Program
Overview of Upcoming Seminars
Next Seminar
- Speaker
- Dr. Grigorij Ljubownikow
(University of Auckland, New Zealand) - Seminar Title
- "Geopolitical Tension and Global Reorganization: Evidence from US Multinationals' Subsidiary Exit"
- Date, Time
- October 15, 2026, 4:15 - 5:45 pm
- Location
- Ludwigstr. 28 RG, Room 416
- Abstract
- This paper examines how geopolitical tensions shape the global reorganization of US multinationals' foreign subsidiary networks. Firms rarely observe geopolitical relations directly and instead interpret them through the media coverage surrounding interstate tension, which shapes managers' risk perceptions and their downstream divestment decisions. We argue that sensitivity to tension is not uniform but depends on the structure of a firm's subsidiary network: firms with a broad international footprint can more easily reallocate activity away from a strained market, whereas firms whose presence in a host country is deep and long-established have more to lose from exiting. We find that rising geopolitical tension significantly increases the likelihood of subsidiary exit, and that firms with deeper, more established networks in a host country are significantly less likely to exit in response, while the moderating role of overall international breadth is weaker and less robust. Geopolitical tension does not uniformly push firms out of politically sensitive markets, but interacts with the structure of a firm's existing footprint to shape where and how multinationals reorganize their operations.
Upcoming Seminars
Prof. Dr. Mary Beth Watson-Manheim (University of Illinois Chicago, USA)
"Da Vinci 5: An industry imaginary and a critical counter-imaginary"
16.10.2026, 10:15 am - 11:45 am
Ludwigstr. 28 RG, Room 329
Abstract:
In previous research, we examined changes in work (surgical practice) and institutions (the health care ecosystem, including hospitals) following the introduction of robotic surgery (Klein & Watson-Manheim, 2021). We employed a framework based on three orders of change (Baptista et al., 2020; Bartunek & Moch, 1987) to analyze these developments. This framework offered a retrospective view of how organizations transformed as robotic surgical systems were implemented and routines were established. It emphasizes that understanding the digital transformation of organizations requires recognizing the gradual impact and entanglement of human activities and technology adoption, including the "effects of effects" that evolve over time. The surgical robot vendor, Intuitive Surgical, Inc., plays a crucial and increasingly integrated role in the ongoing transformation of healthcare. Since its inception, the da Vinci surgical robot has been the market leader in a rapidly growing, lucrative global market, holding over 75% market share in both Europe and the United States. The introduction of the da Vinci 5 robotic platform in 2024 represents a strategic shift towards a data-driven ecosystem and aims to promote an industry-led structural transformation within the healthcare system. Access to data for analysis and problem-solving has become essential for performing, managing, and continuously innovating the surgical process. In this study, we aim to investigate the espoused strategies and evolving role of Intuitive Surgical in the digital transformation process. We analyze the potential effects on surgeons, hospitals, and patients, addressing recent calls to prioritize social welfare as a central goal in the design and use of technology. Our analysis takes a forward-looking approach, examining not only current developments but also possible future paths. We incorporate the three orders of change alongside Adam’s (2008, 2023) conceptualization of futurescapes to reflect on the challenges and potential impacts of Intuitive’s ambitions, as well as alternative trajectories.
Prof. Dr. Gerry McNamara (Michigan State University, USA)
"Grand Challenges as Triggers for Strategic Opportunity: The Effect of Climate Regulation on Acquisition Behavior and Value Generation"
22.10.2026, 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm
Ludwigstr. 28 RG, Room 416
Abstract:
Climate change is a defining grand challenge confronting firms with growing regulatory pressure. Although environmental regulation is often viewed as raising compliance costs and discouraging risky, irreversible investments such as mergers and acquisitions, we argue that regulation introduced by pioneering states can also serve as a forward-looking institutional signal. Using California’s 2013 cap-and-trade program - implemented at the vanguard of an institutional shift - as a quasi-natural experiment, we examine how acquirers adapt their acquisition strategies in response to such signals. We find that climate regulation increases California firms’ likelihood of becoming acquisition targets. Moreover, acquisitions of California firms generate more favorable investor reactions and greater long-term value creation, particularly among acquirers with stronger corporate social performance. Together, these findings demonstrate how climate regulation reshapes acquisition markets by revaluating firms positioned for anticipated regulatory and stakeholder demands.
Prof. Dr. Prof. Dr. Petri Nokelainen
"How Expertise Develops in the Moment: Intensive Longitudinal Evidence from Learning and Work"
28.10.2026, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Ludwigstr. 28 RG, Room 329
Abstract:
Expertise development is often studied through cross-sectional questionnaires or retrospective assessments, although learning and professional development take place in specific situations and fluctuate within individuals over time. This lecture presents a process-oriented approach based on intensive longitudinal research in authentic educational and workplace settings. The studies combine experience sampling, repeated self-assessments and, in some cases, physiological arousal measured with wearable sensors. Evidence from university teachers, vocational student teachers, engineering students, and knowledge workers shows that situational emotions, perceived digital skills, reflection, and physiological arousal can be associated with perceived competence or expertise development. Importantly, relationships observed between individuals are not necessarily the same as processes occurring within the same individual across situations. The lecture discusses what can be learned by moving from conventional between-person comparisons towards temporally intensive within-person designs, and what these approaches contribute to understanding competence development as a dynamic and context-sensitive process.
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