Our Vision
LEADING. STRATEGIC CHANGE.
Technological change helps drive the development of the economy and society. This presents organizations with the challenge of continuously adapting to changing external environmental conditions in order to be profitable in the short term and survive in the long term. As complex and historically evolved social systems, shaping organizational change processes is far from trivial and often fraught with significant difficulties. How the managers working within them successfully master this challenge is therefore crucial.
Our vision is to provide organizations and the leaders working within them with up-to-date, evidence-based, and effective expertise to further develop those skills and competencies that enable them to recognize the opportunities of change and successfully shape organizational change processes.
Our work is informed by the premise of understanding how organizational development dynamics unfold, emerging from the complex interplay of organizational context, social processes, and management decisions.
In our research, we apply qualitative case study research and experimental designs that aim to (further) develop theories of leadership and strategic change in and of organizations.
We share our insights on how current and future leaders can shape organizations to be one step ahead in meeting tomorrow's challenges.
"Leading. Strategic Change." guides our research, teaching and transfer activities in the following core topics:
STRATEGIC CHANGE
Dynamic developments in their technological and competitive environment force organizations to continuously adapt their resource and competence base as well as their business models and the associated products and processes to new circumstances and to ensure their future viability through innovation. In dynamic markets, companies are therefore required not only to effectively use and continuously modify existing organizational capabilities, but also to build (completely) new ones and integrate them into the organizational competence base (Capability Development & Reconfiguration). This simultaneous coupling of exploring and developing the new and preserving and using the existing is commonly referred to as Organizational Ambidexterity. Given the importance of organizations' strategic adaptive capabilities and countless examples of rigidity and failed change, business research has intensively discussed the role of organizational change capabilities (Dynamic Capabilities), which guide organizational advancement activities via routinized discovery, decision-making, and transformation processes to keep the organization open to change. In our research, we address how organizations can master this challenge in order to be successful in the long run and to be able to shape their environment.
LEADING CHANGE
Dealing with complexity in processes of technological change and the associated areas of tension pose major challenges for managers; this applies in particular to developing new types of technological capabilities and managing organizational transformation processes as well as implementing new technologies in organizations (Leading Technological Change). In dynamic markets, managers have to meet competing and sometimes diverging demands and balance them skillfully. Tension areas such as old vs. new, efficiency vs. flexibility, as well as routine vs. innovation have to be reconciled continuously, as well as the necessity to implement a learning environment in addition to the performance context (Ambidextrous Leadership). This requires strategic and conceptual skills as well as a distinct self-image as a leader. Only then will it be possible to guide sensegiving and sensemaking processes appropriately in order to bring the teams along in the change and to lead the organization into the future. In our research, we deal with how leaders can master this challenge in order to be successful in the long term and to be able to help shape their environment.
TRANSFER
As a practice-oriented research area, we strive to empower organizations and their leaders with scientific expertise and practical experience in shaping change processes. To this end, we have developed the approaches of Scientific Consulting and Scientific Investigation to provide methodological and evidence-based support to organizations in strategic change processes. Our approach of Scientific Leadership Development supports executives in refining their leadership skills in specially designed learning and development processes.
In applied research projects, consulting projects, team development, leadership training, MBA programs and coaching as well as through our practical publications - e.g. the Austrian Management Review - and exchange forums, we support executives in further developing their areas of responsibility.
Within the framework of the TUW Academy for Continuing Education, we offer the MBA program "Strategic Management & Technology" and the certificate course "Leadership". In this program, we qualify managers and high potentials for leadership and change processes.
In the teaching program at the TU Wien, we involve our students in the analysis and development of solutions for current leadership, management and change topics.
In our projects we examine selected business areas and offer feedback and suggestions for improvement.
For this purpose we cooperate with Rosenbauer, KTM, Boehringer Ingelheim, Palfinger, Hofer, FACC, Silhouette, Würth or various hospitals. In training, team development or consulting projects we also work on clearly defined problem areas (e.g. OMV, Oberbank, Austrian National Library, Lenzing, Kraftwerk).