
Teaching
We provide our students with current scientific knowledge on the human side of leadership, organization, and innovation. Together with a focus on practical relevance, this provides the basis for our discussions with students.
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Courses
Courses in the summer term 2023
All events, including exams, will take place exclusively in person. All information on the individual courses can be found in LSF and is updated on a regular basis.
Please note that a registration via LSF for all examinations is mandatory, both for written exams and seminars!
Further information on master plan exams can be found on the websites of the ISC.
Bachelor
- Lecture: People and Organizations
- Lecture and Tutorial: Organization and Innovation
- Pflichtseminar: Leadership and Organization
- Seminar: The Management of Projects
- Pflichtseminar: Leadership and Organization (ST 24, information available)
Master
Courses in the winter term 2023/24
All events, including exams, will take place exclusively in person. All information on the individual courses can be found in LSF and is updated on a regular basis.
Please note that a registration via LSF for all examinations is mandatory, both for written exams and seminars!
Further information on master plan exams can be found on the websites of the ISC.
Bachelor
- Pflichtseminar: Leadership and Organization
- Executive Leadership - Styles and Personalities
- Key Topics in Leadership
- Seminar: Management of Non-Profit Organizations
Master
Theses Information
Bachelor Thesis
We expect all candidates for bachelor theses at our institute to participate in the seminar course Leadership & Organization (Hauptseminar). The content of the seminar is important to write a thesis at our institute. Students who completed this seminar course are sure to being able to write their bachelor thesis at ILO. We expect a high scientific standard.
Procedure
- Start: at any time during the semester
- Topics: from those listed below, freely choosable
- Proposals for own topics should fit to our research focus and summarize the following on max. one page: (1) description of the topic incl. research idea, (2) research motivation, (3) methods/data collection possibilities (e.g., qualitative or quantitative).
- We are open to supervising theses in collaboration with companies, but cannot guarantee that we will be able to supervise the suggested topics.
- Application: 2-3 weeks before the desired start date with the following documents and information: (1) grade sheet ("Kontoauszug"), (2) preferred start date, (3) examination regulations, and (4) topic preferences (2-3 topics from the list "Topics for Theses") to Max Reinwald (reinwald@lmu.de)
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Colloquium (Official Presentation): 4-5 weeks after the start date
Topics
Our current research focus centers around the following main topics:
- Leading PEOPLE: Leadership & Teamwork, Leveraging Diversity, Trust & Intercultural Collaboration, Multi-Teaming & New Forms of Collaboration
- Leading INNOVATION: Innovation & Team Agility, Digital Innovation, Open Innovation & Crowdsourcing, Leading Innovation Projects, Sustainable Innovation
- Leading ORGANIZATIONS: Organizational Agility & Strategy Execution, Change Management & Organizational Transformation, Inter-Organizational Collaboration, Dispersed/Virtual Organizations, Organizational Change & Temporality
You can find specific topics that we currently offer below.
Formalia
For information on formatting, please check the ILO Style Guide.
Master Thesis
There are no additional prerequisites to apply for a master thesis. However, we expect a high scientific standard.
Procedure
- Start: at any time during the semester
- Topics: freely choosable from those listed below
- Proposals for own topics should fit to our research focus and summarize the following on max. one page: (1) description of the topic incl. research idea, (2) research motivation, (3) methods/data collection possibilities (e.g., qualitative or quantitative).
- We are open to supervising theses in collaboration with companies, but cannot guarantee that we will be able to supervise the suggested topics.
- Application: 3-4 weeks before the desired start date with the following documents and information: (1) grade sheet ("Kontoauszug"), (2) preferred start date, (3) examination regulations, and (4) topic preferences (2-3 topics from the list "Topics for Theses") to Max Reinwald (reinwald@lmu.de)
- Duration: 22 weeks
- No official colloquium
Topics
Our current research focus centers around the following main topics:
- Leading PEOPLE: Leadership & Teamwork, Leveraging Diversity, Trust & Intercultural Collaboration, Multi-Teaming & New Forms of Collaboration
- Leading INNOVATION: Innovation & Team Agility, Digital Innovation, Open Innovation & Crowdsourcing, Leading Innovation Projects, Sustainable Innovation
- Leading ORGANIZATIONS: Organizational Agility & Strategy Execution, Change Management & Organizational Transformation, Inter-Organizational Collaboration, Dispersed/Virtual Organizations, Organizational Change & Temporality
You can find specific topics that we currently offer below.
Formalia
For information on formatting, please check the ILO Style Guide.
ILO Style Guide
Our style guide (PDF, 661 KB) offers you insights into:
- how to structure your text and which formatting requirements we have;
- which citation style you should use; and
- how the declaration of honour should look like.
You will also find a template for the title page of your paper.
Recommendation Letters
We only provide letters of recommendation for applications to specific addressees and no generalized assessments.
Prerequisite for this is the successful participation (excellent grades overall) in one of our interactive courses (Seminars or Project Course) or that you have written your Bachelor or Master Thesis at our Institute with outstanding results overall. The participation in one of our lectures is not sufficient!
We will need following information from you in advance:
- Statement of purpose: Where do you want to apply (incl. address of the organization) and why? For this purpose, why would you be a suitable candidate? Why do you want a letter of recommendation from our Institute in particular? In how far can we contribute to your application?
- List of courses taken at our Institute incl. grades and names of the respective lecturers/thesis-advisor.
- Current transcript incl. failed courses, if applicable your graduation certificate.
- Current curriculum vitae, if applicable job references.
- Recommendation standards: Different organizations request a variety of distinct formalities and formatting requirements for letters of recommendation. It is your responsibility to inform us about these and provide us with all relevant information. Please also note the relevant deadlines and inform us in a timely manner.
Please read the above listed prerequisites for obtaining a letter of recommendation from our Institute. If you meet all of them, please send all required documents and relevant information to the respective assistant or supervisor of your thesis. We will check your eligibility and subsequently contact you in order to discuss the next steps.
Please ensure sufficient time for this process, as the completion of the letter of recommendation may take a few weeks.
Topics for Theses
BSc Topics
Change your mind - Digital mindset development and impact in organizations
- In the digital era, the development of a digital mindset gets more important. However, there what is meant by "digital mindset" and how can it be developed?
- Identification and analysis of existing research on digital mindset development and its impact in organizations
- Identification of barriers and accelerators for digital mindset development
- Discussion of findings and implications for practice and theory
- Type: Literature review / conceptual paper
Contagion in Organizations - When and How do Individuals "Infect" Each Other with Emotions, Cognitions, and Behavior?
- Write a structured literature review on contagion in organizations, e.g., contagions of engagement
- Describe the state of the art and identify and structure the various types of contagions and their mechanisms
- Develop a future research agenda on contagions in organizations
- Type: Conceptual paper or literature review
My Story of Change - Using Narratives for Organizational Change Research
- A structured literature review on the use of narrative research methodology in organizational change research
- What is narrative research methodology and how can it be applied in organizational change research?
- Identification of research studies using narrative research for investigating organizational change.
- Discussion of strengths and weaknesses of narrative research as well as implications for theory and practice.
- Type: Literature review
Increasing Individual Creativity in Online Innovation Communities
- A structued literature review on creativity in online innovation communities
- Discuss strategy on increasing individual creativity in OICs
- Develop a further research agenda
- Type: Literature review
Setting Boundaries at Work - When to Say "No" and Its Consequences
- Develop a conceptual model based on relevant scientific literature on how setting and protecting one's personal boundaries at work (e.g., saying "no" to inappropriate or non-achievable requests from colleagues; in terms of when and for how long to work) may affect employee well-being and engagement
- Include boundary conditions that may affect the above relationship
- Develop implications for theory and practice
- Type: Conceptual paper (may be complemented by qualitative data [e.g., interviews])
Is Efficiency Overrated in Virtual Work?
- Develop a conceptual model based on relevant scientific literature on how socializing or similar practices while working virtually may affect employee well-being, engagement, and affect (one starting point may be Sandstrom & Dunn, 2013)
- Include boundary conditions that may affect the above relationship
- Develop implications for theory and practice
- Type: Conceptual paper (may be complemented by qualitative data [e.g., interviews])
Networks and networking behavior in virtual teams
- Review literature on social networks and networking behavior in virtual teams
- Discuss implications of virtuality (i.e., distance, technology mediation) on the construction and effects of social networks and individuals' networking behaviors
- Develop implications for theory and practice
- Type: Literature review
Political behavior in teams and organizations
- Review literature on the antecedents and consequences of political behaviors in teams and organizations
- You can narrow your focus by studying a specific behavior (e.g., building coalitions) or by studying multiple behaviors in a specific context (e.g., virtual teams)
- Discuss implications for theory and practice
- Type: Literature review
Secrecy in organizations and its effects on individual creativity
- Review literature on the effects of secrecy/transparency on org. behavior (particularly creativity)
- Develop a conceptual model including boundary conditions that may affect the above relationship
- Develop implications for theory and practice
- Type: Literature review
Status and power in online innovation communities
- Review literature on hierarchy and power in online communities
- Develop a conceptual model (preferably using network characteristics)
- Develop implications for theory and practice
- Type: Literature review
I am not my organization: understanding organizational disidentification
- Conduct a structured literature review of the antecedents of organizational disidentification of employees, and review some potential consequences of organizational disidentification
- Develop a conceptual model structuring the antecedents of organizatonal disidentification
- Develop implications for theory and practice, specifically focusing on how organizations can intervene to prevent organizational disidentifiation.
- Type: Literature review
Consequences of balancing exploration and exploitation
- Conduct a structured literature review on the consequences of employees' exploratory and exploitative behaviors.
- Develop a framework of the reviewed literature.
- Develop implications for theory and practice.
- Type: Literature review
MSc Topics
How Strategic Change Unfolds - A Qualitative Study
- Student will be integrated into a current ILO research project on organizational change at an organization in Munich. ILO provides data and background knowledge for student. Student transcribes semi-structured interviews and analyzes the qualitative data.
- Student can set own research focus depending on interest and data.
- Potential themes: How is the change towards more diversity in the organization unfolding? What is the current reaction to the prospect of becoming more diverse within the organization? What are current topics that are of importance to organizational members?
- Type: Qualitative study
The Interplay of Change Context and Process and Their Influence on Responses to Organizational Change
- There is a phletora of research on change process factors such as communication, participation, or support, and their influence on employee responses to organizational change.
- However, context-related factors seem to be under-investigated. How do they influence the relation between change process and responses to change?
- Student has the opportunity to adapt or further develop the research focus based on own interest.
- Type: Quantitative study
Please Mark! - Developing Appropriate Items for Organizational Change Research
- There is a plethora of research on organizational change as well as process factors such as communication, participation and support
- However, existing measurement scales and items seem to vary in their focus as well as perspective regarding "description" and "evaluation"
- Which measurement scales and items exist? How can they be categorized and assessed?
- The student has the opportunity to adapt or further develop the research focus based on own interest.
- Type: Literature review
Network Dynamics and Knowledge Exchange in Online Communities
- Investigate how knowledge exchange unfolds along network ties in online communities
- Collect and analyze quantitative data in close collaboration with the supervisor
- Student has opportunity to develop own research within the broader topic
- Type: Quantitative study
Human interactions: An online experiment with real-time video collaboration
- Investigate dynamics of human interaction in laboratory online experiment
- Student has the opportunity to develop their own research within broader topic of human interaction (e.g., information elaboration, idea generation, etc.)
- The thesis involves setting up and conducting an online experiment with real-time video collaboration using qualtrics and open-source solution SurvConf (see Brodsky, Lee & Leonard, 2022 for technical instructions)
- Type: Quantitative study
Setting Boundaries at Work - When to Say "No" and Its Consequences
- Conduct interviews, and transcribe and analyze the data to develop an understanding of how and why employees set personal boundaries at work (e.g., saying "no" to inappropriate or non-achievable requests from colleagues; in terms of when and for how long to work)
- Student has the opportunity to adapt or further develop the research focus based on own interests
- Student will be actively involved in the data collection process (i.e., identifying interviewees and conducting the interviews among others)
- Type: Qualitative study
Evaluating good leadership - A network approach
- Review literature on evaluation of leadership quality using network-based measures
- Construct a network-based approach to collect and analyze network data for leadership characteristics
- Develop implications for theory and practice
- Type: Conceptual paper
Political Orientations at Work: When and how do political attitudes surface at work?
- Review the literature on political orientations at the workplace and what is know about the influence of political differences between colleagues on the interactions
- Acquire and conduct interviews with employees how they experience political differences at work, how political differences are construed, and how they influence interactions
- Study which events make political differences in interactione salient
- Type: Qualitative study