There are four topics which I am passionate about and eager to share my knowledge and experience with others. My extensive expertise on these topics stems from my exhaustive involvement in these areas – partly for even more than 25 years.
International Business & China
At the age of 13, I stepped on Chinese ground for the very first time – and was fascinated by the country, its people and culture. Since then, I visited China many times, chose to study not only business but also China studies, spent some time living and working in Shanghai, and found some of my best and oldest friends in life.
I even spent several years researching Chinese outward foreign direct investments. Thus, I did earn a doctor’s degree from Freie Universität Berlin for an extra-occupational dissertation on the specific organizational capabilities of superiorly performing Chinese Multinationals in Europe.
Since 2021, I am Professor of International Management at the FOM German-Sino School of Business & Technology where I am teaching young Chinese high potentials. Thus, I spent several weeks a year in China teaching and researching while directly experiencing the latest developments in this ever fascinating country.
Further, I am researching in different topics related to international management, leadership and organizations. Together with my colleague Dr. René R. Schleus from Hannover I am the editor of the Yearbook of Market Entry Advisory. Compiling the latest highly practice-relevant research on different aspects of entrepreneurial internationalization the yearbook addresses scholars and practitioners alike.
Corporate Health & Safety Management
When a major German health insurance tasked me and some former colleagues to conduct a study on barriers for corporate health management (CHM) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), I honestly didn’t think that CHM really is a big thing. Now, nearly fifteen years later I consider it as being an important core capability of successful enterprises. But why?
Because workplace conditions aiming at physical and mental healthy co-workers it what makes the difference between average and superior companies in nowadays dynamic, ever-changing business environment. Therefore, my colleagues and me at the EO Institute developed a scientifically grounded but practice-oriented instrument to analyze health risks, especially mental hazards, at the workplace: the Gefaehrdungsbarometer.de (which is also available in English and some other languages).
Based on the results of employee surveys and group workshops, we supported many public sector organizations and Blue Chip companies to created health-oriented working structures and processes and engage in a strategic corporate health management. If you wish to follow some of the world’s best performing companies and apply the Gefaehrdungsbarometer.de as well, feel free to contact me.
Individual, Team & Organizational Resilience
As a former member of the German Ju-Jitsu National Team I was concerned with ways to enhance my individual resilience already twenty years ago. Later, during military service, in several other jobs as well as while working with leaders from industry and public service, I found that individual resilience is just one ingredient of success and performance since professional success and performance is usually group-created. Therefore, me and my colleagues at the EO Institute did not only create special training programs to develop individual resilience but also team and organizational resilience. At the workplace, especially the development of team resilience is often required and, hence, I created a special group coaching which has been successfully implemented at organizations such as the German Federal Bank, the German Ministry of Finance, H&M stores or tech companies like TE Connectivity. The team resilience programme combines individual resilience hacks and the development of high-performance routines based on the principles of group psychology. If you are interested, contact me and we will organize a coaching that helps your team to advance to another level.
Leadership
Already in school I realised that there are some persons you intuitively trust and like to follow, classmates as well as teachers. Usually these people even helped you to improve and make use of your own potential. Thus, as a martial arts trainer, business school lecturer and entrepreneur, I always tried to do exactly the same: Support people in becoming better than they were the day before. So, I taught dozens of kids and adults in self-defence, shared my knowledge and passion with several hundred business students, built up and co-led a team of 12 professionals, and advised and coached several dozens of front-line, middle and top managers from SMEs and Blue Chip companies.
A special programme for very ambitious leaders at all levels is my Business Sparring Executive Coaching which combines leadership psychology with the will power and endurance of athletes, especially martial arts fighters. Thus, the programme is designed to open up a new perspective on one‘s individual leadership behavior by leaving the personal comfort zone. If you are willing to take the challenge, alone or with a group of colleagues, get in touch with me. We will find a date and place for the coaching that fits into your schedule.