Office Hours

Upon request 

Links

Twitter @BirkeOtto

ResearchGate 

 Research Interests

• Transparency, secrecy, ignorance in organizations
• Organizing for creativity and innovation in the natural sciences (drug discovery and development)
• Water governance, accountability and sustainability in urban settings
• Affect and discourse
• Organization theory, social and cultural studies
• Qualitative methods

Publications 

Otto, B, Schüssler, E and K. Zangerle (2020) ’Idea greenhouses are made of glass. Tensions in Creative Collaboration’, F. Montanari, Eikhoff, D., Mattarelli, E. and A. Scapolan (Eds.), The collaborative turn. How collaborative spaces foster collaboration and creativity. Abington: Routledge.

Kemmer, L/ Kuehn, A/ Otto, B/ Weber, V (2021) ‘Standby as mode of organizing’, ephemera. Theory and politics of organization, 21(1).

Otto, B (2020) ‘The power to ignore and the power to hide’. Journal of Cultural Economy, 17530350.2020.1861967

Otto, B, Schüssler, E and K. Zangerle (2020) ’Idea greenhouses are made of glass. Tensions in Creative Collaboration’, F. Montanari, Eikhoff, D., Mattarelli, E. and A. Scapolan (Eds.), The collaborative turn. How collaborative spaces foster collaboration and creativity. Abington: Routledge.

Otto, B. & A. Strauss (2019) ‘The novel as affective site: Uncertain work and impasse in ‚Wait until Spring, Bandini.’ Organization Studies, Vol 40(12) Vol 40(12), 1805-1822.

Pors, J. G., Olaison, L., & Otto, B. (2019) ‘Ghostly Matters in Organizing.’ ephemera: Theory & politics in organization, 19(1), 1-29.

Otto, B., Clement, F., Das, B., Feuerstein, L., Dhungana, H., Feuerstein, L., Senteba, G. & J. Van Driel (2019) ‘Social accountability and water integrity: Learning from experiences with participatory and transparent budgeting.’, Chr. Michelsen Institute.

Otto, B. (2018) ‘The generative properties of secrecy in idea development. A case study in pharmaceutical innovation.’ Organized Creativity Discussion Paper No. 18/3. Berlin: Free University Berlin.

Otto, B. (2019) Book Review: The Conversational Firm: Rethinking Bureaucracy in the Age of Social Media. Organization, 135050841985572

Otto, B., Pors, J. G., & Johnsen, R. (2019) ‘Hidden in Full View: The Organization of Public Secrecy in Miéville’s The City and the City.’ Culture and Organization, 25(2), 91-103.

Färber, A., and Otto, B. (2016) ‘Saving (in) a Common World: Cosmopolitical Instances from a Low-budget Urbanities Perspective.’ A. Blok, & I. Farías (Eds.), Urban Cosmopolitics: Agencements, Assemblies, Atmospheres (pp. 25-43). Abingdon: Routledge. Questioning Cities.

Otto, B. (2016) ‘Selbstorganisierte Infrastrukturen in der Stadt.’ A. Matern (Ed.), Urbane Infrastrukturlandschaften in Transformation: Städte - Orte - Räume (pp. 189-210). Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag.

Urry, J., Bialski, P., & Otto, B. (2015) ‘Collective Low-budget Organizing and Low Carbon Futures: An Interview with John Urry.’ Ephemera: Theory & politics in organization, 15(1), 221-228.

Bialski, P., Derwanz, H., Otto, B., & Vollmer, H. (2015) ‘‘Saving’ the City: Collective Low‐budget Organizing and Urban Practice.’ ephemera: Theory & politics in organization, 15(1), 1-19.

Beverungen, A., Otto, B., and Spoelstra, S (2013) ‘Free Work.’ ephemera. Theory and politics of organization. Volume 13(1), 1-9.

Otto, B. (2012) Politics and Management in Water Governance. Networks, Knowledge and Capacities. Thesis for Doctor of Philosophy, Essex Business School, University of Essex.

Otto, B. and Terhorst, P. (2011) ‘Challenges in Activist Research. Bridging differences among the mobile/immobile divide.’ Motta, S. & A. Nielsen (2010): Social Movements and/in the Postcolonial: Dispossession, Development and Resistance in the Global South, London: Palgrave, pp. 200-227.

Otto, B. (2008) ‘Die Hamburger Wasserwerke sind Ausdruck des Bürgersinns’ – Lokale Proteste in Zeiten sich wandelnder Staatlichkeit.’ Wasserkolloquium (2008): Wasser. Die Kommerzialisierung eines öffentlichen Gutes, Karl Dietz Verlag, Berlin, pp.75-88.

Gaber, K. and Otto, B. (2008) ‘Manager der Marginalität. Kultur und Sozialarbeit in den Favelas von Rio de Janeiro.’ Lanz, S. et al (eds): Funk the City. Sounds und städtisches Handeln aus den Peripherien von Rio de Janeiro und Berlin, bbooks, Berlin, pp. 132-152.

Otto, B. and S. Böhm (2006) ‘The people’ and resistance against international business: The case of the Bolivian ‘water war’.’ Critical Perspectives on International Business, Vol. 2(4), pp. 299-321. (received Highly Commended Award from the Emerald LiteratiNetwork)

Conference Presentations

‘Creativity and Temporal (Dis-)entrainment in Drug Development’ 37th EGOS Colloquium, Virtual (Hamburg), July 2-5, 2020. (w. E. Schuessler, J. Sydow, L. Vogelgsang)

‘The generative properties of secrecy in idea generation’, Academy of Management Proceedings, Vol. 2019, No. 1.

‘Social accountability and water integrity: three case studies’, Water governance session, Stockholm World Water Week, August 25-30 2019.

‘We did not pay any attention to them’: Practices of deliberate ignorance in creative processes. International Conference: Organizing Creativity in the Innovation Journey, Free University Berlin, July 11-12, 2019.

‘We did not pay any attention to them’: Practices of deliberate ignorance in creative processes. 36th EGOS Colloquium, Edinburgh, July 3-6, 2019.         

‘From value capture to value creation. Secrecy in idea development’, Spring school, Organized Creativity, Free University Berlin, March 12-15, 2019.

‘Modes of secrecy affecting creativity in innovation processes. Examples from the Danish Pharma Industry’. 4th Israel Organization Behaviour Conference (IOBC), Tel Aviv, Israel, January 2-4, 2018.

‘Unfolding secrecies in idea development: A case study in pharmaceutical innovation’, Interdisciplinary Perspective of Secrecy in Organizations. Oxford Brookes Business School, 2-3 July 2018.

‘Timing secrecy and surprise in idea generation’. 34th EGOS Colloquium, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 6-8, 2017.       

‘Secrecy and Creativity: The Potential of Discretionary Spaces in Science-based Innovation’. 33rd EGOS Colloquium, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 6-8, 2017.

‘Social Accountability in the Water Sector: The impact of Participatory and Transparent Budgeting Practices. Preliminary Findings from multiple case studies: Nepal, Ethiopia, Philippines.’ XVI Biennial IASC Conference- Practicing the Commons, Utrecht, the Netherlands, 10-14 July 2017.