A 2023 Recap of Events

Dear TUM CSO Friends and Supporters,

As we approach the end of another eventful year, we would like to take this wonderful opportunity to reflect on our collective achievements and look forward to exciting new prospects in 2024. To this end, we have compiled a brief best-of of the achievements and events that have happened this year at the TUM Chair for Strategy and Organisation.

Core themes of 2023: Artificial Intelligence, Entrepreneurship Performance and DEI Impact

Artificial Intelligence

We are confident 2023 has been a remarkable year for many of us; As it has been for the world of innovation and tech. With “Artificial Intelligence” named word of the year by Collins Dictionary, and ChatGPT rising the ranks as one of the fastest growing application of all times, we are excited for the developments of technology yet to come. And even though some might think AI is not really that exciting, we see its very promising avenues for business and innovation and have opened (and by now hired) several new PhD positions to integrate this surprising and relevant technology ever deeper into our daily lives. If you have not already, sign up to our newsletter to stay tuned for what’s to come. For a sneak-peak, we can only highlight Prof. Dr. Welpe’s latest interview at RFO (Regionalfernsehen Oberbayern). We also recommend this New York Time’s Series and the Stanford AI Index Report for an exciting Christmas read on the so called “A.I. Race”.

Entrepreneurship Performance

Naturally, our chair puts high emphasis on supporting Startups, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and business overall in Germany, Europe, and abroad, and to help them achieve their best possible performance. A 2023 standout moment in this endeavor was the publication of “Entrepreneurship Performance Deutscher Hochschulen 2023” by M. Fiedler, L. Heidegger, Prof. T. Treffers, and Prof. I. Welpe, which provided a critical benchmarking review concerning the impact of German university ecosystems on entrepreneurship. We were also excited for Prof. Dr. Welpe to be awarded as Mentor of Excellence at UnternehmerTUM. This honor is given to professors who are particularly committed and successful in mentoring startup teams.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

As a female-led chair at TUM, we put high emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This year, three influential articles on DEI were published by N. Born, Prof. Dr. Treffers, Prof. Dr. Welpe, and B. Winkler . These publications delved into the power of imagery and stereotypes in shaping digital leadership, the relevance of language and mindfulness in embracing corporate diversity, as well as on the benefits of DEI for business and startup venture success (Best Paper Award, Diana Conference). On top, we are setting up a conference on the visibility of women in media in March 2024, where you can sign up now. If you want to add your share to the debate HELP US, by answering these questions about the state of DEI in the german Startup landscape.

Looking Ahead: Strategic Goals and Research Focus for 2024

As we move into 2024, our strategic focus will intensify on key areas such as Artificial Intelligence, our 2-year Startup Mentoring Project ‘The Gottmann Initiative‘, the ‘Predicting Startup Success‘ study, as well as continued emphasis enhancing the visibility of female scholars and advancing the german DEI ecosystem.

Concluding this note, we would like to extend our warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May this festive season bring joy and happiness for you and your loved ones to celebrate the successful achievements of another year.

Warm regards,

The Chair for Strategy and Organization Team @ TUM School of Management

Icon Source: https://graphicsurf.com/

Selected Publications in 2023:

• Born, N., Treffers, T., Welpe, I.M. (2023): Das nächste Kapitel von Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Die Macht der Bilder, Sprache, und Strukturen. Personalführung, Heft 06/2023.
• Born, N., Treffers, T., Welpe, I.M. (2023): Kein Nullsummenspiel: DEI kommt allen Geschlechtern zugute. Personalwirtschaft, Ausgabe 05_2023, S. 22–27.
• Treffers, T., Born, N. Welpe, I.M., Winkler, B. (2023): Wie DEI-Programme Erfolg haben: Von unwirksamen Maßnahmen hin zu echter Wirksamkeit. Organisationsentwicklung, Ausgabe 04/2023.
• Fiedler, M., Treffers, T., Welpe, I.M. (2023): The impact of institutional and individual determinants on academic patenting, presented at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. (edited)
• Best Paper in Conference: Joas, R., Heidegger, L., Treffers, T., Welpe, I.M. (2023): Foregone potential? The effects of gender and ethnic diversity on new venture funding, accepted for presentation at the 2023 Diana International Research Conference, Wellesley, USA.
• Modliba, R., Treffers, T. (forthcoming 2024): The good, the bad, and the evil of negative leadership: A systematic literature review and research agenda, International Journal of Management Reviews.
• Treffers, T., Stumpf-Wollersheim, J., Welpe, I.M. (2023). Künstliche Intelligenz in Kundeninteraktionen — Chancen und Herausforderungen für KMU. Der Betriebswirt, Heft 3/2023.