S. 38-59 , 22 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Sammelwerken › Kapitel › Forschung › begutachtet
Impact
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Director of the Social Change Hub (SCHub) at Leuphana University
Steffen Farny
Impact: Bildungsimpact
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Working Group on Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Germany
Steffen Farny
Impact: Akademischer Impact, Bildungsimpact, Politischer Impact
Presse / Medien
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Müsliproduzent stellt Ex-Junkies ein und will Vorbild sein
1 eigener MedienbeitragPresse/Medien: Presse / Medien
Auszeichnungen
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Transfer- und Impact Award der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Lillan Lommel (Empfänger/-in) Frederic Penz (Empfänger/-in) Robert Hoyer (Empfänger/-in) Charlotte Wulffen (Empfänger/-in) Matthias Wenzel (Empfänger/-in) Boukje Cnossen (Empfänger/-in) Steffen Farny (Empfänger/-in) Markus Reihlen (Empfänger/-in) Ursula Weisenfeld (Empfänger/-in) ,Auszeichnung: Leuphana interne Preise, Stipendien, Auszeichnungen, Ernennungen › Transfer
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Impactpreis der Fakultät Management und Technologie 2025
Svenja Rehwinkel (Empfänger/-in) Steffen Farny (Empfänger/-in) Oliver Genschow (Empfänger/-in) David D. Loschelder (Empfänger/-in) ,Auszeichnung: Leuphana interne Preise, Stipendien, Auszeichnungen, Ernennungen › Transfer
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Transfer & Impact Award 2025
Jacob Hörisch (Empfänger/-in) Steffen Farny (Empfänger/-in) Markus Reihlen (Empfänger/-in) Ursula Weisenfeld (Empfänger/-in) Matthias Wenzel (Empfänger/-in) ,Auszeichnung: Leuphana interne Preise, Stipendien, Auszeichnungen, Ernennungen › Forschung
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Aalto University Dissertation Award 2018
Steffen Farny (Empfänger/-in) ,Auszeichnung: Externe Preise, Stipendien, Auszeichnungen, Ernennungen › Forschung
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Doctoral Thesis Award For the Highest Quality Dissertation of the Year 2017 (HSE Foundation)
Steffen Farny (Empfänger/-in) ,Auszeichnung: Externe Preise, Stipendien, Auszeichnungen, Ernennungen › Forschung
Lehrveranstaltungen
• New practices and processes in sustainable entrepreneurship
• Alternative forms of organizing (e.g., community entrepreneurship)
• Holistic and net-positive sustainability orientations, especially regeneration and regenerative entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurship and resilience in response to shocks and disruptions
• Outcomes, outputs, and impacts of entrepreneurial practices (e.g. impact measurement)
• The interrelationship between the natural environment and entrepreneurship (“organizing with nature”)
Exemplary theses supervised by Prof. Farny have investigated themes such as regenerative business models in rural communities, ethnographic studies of community-driven enterprises, and case studies exploring entrepreneurial responses to environmental crises. Theoretical approaches often draw from institutional theory, practice theory, systems thinking, and socio-ecological perspectives.
Methodological Approaches
The theses under Prof. Farny’s supervision are typically qualitative in nature, emphasizing interpretive and exploratory methodologies. Common approaches include:
• Grounded Theory for theory development based on empirical data
• Case Study Research to explore complex, real-life entrepreneurial contexts
• Ethnographic Designs to provide in-depth, contextual understanding of entrepreneurial practices
In some cases, conceptual work and theoretical essays may also be supervised, particularly when aiming to develop or critically interrogate frameworks within the domain of sustainable entrepreneurship.
Supervision Process
Prospective thesis students are expected to initiate contact via a short email outlining:
(a) the research phenomenon,
(b) the research question
(c) the intended research design.
This is followed by a brief (virtual) meeting to discuss the feasibility and alignment of the topic. Students then prepare a 3–5 page exposé, which serves as the foundation for the research project. Subsequent supervision meetings are arranged on a needs-based schedule, ensuring tailored support throughout the thesis process.
On the one hand, the course will bring diverse audiences and perspective together, offering valuable insights on impact (co-)creation. On the other hand, the course offers participants a safe learning environment to experiment with solution-oriented knowledge translation.
The course is split into 3 parts: (1) An introductory session at Leuphana clarifies the course design, roles and responsibilities; (2) a 1-week field trip to interesting places in Northern Europe (Stockholm, Helsinki) offers an embodied learning experience on co-creating impact, by learning from and engaging with best-practice examples; (3) participating students present their “impact stories and/or artefacts” during a Transformation Lab event in the summer semester on campus.
This pedagogical design promotes students (1) gaining a deeper understanding on different types of knowledge and their relevance in societal transformation; (2) reflecting on the authority of science in transformative processes; and (3) learning to (co-)create societal impact in their own research.
Insights into the first course of this kind can be found on the Linkedin page of the "Regenerative Entrepreneurial Action Lab" (REAL).
To apply for a spot in this unique course you are asked to submit a motivation letter (max 2 pages) responding to the following questions:
1. Why do you pursue a PhD and what is your topic?
2. How would your PhD benefit from this course?
3. What do you envision to contribute to the co-creative learning experience?
Please send your motivation letter (in pdf format, named Surname_Name_ML) to the following email addresses: steffen.farny@leuphana.de and theres.konrad@leuphana.de latest by October 21st 2026 at noon.
Shortlisted candidates will be informed soon after. Note that the dates are still subject to slight modification. Candidates still need to confirm their active participation after acceptance.
Please make sure to carefully read through the syllabus as it entails key information about the structure of this course. Also, make sure to register for the Moodle course (tab: Onlinelehre) where you can find the lecture videos and further important course materials.
Mode 1 – October 16th to December 14th
Mode 1 takes place during the first half of the semester. Please note that it is of utmost importance to prepare your attendance of the tutorials. Details will be provided in the first tutorial session. Mode 1 concludes with a test of your knowledge of the course subjects covered in lectures 1 to 12.
Mode 2 – December 15th to March 15th
Mode 2 stretches throughout the second half of the semester; it kicks off with the tutorial session on December 14th and concludes with the submission of your research reports. During mode 2, you apply your knowledge of qualitative research methods by conducting your own research projects in groups. The tutorial sessions in this mode have two objectives. First, we will discuss particular topics that will help you navigate the process of your research projects. Second, we will use the tutorials to discuss your questions and give collective feedback on your emerging research projects. Be advised that hearing the feedback both on your own as well as on others’ projects is absolutely necessary to develop a research project that meets our expectations.
Please make sure to carefully read through the syllabus as it entails key information about the structure of this course.
Mode 1 – October 16th to December 14th
Mode 1 takes place during the first half of the semester. Please note that it is of utmost importance to prepare your attendance of the tutorials. Details will be provided in the first tutorial session. Mode 1 concludes with a test of your knowledge of the course subjects covered in lectures 1 to 12.
Mode 2 – December 15th to March 15th
Mode 2 stretches throughout the second half of the semester; it kicks off with the tutorial session on December 14th and concludes with the submission of your research reports. During mode 2, you apply your knowledge of qualitative research methods by conducting your own research projects in groups. The tutorial sessions in this mode have two objectives. First, we will discuss particular topics that will help you navigate the process of your research projects. Second, we will use the tutorials to discuss your questions and give collective feedback on your emerging research projects. Be advised that hearing the feedback both on your own as well as on others’ projects is absolutely necessary to develop a research project that meets our expectations.
Please make sure to carefully read through the syllabus as it entails key information about the structure of this course.
This seminar dives into the fascinating world of social enterprises and hybrid organizations - businesses that blend profit and purpose to tackle urgent social and environmental challenges.
Through real-world cases like HEYHO, a muesli company that provides jobs for individuals with lived experiences (such as incarceration, homelessness, mental health disabilities and more), we will explore how organizations successfully combine market logic with mission-driven goals. Students will gain insights into the unique opportunities and challenges of social enterprises and hybrid organizations.
In this interactive course, we will not only study inspiring examples but also design innovative micro-trainings to apply these lessons in practice, thus equipping yourself with tools to foster positive change in future organizations.
If you’re interested in sustainability and new ways of doing business, this seminar will challenge and inspire you.