Strategic Management Journal – one of the leading and most prestigious journals in the fields of strategic management and organization – has published a new article by Steffen Triebel (Aarhus University / University of Exeter), Julia Brennecke (Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg / University of Liverpool Management School) and Christiana Weber (Leibniz University Hannover) entitled The coevolution of board interlock networks and corporate strategic actions. The paper examines how networks of board interlocks and firms' strategic actions are mutually dependent. Drawing on longitudinal data on large German firms, the authors show how acquisitions and divestitures trigger the creation and dissolution of different types of board interlocks and how these interlocks in turn shape firms' subsequent strategic decisions. The article integrates previously separate research streams on the dynamics and consequences of board interlocks and advances theory on strategic networks through a structuration perspective, demonstrating the value of multiplex stochastic actor-oriented models for analysing coevolutionary processes.

The article is available open access at: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.70036

A new article by Julia Brennecke, co-authored with Gianluca Carnabuci (ESMT Berlin) and Gokhan Ertug (Singapore Management University), has been published in Organization Theory. Entitled Relational History: Correcting Temporal Myopia in Social Network Research, the paper introduces the concept of “relational history” – the temporal biography of network ties. It argues that the founding conditions, trajectories, and critical events of relationships shape their meaning, capacity for action, and future evolution. By highlighting time as an intrinsic dimension of relationships, the article broadens existing structural views of networks and suggests new avenues for theorizing and empirically studying how relationships in organizations develop and change.
 

The article is available open access at: https://doi.org/10.1177/26317877251379502

Our chair continues to grow: At the start of the winter term, we welcome several new colleagues in research, teaching, and administration.
 

We warmly welcome our two new postdocs, Dr. Shao-Yi Huang and Dr. Tobias Theel. We are also delighted to welcome Ina Mielke (secretary) and Mark Rosemann (research assistant) from the previous Chair of Organization and Human Resources as new additions to our team.
 

Also new this semester are our tutors and student assistants Daja Börgmann, Rijka Krumbein, and Lilly Lehmann, who will actively support our work in research and teaching.
 

We are looking forward to working together!

From July 14 to July 16, the Chair of Organization & Leadership held a three-day workshop aimed at strengthening our research and strategically developing our teaching.

Over the first two days, doctoral researchers presented their dissertation projects, received feedback, and engaged in discussions on theory development, publication strategies, and academic positioning. Special thanks go to Prof. Dr. Natalie David from EM Strasbourg for her inspiring guest contribution and valuable feedback.

The third day focused on teaching strategy: Together with our two new postdoctoral researchers, who will officially join the team in October, we refined our teaching philosophy and developed ideas for future modules.

In June, Prof. Dr. Julia Brennecke and Anita Knappe participated in the annual meeting of the Social Network Society (SNS) and the Sunbelt Conference in Paris. Both presented current research projects in the areas of network tie dissolution and cognitive social structures. The events also provided numerous opportunities for academic exchange with international colleagues and for discussing current research trends.

Professor Julia Brennecke has been invited to join the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ) as an Associate Editor starting in July 2025. AMJ is one of the leading international journals in the field of management research, publishing empirical studies that make substantial theoretical contributions. Her appointment as Associate Editor recognizes Professor Brennecke’s scholarly expertise and her longstanding commitment to the international research community.

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new book chapter by Prof. Dr. Julia Brennecke. The contribution appears in the edited volume "The Social Capital Imperative: Revealing, Developing, and Leveraging Organizational Networks," edited by K. L. Cullen-Lester and G. Pryor, and published by Oxford University Press.

Title of the book chapter:
Parker, A., & Brennecke, J. 2025. Knowledge networks in organizations. In K. L. Cullen-Lester, & G. Pryor (Eds.), The social capital imperative: Revealing, developing, and leveraging organizational networks: Oxford University Press.

To the book chapter

Abstract

This chapter gives an overview of the literature on knowledge networks in organizations. It highlights that there are different types of knowledge (i.e., tacit versus explicit knowledge) and details the challenges to the transfer of knowledge within organizations (i.e., the formal structure and the boundaries between knowledge domains). It also indicates different ways in which these challenges can be overcome. The chapter reviews the most relevant network theories and presents research findings regarding the antecedents and consequences of knowledge networks to help practitioners understand how and why they should attend to these networks in their organizations. The chapter concludes by specifying three areas of interest that scholars, as well as practitioners, should pay attention to in the future: (a) how virtual and hybrid work influence knowledge networks, (b) how new technology- and artificial intelligence–based search influence knowledge networks, and (c) how knowledge networks dynamically change over time.

Prof. Dr. Julia Brennecke is the new Chair for Organization & Leadership. Previously, she was a professor of Innovation Management at the University of Potsdam. The team of the new chair consists of research and teaching assistants and doctoral candidates David Bender, Anita Knappe, and Hanna Hodel, who also moved from Potsdam to Oldenburg, as well as Annika Thomßen, who will be handling the chair's secretariat, and Florian Hansen, as student assistant.

Our research focuses on collaboration and networks within and between organizations. We offer various modules in the areas of organization studies, human resources management, and leadership. We look forward to many inspiring projects as well as close collaboration with our new students and colleagues in Oldenburg.