Modern society favors the development of organizations that provide reliable services and products. Hence, transformation is difficult as there is resistance to change, especially in well-managed, reliable organizations. Radical transformation requires a fundamental shift in the way organizations and individuals represent the world in which they operate. This change of representation then leads to large and small actions on an organizational and individual level that, in turn, drives transformation in communities and society. At ESMT our cutting-edge research provides the foundation on which positive and effective transformation can take place.
A selection of transformation-related research
The research of ESMT faculty encompasses all levels of transformation, including systemic, organizational, and individual.
Faculty at ESMT have studied transformation on a system level, such as sustainability transitions or societies’ move towards a more sustainable production and consumption. The key takeaway from this research is that we do not only need better technologies but also have to address the needs, norms, and values of the broader population: technological innovation needs to co-evolve with social and institutional structures.
Additionally, ESMT faculty members have expertise on abrupt, large-scale organizational changes, as seen in mergers and acquisitions, the onset of new innovation regimes, and corporate cultural initiatives. Professors also conduct cutting-edge research that sheds light on how companies should organize for innovation and reinvent their business models.
Furthermore, we focus on slower, more micro-level transformations among an organization and its leadership. These are vitally important to consider because they make organizational functioning possible. Arguably, transforming a business can only start with a strategic vision, executed via transformational leadership. Read more on the research by Matt Bothner, Gianluca Carnabuci, Konstantin Korotov, and Chengwei Liu.
Related research (a selection)
Faculty research
- Linus Dahlander, David M. Gann, Martin W. Wallin How open is innovation? A retrospective and ideas forward by Linus Dahlander, David M. Gann, and Martin W. Wallin.
- Transformational leadership development programs: Creating long-term sustainable change by Manfred Kets de Vries and Konstantin Korotov.
- Using semantic networks to identify the meanings of leadership by Ingo Marquart, Matthew S. Bothner, and Nghi Truong.
- How to manage ‘invisible transitions' in leadership by Ingo Marquart, Nora Grasselli, and Gianluca Carnabuci.
- Citizen science and sustainability transitions by Henry Sauermann, Katrin Vohland, Vyron Antoniou, Bálint Balázs, Claudia Göbel, Kostas Karatzas, and Peter Mooney.
- Amazon Warrior: How a Platform Can Restructure Industry Power and Ecology by Henrich R. Greve and Jamie Seoyeong Song.
- The variance of variance by Chengwei Liu and Chia-Jung Tsay.
Practitioner research
- How to Manage ‘Invisible Transitions’ in Leadership in MIT Sloan Management Review by Ingo Marquart, Nora Grasselli, and Gianluca Carnabuci.
- Forming New Collaborations in Remote Work in California Management Review by Linus Dahlander, Martin Wallin, Gianluca Carnabuci, and Eric Quintane.
- Don’t Underestimate the Power of Luck When It Comes to Success in Business in Harvard Business Review by Chengwei Liu.
- Individualized Learning in Executive Education Accommodating the Modern Learner in the European Business Review by Mandy Hübener, Bianca Schmitz, and Bethan Williams.
