Vortrag beim WZB Coronacolloquium: »Wissenschaft und Aktivismus: (k)ein Widerspruch?«

Ist eine klare weltanschauliche Position mit wissenschaftlichen bzw. journalistischen Gütekriterien vereinbar? Diese Frage stellt sich in Zeiten von zunehmende Bedeutung von Wissenschaftskommunikation und “Third Mission” längst nicht nur mehr Think Tanks sondern auch (außer-)universitären Forschungseinrichtungen ganz allgemein. Dabei zeigt sich, dass eine Abgrenzung zwischen “Outreach” und “Knowledge Transfer” einerseits und “politischem Aktivismus” andererseits nicht nur schwierig, sondern grundsätzlich verfehlt ist. Aktivismus-Vorwürfe verkennen vielmehr, dass sich normative Fragen von der Themenstellung über Theorie- und Methodenwahl bis hin zur Ergebnisinterpretation durch den gesamten wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisprozess ziehen.

Meinen Vortrag zu diesem Thema im Rahmen des Coronacolloquiums das Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin gibt es hier zum Nachhören und Nachlesen.

New article in Human Relations: »Algorithmic governmentality and the space of ethics: Examples from ‘People Analytics’«

(Credit: Stephen Dawson)

Together with Hans Krause Hansen from Copenhagen Business School, I have published an article in the journal Human Relations on “Algorithmic governmentality and the space of ethics: Examples from ‘People Analytics'”. The abstract reads as follows:

Does human reflexivity disappear as datafication and automation expand and machines take over decision-making? In trying to find answers to this question, we take our lead from recent debates about People Analytics and analyze how the use of algorithmically driven digital technologies like facial recognition and drones in work-organizations and societies at large shape the conditions of ethical conduct. Linking the concepts of algorithmic governmentality and space of ethics, we analyze how such technologies come to form part of governing practices in specific contexts. We conclude that datafication and automation have huge implications for human reflexivity and the capacity to enact responsibility in decision-making. But that itself does not mean that the space for ethical conduct disappears, which is the impression left in some literatures, but rather that is modified and (re) constituted in the interplay of mechanisms of closure (like automating decision-making, black-boxing and circumventing reflexivity), and opening (such as dis-closing contingent values and interests in processes of problematization, contestation and resistance). We suggest that future research investigates in more detail the dynamics of closure and opening in empirical studies of the use and effects of algorithmically driven digital technologies in organizations and societies.

The online first version is now available online. Feel free to contact me in case you or your institution does not provide access to the journal.

New Paper: »The Structural Transformation of the Scientific Public Sphere: Constitution and consequences of the path towards Open Access«

The key argument of the paper as a meme

I am happy to share an English version of the Leviathan article published by Maximilian Heimstädt and myself on the preconditions and pitfalls of the path towards Open Access publishing as a Weizenbaum working paper entitled “The Structural Transformation of the Scientific Public Sphere: Constitution and consequences of the path towards Open Access”. The abstract reads as follows:

Continue reading “New Paper: »The Structural Transformation of the Scientific Public Sphere: Constitution and consequences of the path towards Open Access«” →

New Article: »From Becoming to Being Digital: The Emergence and Nature of the Post-Digital«

Foto: Leonhard Dobusch, CC BY 4.0

The article published in the journal i-com is based upon a revised transcript of an online discussion among four co-authors with different disciplinary backgrounds: Benjamin Müller (University of Lausanne) is an information system scholar, Sarah Diefenbach (LMU Munich) is a psychologist, Katharina Baer is a practitioner co-organizing a media conference series and myself as an organization scholar. What we all share is an interest in digital transformation, which led us to the topic of the article “From Becoming to Being Digital: The Emergence and Nature of the Post-Digital”. Specifically, we discuss the following questions:

Thus, if digitalization as a phenomenon is transitory, what should we expect in society, business, and science once this turn is complete? What will a world that is digitalized look like? And until then, how do we deal with the challenges that increasingly far-reaching digitalization seems to pose for us today? In short, how can we approach an understanding of the post-digital, even today?

Müller et al. (2021: 319)

In case you or your institution does not have access to the full text of the article, please do not hesitate to contact me.

New Article in Long Range Planning: »Open about organizational failure«

Foto: Nong Vang via Unsplash

After what had begun as the supervisor of Nils Köster‘s master thesis when I was still at Freie University of Berlin has finally resulted in a publication, together with co-authors Erik Schäfer (also FU Berlin) and Christoph Seckler (ESCP). The article “Open about organizational failure: A communication perspective on postmortem impression management” has been accepted for publication in Long Range Planning and shows how postmortem statements of failed startup founders may lead to what we call an “organizational afterlife”:

Being open about failure as an entrepreneur is an increasingly common practice in and beyond startup communities, for example by proactively and strategically crafting public statements to frame subsequent failure conversations. Combining an impression management perspective with an analysis of communicative genres of failure narratives, we empirically investigate postmortem statements of failed entrepreneurs. Shifting the discourse from the (content of the) failure narratives towards considering its broader communicative context, we show how genres emerge from patterns of failure narratives and impression management strategies. Our analysis suggests that subgenres of postmortem statements represent different forms of openness about failure, and some subgenres in particular contribute to establishing an ‘organizational afterlife’ as a potentially long-lasting impression management strategy.

The journal pre-proof version is already available at the journal’s website. In case you don’t have access please contact me and I will be happy to provide you with a copy.

Dissertationsstelle im Bereich Organisation am Institut für Organisation und Lernen

Bis 15. Dezember 2021 läuft die Bewerbungsfrist für eine Dissertationsstelle für die Dauer von 4 Jahren im Ausmaß von 30h/Woche (nach Vorliegen einer Dissertationsvereinbarung) im Bereich Organisation am Institut für Organisation und Lernen.

Details und die Möglichkeit zur Online-Bewerbung finden sich im Karriereportal der Universität Innsbruck.

Philosophisches Café mit Richard Weiskopf: “Organisation und die Kritik des Wahrsprechens (parrhesia)”

Am Donnerstag, 18. November um 18 Uhr liefert Richard Weiskopf einen Impulsvortrag zum Thema “Organisation und die Kritik des Wahrsprechens (parrhesia)” im Rahmen des Philosophischen Cafés in der Innsbrucker Bäckerei.

Im Anschluss gibt es wie beim Philosophischen Café üblich die Möglichkeit zur Diskussion und zum informellen Austausch bei Speis und Trank. Es sind Covid-Bestimmungen zu beachten, es gilt die 2G-Regel. Darüber hinaus werden aufgrund der prekären pandemischen Lage alle Besucher:innen gebeten, sich zeitnah vor der Veranstaltung zusätzlich testen zu lassen, um einen möglichst sicheren und entspannten philosophischen Abend zu ermöglichen.

Job: Universitätsassistent/in prae doc at the Department of Organisation Studies at WU Vienna

For those interested in an academic career in organization studies, please check out this job offer at the department of Organization Studies at WU Vienna (own translation):

The Department of Organization Studies researches current issues in the field of organization and governance. Do you want to deepen your interest in these topics and at the same time gain first experiences in teaching? With this position, the possibility of a path into academia is just as open to you as a later step into business.

Deadline for applications is November 3, 2021.

Neuer Buchbeitrag: ‘Freie Lizenzen und öffentlich-rechtliche Medien: Wettbewerbspolitische Dimensionen’

Eine meiner letzten Tagungsreisen vor Corona führte mich 2020 nach Radein in Südtirol. Dort treffen sich seit über 50 Jahren vor allem ordoliberale Ökonom:innen zum Seminar Radein und verstehen sich laut Selbstbeschreibung als “ältester ordnungspolitischer ‘Think Tank’ in Europa”.

Ich durfte dort einen Vortrag zum Thema “Freie Lizenzen und öffentlich-rechtlicher Rundfunk: Wettbewerbspolitische Dimensionen” halten (siehe Slides), der nun auch als Buchbeitrag in einem von Oliver Budzinski, Justus Haucap, Annika Stöhr und Dirk Wentzel herausgegebenen Sammelband “Zur Ökonomik von Sport, Entertainment und Medien: Schnittstellen und Hintergründe” erschienen ist.

Aus der Einleitung:

Continue reading “Neuer Buchbeitrag: ‘Freie Lizenzen und öffentlich-rechtliche Medien: Wettbewerbspolitische Dimensionen’” →