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Research in the field of family businesses

Supporting with real-life challenges

The Chair of Family Businesses dedicates itself to the research of specific challenges of family businesses and the communication of these research results, including the mediation of solutions in business practice.

In the 21st century, family businesses have to reinvent themselves. Globalization and digitalization require innovations in products, processes and business models. In addition, employees have changed demands on managers and their workplace as such. Especially in a complex, insecure and rapidly changing environment, the management of family businesses and the adaptation to changing competition are becoming increasingly important issues. The Chair of Family Business therefore tries to answer the following questions, among others:

  • How can the innovation process in family businesses be designed effectively and efficiently?
  • How can disruptive change, especially digitalization, be dealt with? How are employees motivated to participate innovatively?
  • How must family businesses be run in the 21st century in order to remain adaptable?

What distinguishes family businesses from other types of organizations is the influence of family owners. How this influence is or should be designed has not yet been sufficiently researched. In this area, we focus on the following questions in particular:

  • Foundations, holdings, or family offices - what are the advantages and disadvantages of the individual solutions?
  • Which division of ownership is most advantageous?

Although the succession problem only occurs in very large cycles, often spanning decades, it affects every family business equally. Many family businesses put succession to the test and failed succession cases are repeatedly discussed in the media. On the other hand, succession can also be seen as a valuable opportunity: As an opportunity for change, reorientation and improvement. At the Chair of Family Businesses, we focus in particular on the following questions:

  • What role and influence do consultants have in the succession process?
  • What criteria do entrepreneurs set for their successors and how do they select them?
  • Under which conditions does succession lead to a standstill and under which conditions to change? 

The sustainable transformation is considered one of the key challenges for politics and business. In this context, listed companies are oftentimes asked to step up their engagement. However, family businesses and SMEs also play a key role due to their innovative strength and adaptability.

The strength of family businesses is their social sustainability while ecological sustainability is becoming increasingly important. 
At the Chair of Family Business, we are therefore focussing on the following challenges:

  • What role do family businesses play in the sustainable transformation?
  • How sustainable are the business practices of family businesses already?
  • What enables sustainability in family businesses and what hinders it?
  • How can the sustainable transformation be implemented?

Awards - Professor Nadine Kammerlander

2023EIASM Best Conference Paper AwardN. Kammerlander, R. Belschner, M. Waldkirch
2023IFERA Best Paper AwardN. Kammerlander, P. Capolupo, A. de Massis, A. Petruzzelli, L. Ardito
2023Schulze AwardN. Kammerlander, Klaus Lüber
2023AOM Best Paper AwardN. Kammerlander, R. Belschner
2023AOM Best Paper AwardN. Kammerlander, Jana Hermle-Börsig,and Matthias Waldkirch
2023Top cited article 2021-2022 in R&D ManagementN. Kammerlander
2022
  • #9 WiWo Management professor ranking under 40
  • #23 WiWo Management professor ranking
N. Kammerlander
2022IFERA Best Paper Contribution to Practice Award – 2nd prizeN. Kammerlander, Jana Hermle-Börsig,and Matthias Waldkirch
2022Schulze AwardN. Kammerlander, Doris Sommavilla, Sasha Lund, and Elisabeth Bagger
2022Top 100 Family InfluencerN. Kammerlander
2022IFERA Best Research Proposal AwardRolf Wilmes
2022Academy of Management Best Student Paper Award (ONT)Jana Hermle-Boersig
2022Academy of Management Best Paper AwardJana Hermle-Boersig
2022Nomination for Newman AwardJana Hermle-Boersig
2021Academy of Management Review Outstanding ReviewerN. Kammerlander
2021Family Business Review Honorable Mention for FBR Best Paper 2020N. Kammerlander, Holger Patzelt, Judith Behrens, Christian Röhm
2021IFERA Best Conference Paper AwardN. Kammerlander, Melanie Richards
2021IFERA Best Conference Theme Paper AwardN. Kammerlander, Jonas Soluk
2021IFERA Shark Tank FinalistsJana Hermle-Boersig and Christopher Khoury
2021Best Research Proposal Award FinalistVivian Görg
2021Best Presenter Award at Family Enterprise Case Competition (FEEC)Daniel Welz
2021Finalist EURAM 2021 Best Conference PaperN. Kammerlander and Julia de Groote
2021Best Research Video AwardN. Kammerlander and David Sauer
2021Best Presenter AwardDaniel Welz
2020Top 25 BWL professors under the age of 40N. Kammerlander
2020Best Innovation Paper AwardN. Kammerlander, Stephanie Querbach, Miriam Bird, and Priscilla Kraft
2020Top 100 Family InfluencerN. Kammerlander
2020Honorable Mention for FBR Best Paper 2019N. Kammerlander, Melanie Richards, and Thomas Zellweger
2020Best Paper ProceedingsN. Kammerlander, Sabrina Schell, Julia de Groote, and Andreas Hack
2020Koblenzer Hochschulpreis for DissertationStephanie Querbach
2019Ten Clarenwater Award for best Bachelor ThesisJulian Lessing
2019IFERA Best Dissertation AwardJonas Soluk
2019FIFU Project AwardAlexander Fries
2019Albert Page Award for Best Contribution to Practice (JPIM)N. Kammerlander
2019FGF Finalist for Best Family Paper AwardN. Kammerlander with Jonas Soluk
2019Top 1% Peer Reviewer Award, PublonsN. Kammerlander
2019IFERA Best Paper Award Nomination (1x) and Best Contribution to Practice (3x) Award NominationN.Kammerlander with Alexandra Bertschi-Michel, Philipp Sieger, Jonas Soluk, Stephanie Querbach, Matthias Waldkirch, Antonia Schickinger, Max Leitterstorf
2019Best Contribution to Practice Award, FERC ConferenceLarissa Leitner and Nadine Kammerlander
2019Schulze AwardN. Kammerlander, Larissa Leitner
2019FERC Best Contribution to Practice AwardN. Kammerlander, Larissa Leitner
2019Wirtschaftswoche Ranking “Top 100” Ökonomen unter 40, Platz 77N. Kammerlander
2019IFERA Best Dissertation AwardJonas Soluk
2019FIFU Best Project AwardAlexander Fries
2018  
2018Schulze Publication Award for Applied ResearchNadine Kammerlander and Larissa Leitner
2018FGF Best Family Business and Mittelstand Research AwardJonas Soluk and Nadine Kammerlander
2018Junge Elite – Top 40 unter 40, Platz 35N. Kammerlander
2018Top 1% Peer Reviewer Award
Publons, Category “Economics & Business”
N. Kammerlander
2018Nomination for Best FFI Qualitative Paper AwardN. Kammerlander with Jonas Soluk
2018Runner-up for Most Inspirational Paper Award, EURAMN. Kammerlander with Sabrina Schell, Julia de Groote, and Andreas Hack
2018Nomination for Best Paper on Conference Theme Award, IFERAN. Kammerlander with Philipp Bierl
2018Best Paper Proceedings, ENT DivisionN. KammerlanderW with Sabrina Schell, Julia de Groote, and Andreas Hack
2017VuFO e.V. Best Project AwardA. Schickinger und P. Bierl
2017Nomination for Best Family Business Paper Award, FGF, G-ForumN. Kammerlander with Judith Behrens, Christian Röhm, and Holger Patzelt
2017Best Paper Proceedings, ENT DivisionN. Kammerlander with Petra Kipfelsberger and Dennis Herhausen
2016Academy of Management Best PaperN. Kammerlander
2016Best Paper Proceedings, ENT DivisionN. Kammerlander with Josip Kotlar, Alfredo de Massis, and Federico Frattini
2016Finalist TUM Research Excellence Award Peter Pribilla FoundationN. Kammerlander
2015Jürgen-Hauschildt PreisN. Kammerlander
2015Latsis Research Prize of the University of St.Gallen
Fondation Latsis Internationale
N. Kammerlander
2015Outstanding Reviewer Award, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice JournalN. Kammerlander
2015Transeo Best Academic Paper AwardN. Kammerlander with Alexandra Michel
2015FERC Best Poster AwardN. Kammerlander with Maximilian Rupprecht
2015IFERA Best Paper-Contribution to Practice AwardN.Kammerlander with Alexandra Michel
2015Best Paper Proceedings, ENT DivisionN.Kammerlander with Cinzia Dessi, Michela Floris, and Miriam Bird
2015Carolyn Dexter AwardN. Kammerlander
2014; 2015Transeo Paper AwardN. Kammerlander
2014Best Paper Proceedings, ENT DivisionN. Kammerlander with Melanie Ganter and Thomas Zellweger
2014Outstanding Reviewer Award
Family Business Review Journal
N. Kammerlander
2014Hans-Löwel Award for Outstanding DissertationN. Kammerlander
2014Best Paper Award, 4. Deutschsprachige Konferenz zu Familienunternehmensforschung, ViennaN. Kammerlander with Melanie Ganter and Thomas Zellweger
2013Excellent Reviewer Award Family Business Review JournalN. Kammerlander
2013Best Unpublished Research Award, Family Firm InstituteN. Kammerlander with Cinzia Dessi, Michela Floris, and Alessandra Murru
2013Best Doctoral Dissertation Award,
Family Firm Institute
N. Kammerlander
2012Distinguished Paper Award (=Top 5 of a total of 745 papers submitted), BPS DivisionN. Kammerlander with Andreas König and Albrecht Enders
2012Best Paper Proceedings, BPS DivisionN. Kammerlander with Andreas König and Albrecht Enders
2012Best Doctoral Student Award, FERCN. Kammerlander
2011Best Doctoral Student Award, FERCN. Kammerlander

Awards - supervised students

2023Koblenzer HochschulpreisLeona Rethmann
2023IFERA Best Paper NominationLaura Baumgärtner
2023IFERA Best PRactice Contribution Award (3rd prize)Jana Hermle
2023Academy of Management Best Paper AwardRolf Wilmes
2022IFERA Best Research Proposal AwardRolf Wilmes
2022Academy of Management Best Student Paper Award (ONT)Jana Hermle
2022Academy of Management Best Paper AwardJana Hermle
2022Nomination for Newman AwardJana Hermle
2021IFERA Shark Tank FinalistsJana Hermle, Christopher Khoury
2021Best Research Proposal Award FinalistVivian Görg
2021Best Presenter Award at Family Enterprise Case Competition (FECC)Daniel Welz
2020Koblenzer HochschulpreisStephanie Querbach
2020Ten Clarenwater Runner UpTheresa Grillo
2019Ten Clarenwater Award for best Bachelor ThesisJulian Lessing
2019IFERA Best Dissertation AwardJonas Soluk
2019FIFU Project award Alexander Fries
2018Koblenzer HochschulpreisSebastian Bunte
2018In Praxi Outstanding Thesis AwardLeo Polwein, Nils Aschmann
2017Best Paper Proceedings at the AOM ENT DivisionStephanie Querbach
2016Ten Clarenwater Honorable MentionFranziska Holler

Research cooperations

In our research projects, we cooperate, amongst others, with the following researchers:

  • University of Passau
  • University of Bamberg
  • University of St. Gallen
  • Zeppelin-University Friedrichshafen
  • Politecnico Milano
  • Loughborough University in London
  • University of British Columbia
  • Technical University Munich
  • Maastricht University
  • University of Trier
  • University of South Carolina
  • University of North Carolina
  • Texas State University
  • Mississippi State University
  • University of California Berkeley
  • Case Western University
  • University of Bern

Contact us

Contributing to cutting-edge research
Professor Nadine Kammerlander
Professor Nadine Kammerlander
Head of Institute and Chairholder
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