Institute for Entrepreneurship & Management

Organisations are fundamentally composed of people, and the way they are managed determines entrepreneurial success. At the Institute for Entrepreneurship & Management, we examine both the exploitation of existing opportunities and the exploration of new alternatives in the fields of strategic organisational management, human resource management, and innovation management. Our focus extends to both established companies and the creation and growth of innovative start-ups.

Teaching

In our teaching, we emphasise equipping students not only with theoretical foundations and practical tools but also with experiential knowledge derived from real-world practice. A dynamic combination of personal interaction with lecturers and digital learning elements supports both on-campus and remote study. Well-grounded theories combined with current insights from entrepreneurship and management form a solid basis for developing professional competencies. Collaborative projects with companies and guest lectures from practitioners provide valuable perspectives that extend beyond academic theory.

A central focus of our teaching is digital transformation, which permeates many areas of entrepreneurship and management. Accordingly, various courses integrate aspects such as the use of AI tools in the innovation process, the application of digital tools for data-driven decision-making, and the role of big data in recruitment and the broader HR cycle.

Example: Design Thinking Workshop

As part of the master’s programme Entrepreneurship & Applied Management, the institute offered an interactive workshop on the innovation method of Design Thinking. This approach aims to solve complex problems and develop user-centered solutions. Drawing on diverse creativity techniques, it ranges from empathy-based methods (adopting the perspective of users) to the development of prototypes that make solutions tangible, testable, and iteratively refined.

A highlight of the programme was the collaboration with Dialog im Dunkeln in Vienna. Students developed innovative solutions for people with visual impairments, complemented by a guided tour through a completely dark experience space. This unique experience enabled students to gain deeper insights into human diversity and individuality. Encounters between visually impaired and sighted individuals fostered mutual respect in an inspiring and often humorous way.

Research

Our research emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration, including close cooperation with other faculties. Findings are regularly presented at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. The institute’s research focuses on the following areas:

• Leadership, collaboration, and learning in contemporary work environments
• Innovation-oriented thinking and organisational action
• International management
• Employee-centered intrapreneurship
• Digitalisation in HR management and innovation
• Interdisciplinarity and co-innovation
• Business creation in start-ups and established firms
• Diversity management
• Personality and competence assessment

Current Research Projects:

• Job Crafting (JOBCRAFT Project): This project investigates proactive, self-directed, and strengths-based approaches to work design. By aligning individual goals, needs, skills, and values with job roles, the project seeks to enhance fulfillment and meaning at work. Its broader aim is to contribute to the sustainable humanisation of work in the context of digital, organisational, and cultural transformation.

• Intrapreneurship/Corporate Entrepreneurship: This line of research explores how employees can act as a vital internal source of innovation within organisations. We examine how intrapreneurial behaviour can be fostered, and how companies can systematically support employees who think and act entrepreneurially.

• Success Factors of University-Run Makerspaces (CO-INNO-LAB Project): Using the example of the FHWN Innovation Lab, this project investigates regional success factors and models for co-innovation in university-run makerspaces. It combines quantitative studies of user needs with qualitative analyses of success factors in makerspace management, with a particular focus on engaging “atypical” user groups.