Dipl.-Ing. Freie Universität Berlin Department of Business and Economics Doctoral Program "Research on Organizational Paths" Garystr. 21 D-14195 Berlin Tel.: 030/838-52121 Fax: 030/838-57186 Email: eva.seidel @ fu-berlin.de

Dissertation topic:

 

Path dependence in organizational learning: Implications from a simulation study

 

Organizational learning can be referred to as the major process by which organizations change. The strongly self-reinforcing mechanisms in learning can be identified as key drivers for organizational path-dependence. Both central learning processes in organizations, exploitation and exploration, are prone to lead the organization into traps. Persistent success therefore can only be achieved by balancing small and large scale learning. Self-reinforcing mechanisms as well as ambiguity and complexity of the environment make this a difficult task for the organization’s management. The literature nevertheless offers with ambidexterity and punctuated equilibrium two possible solutions to balance learning in a spatial or temporal way. By building a simulation model of the organizational learning process the study wants to shed light on the fundamental organizational dilemma of balancing exploitation and exploration. Two strategies, ambidexterity and punctuated equilibrium, are analysed for their impact on organizational learning processes and their possibly detrimental effects.

 

Curriculum Vitae:

04/2008 - today	Member of the Doctoral Program "Research on Organizational Paths" at the FREIE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN
11/2006 - 12/2007	Technical Sales, Productmanager Systems for Commercial Vehicles KNORR-BREMSE AG – Munich / Germany
08/2005 - 09/2006	Quality Engineer, Project Manager Central Quality Management Department BOSCH REXROTH AG – Lohr am Main / Germany
09/2003 - 07/2005	Engineering Department for Hydraulic Valves BOSCH REXROTH AG – Lohr am Main / Germany
03/2003 - 09/2003	Management Trainee BOSCH REXROTH LTD. – Changzhou / China
10/2001 - 02/2003	Management Trainee Hydraulic Cylinder Business Unit BOSCH REXROTH AG – Lohr am Main / Germany
07/2001	Diploma thesis "Equilibrium and market process concepts in economics"
02/1998 - 09/1998	Studentische Hilfskraft am Lehrstuhl für Innovationsmanagement und Technologiebewertung im Rahmen des Projektes "Good Practice in Technology Transfer" unter der Leitung der Unternehmensberatung ARTHUR DE LITTLE im Auftrag der EUROPÄISCHEN KOMMISSION
10/1996 - 07/2001	Engineering and Management Studies at DRESDEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Scientific Activities and Internships:

02/1999 - 09/1999	Student Assistant to the Chair of Innovation Management and Technology Assessment, University of Technology Dresden Project: "Good practice in technology transfer" managed by ARTHUR DE LITTLE on behalf of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION
06/1998 - 08/1998	Internship at ROBERT BOSCH GMBH – Stuttgart / Germany Department Continuous Improvement Process<<br />
04/1998 - 05/1998	Internship at DAIMLER BENZ AEROSPACE DORNIER – Friedrichshafen / Germany Department for Improvement Management
08/1995 - 10/1995	Mechanical engineering internship at IXION – Hamburg / Germany

Research Interests:

• Innovation management and product development processes
• Strategic and operational product management
• Philosophie of science in economics
• Institutional economics
• Evolutionary approaches in economics